If you are planning a conservation or restoration project and want expert guidance, reach out to start the conversation.
The Bernat Klein Studio is a Category A–listed modernist building near Selkirk, designed by Peter Womersley in 1972 for textile designer Bernat Klein.
After decades of vacancy and deterioration, the studio is being rescued through a partnership-led effort to secure its future and return it to meaningful use. The project’s aim is to sensitively conserve this internationally important piece of modern architecture and reopen it as a working creative space with public engagement.
The restoration process is being delivered in stages: detailed surveys to understand condition and risks, urgent stabilisation to halt further damage, and carefully planned repairs that address issues like water ingress, failed glazing, and vulnerable concrete and fabric. All interventions are designed to be compatible with the original building and are fully documented to support long-term care.
The studio is a rare, landmark example of Scottish late-modernism and a physical record of Bernat Klein’s design legacy. Saving it protects a building of national significance, prevents further loss from a long at-risk period, and creates a future-facing place for learning, exhibitions, and creativity in the Scottish Borders.
If you are planning a conservation or restoration project and want expert guidance, reach out to start the conversation.
