Richard Sheppard & Partners was established in London, England in 1938 by Richard Herbert Sheppard (1910-1982) and his wife, Jean Sheppard (1911-1974), both graduates of the Architectural Association School in London.
In 1949 Geoffrey Robson (1918-1991) became a partner in the practice and in 1958 the name of the firm was changed to Richard Sheppard, Robson & Partners [later Sheppard Robson].
The practice has specialised in the design of educational buildings and subsequently designed some eighty schools. During the 1960s and 1970s they designed several university and college buildings including for Manchester Polytechnic and Imperial College, London, and at Loughborough (1961–66), Leicester, Brunel (1968–73), the City of London (1969–70). Their most admired building in this field is Churchill College, Cambridge, designed in 1959.
Other works by the practice have included shipyard buildings for Swan Hunter on the River Tyne (1950); a large shopping centre at Wood Green, north London; and office buildings in the City of London. Some twenty buildings designed by the practice have received architectural awards.
Banham, Reyner. ‘Criticism’. Architectural Review vol. 136, September 1964 pp. 174-179 [The author compares and contrasts the architecture of St. Catherine’s College, Cambridge designed by Arne Jacobson with Churchill College, Cambridge designed by Richard Sheppard, Robson & Partners]
Esher, Lionel. A Broken Wave: the Rebuilding of England, 1940–1980. London: Viking / Allen Lane, 1981
Jellicoe, Geoffrey. ‘Sheppard Robson and Partners’ in Contemporary Architects. Edited by Ann Lee Morgan and Colin Naylor. London and Chicago, Illinois: St. James Press, 2nd edition 1987 pp. 832-834
Jordan, Robert Furneaux. ‘Churchill Memorial College’. Architect and Building News vol. 216, 12 August 1959 pp. 2-4 [Part one of a two-part article on the competition to design Churchill College, Cambridge, won by Richard Sheppard, Robson & Partners] Jordan, Robert Furneaux. ‘Churchill Memorial College’.
Jordan, Robert Furneaux. ‘Churchill Memorial College’. Architect and Building News vol. 216, 19 August 1959 pp. 52-58 [Part two of a two-part article on the competition to design Churchill College, Cambridge, won by Richard Sheppard, Robson & Partners]
Mills, Edward David. The New Architecture in Britain 1946-1953. London: The Standard Catalogue Co., 1953 [Discusses a village school in Little Wymondley, Hertfordshire designed by Richard Sheppard, Jean Sheppard and Geoffrey Robson of Richard Sheppard & Partners in 1951-52 177-188]
Murray, Peter, et al. Sheppard Robson: Architects. London: Lund Humphries, 1983
Webb, Michael. Architecture in Britain Today. London: Country Life, 1969
Webb, Michael. ‘Massive simplicity beside the Cam’. Country Life vol. 138, 25 November 1956 pp. 194-197 [Discusses Churchill College, Cambridge designed by Richard Sheppard, Robson & Partners]