Old meets new – ADC

MCW architects’ sensitively designed addition to St John’s College, Cambridge, establishes an accessible, inclusive and energising social space at the heart of the historic campus.

Photos

Richard Fraser

The most significant element of the scheme is the new glulam oak superstructure of the buttery dining room, which was designed in collaboration with Swiss timber specialist Blumer Lehmann, and local structural engineer Smith and Wallwork. Chosen for its visual warmth and tactility, the timber frame evokes the original oak columns and beams within the bar and café. It was also favoured for its low-carbon credentials and potential to be assembled as a kit of parts. Replacing a 1970s steel-framed roof that had been brutally built into the 16th century brickwork of both the Second Court building and the boundary wall to Trinity College, the new structure is free-standing with only minimal stainless-steel ties connecting it back to the original masonry.

Made from prefabricated components, the curved trapezoidal timber structure was brought to site across what is reputed to be the second oldest bridge over the River Cam – designed by Christopher Wren and executed by Robert Grumbold who also built the pair of Grade I-listed, eagle-topped gate piers, which had to be carefully dismantled and relocated as part of the project. Gaining approval to dismantle and rebuild listed fabric was one of the many challenges that the design team had to overcome.

Improving inclusivity and accessibility was a primary component of the brief. A careful re-grading within Second Court has created a level access where stone steps used to be, and a new ramp alongside the terrace does the same for people approaching from the ‘Backs’, on Queen’s Road.

The scheme adopts a ‘fabric-first’ approach to construction, protecting the integrity, stability and condition of the historic fabric, while also maximising carbon reduction. This included retaining the building’s signature red brick and centuries-old wood panelling, as well as incorporating elements that promote energy efficiency and health and wellbeing, such as a ‘green wall’ watered by collected rainwater from the pre-patinated copper roof.

Purcell worked as Conservation Architect for the existing building, upgrading the environmental performance and repairing the fabric, as well as collaborating with MCW on the interface between old and new. The aim was to develop a solution that would touch the historic fabric as lightly as possible, and outline areas where change was possible without causing unnecessary harm. An example of this considered approach is the construction of a trophy cabinet within a historic window that was discovered behind 18th century panelling during the works. Elsewhere, original window seats have been carefully reconstructed incorporating power-points for laptops.

Paula Mejia-Wright, Project Lead for MCW, commented, “The application of contemporary retrofitting into historic settings is going to be crucial for colleges to thrive beyond the 21st Century. With collaborative design work, we have been able to re-energise an important part of the College, creating a sustainable and elegant meeting place for the whole college community.”

Additional Images

Credits