Bicester Motion Masterplan

Bicester Motion set out to reimagine the former RAF Bicester as the UK’s first automotive resort – a place that celebrates its heritage while opening the door to innovation, leisure and cutting-edge technology.

We’ve worked with Bicester Motion and Bicester Heritage since 2015 to help shape a long-term vision for the 444-acre site – the most complete and best-preserved pre-1945 bomber base in the country.

Masterplanning a historic site for a dynamic future

With predominantly Grade II listed buildings and several Scheduled Ancient Monuments, the project needed careful stewardship and bold ambition.

We delivered the branding, masterplan and conceptual design that provide a clear path for the years ahead. The masterplan sets out a series of connected “Quarters”, each with its own focus but united by community, innovation and experience. It balances conservation with contemporary architecture, helping new buildings sit naturally alongside the airfield’s historic structures.

Working closely with the client and consultant team, we designed and supported outline planning applications for the Experience Quarter and Innovation Quarter. Together, this covers more than 75,300 m² of planned floor area.

Creating a destination rooted in experience and innovation

The Experience Quarter will be a hub for leading automotive and leisure brands, offering road and offroad driving courses alongside restaurants and cafés. A former quarry and stretch of industrial land are being transformed into the Bicester Reserve, an ecology-led wellbeing zone that opens a previously inaccessible landscape to create a new country park with footpaths, cycle routes and lakeside lodges.

The Innovation Quarter is planned as a centre of excellence for automotive technology development, demonstration and education, helping the campus grow as a home for next-generation engineering.

Together, the quarters create a low-density, experience-led environment for driving, high-tech engineering, aviation, health and events, blending heritage character with modern ambition.

Setting the pace for a national centre of excellence

The Command Works, the first new build within the historic boundary, responds carefully to the site’s character through its form, materials and layout. Now complete and fully operational, it has won multiple awards and set the standard for what comes next.

Bicester Motion shows how heritage estates can evolve with confidence. By protecting a nationally important site while creating space for skills, culture and innovation, the project keeps the airfield’s original spirit alive – as a home for cutting-edge technology – well into the future.