Blauel Architects were invited by the German car manufacturer BMW to form a masterplanning team consisting of three main consultants : BMW, Blauel Architects and Adrian Beswick Project Management. This team was to be pivotal and instrumental in developing a masterplan for the medium and long term future of the old Rover plant at Cowley in Oxford. The site is 714,905 sq m and was in very bad condition. BMW have identified the site at Cowley for production of their new Mini. The team concentrated on four specific issues identified by BMW as significant in the development of the site, these are: • Long term structure for the future development of the plant. • Identify, develop and write briefs for specific projects (to be implemented by others). • Architectural support for ongoing works on production facilities. The masterplanning team have been supported by specialist consultants : Landscape Architects, Structural Engineers, Quantity Surveyors, Lighting Designers and Planning Consultants. The masterplanning team have identified and prioritised specific projects within the site and the team made detailed presentations to the Board for agreement and implementation. Briefs were developed by the core team and specialist consultants were commissioned to respond the individual briefs. A number of projects have been further developed outside the masterplan team by supporting consultants and work to the site began in January 2001. These projects included a new identity to all ring road facades, temporary landscaping along the ring road, temporary entrance to the site and a lighting scheme. Further projects were commissioned including new car parking facilities and a new gatehouse. Blauel Architects working within the core masterplanning team have been commissioned separately to work on two priority projects. The upgrading of the South West Corner of the site and the creation of a new information centre for the plant.