THE final phase of a £1.5 million contract won by a York architect's firm to refurbish one of the city's most prestigious hotels has begun.

DSP Architects of Clifton Moor, York, has started work on the last £600,000 stage of the revamp of the Dean Court Hotel opposite York Minster.

It entails completion of a new Court Caf area, plus the refurbishment of 14 bedrooms, each with feature bathrooms.

Already DSP has completed work on all the public areas, including better internal links between the two separate buildings which comprise the listed building.

David Brook, general manager of the Dean Court, which mostly dates from the 1850s when it was used to house the Minster clergy, said: "In the first phase, a half a dozen rooms were refurbished in similar vein and were well received, so we're looking forward to the next phase."

Simon Carrington, partner at DSP, said: "It has all involved intense negotiations with City of York Council planners to ensure the integrity of the listed building, but ultimately the entire project will be worthwhile.

"Although it is an old building, the internal design is contemporary and very exciting, with digitally mastered abstract images of the Minster on panels."

The work should be completed in about eight weeks, ready for the spring.

It is one of a number of major projects undertaken by DSP, particularly in the education field.

The company today also announced that it was about to start on the third and final phase of its £2.5 million contract to extend and upgrade Heaton Primary School in Bradford.

It has already built an educational behavioural unit, plus six new classrooms and sports hall. Now comes the building of a new children's centre to be ready by September.

This is one of eight Bradford school schemes worth a total of £8 million tackled by DSP over the last 18 months.

The firm has also produced the design package for £4.5 million new build primary school in the Calderdale area.

DSP hit the headlines two years ago when it was chosen by the Chinese authorities to design a masterplan for an entire new city called Tuan Bo, north of Tuanjin, plus a massive new autopark in Tuanjin itself.

Updated: 11:18 Friday, January 06, 2006