Liquidator praises director for doing 鈥榚verything she could鈥�

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Southmere Library, Thamesmead by Bisset Adams

Attempts to rescue Bisset Adams have failed and the architectural practice has entered voluntary liquidation after 27 years, with the loss of around 20 jobs.

The firm, which had a string of civic buildings and offices to its name as well as an automotive and retail wing focused on Europe, called in the administrators last month. All staff, believed to number between 15 and 20, have been made redundant.

The practice鈥檚 main live project was Southmere Library at Thamesmead for Peabody, which it won in competition in 2017 against Adam Khan and Architecture 00.

Liquidator Mick Sanders, a partner at MHA Macintyre Hudson, said Peabody would have no choice but to find an alternative arrangement for completing the project which is understood to be at fit-out stage.

The firm blamed Brexit and a hardening of the business environment with ever-reducing fees. Sanders said that without the pandemic it would probably have been able to weather the other problems but the combination of Brexit and the pandemic were 鈥漚 perfect storm鈥�.

It is not yet known how much debt Bisset Adams folded with but in its last accounts filed at Companies House in August for the year ending November 30, 2020, it reported a loss of 拢264,359 and net liabilities of 拢57,265.

Director Sarah Godowski said in an accompanying 鈥済oing concern鈥� declaration that she was confident there were sufficient future trading prospects to allow the business to return to profitability.

Sanders added: 鈥淭hey tried very hard but haven鈥檛 been able to turn around the debts they accrued over the lockdown period.

鈥淭hey had a bit of trouble before covid but if it wasn鈥檛 for covid they would have got through. They are a victim of circumstances, there鈥檚 no two ways about it.鈥�

Sanders said: 鈥淚 am liquidator for 500 companies and I hold Sarah in the highest regard. She has done everything she can to avoid this unfortunate outcome.鈥�

鈥淭hey don鈥檛 appear to have done anything wrong: they just couldn鈥檛 get themselves out of this hole. I have much more sympathy for them than most people I see.鈥�

好色先生TV has approached Bisset Adams for comment.

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