Eddington Housing Development, University Key Worker Homes England, Architect News, Homes Photos
Eddington Housing Development in Cambridge, UK
30 Apr 2020
Eddington Housing Development
Architects: Mecanoo
Location: Cambridge, south east England, UK
University Key Worker Housing, University of Cambridge, UK
The Northwest Cambridge Development (NWCD) transforms a 150-hectare site of University of Cambridge farmland into a community with residential buildings, academic facilities, public amenities and open green space.
Mecanoo worked alongside NWCD to deliver Eddington Development – 232 affordable housing units for researchers and key university employees.
New layer
Cambridge is a city contextualised through the layering of architectural inventions over the centuries. This has resulted in a unique composition of urban space, architecture and landscape.
Mecanoo’s design adds a new layer to this, building upon the rich traditions and collegiate character of Cambridge.
Public – private
To create a strong sense of community the relation between the public and private realm has been carefully reconsidered. The characteristic Cambridge variation of enclosed and open spaces, alternating between formal and informal groupings of buildings, is a departure point for the design that activates the courtyards and creates different connections between the dwellings and the communal area.
Courtyards
The two internal courtyards with lawn, flower fields, raised decks, planters, fruit trees and urban furniture are sheltered by galleries forming covered outside community spaces. Apartments are grouped around spacious central halls flooded with daylight, all leading to the courtyards.
Communal identity
The central building is the visual and communal focal point of the development and acts as a spine to the site. Covered exterior space in the heart of the development forms a modern interpretation of the Cambridge colonnades and arcades. Locating the community facilities along the public route through the block facilitates the development of a communal identity, whilst reaffirming that sense of being part of a much larger academic collective.
Sustainability
The design complies with Code For sustainable Homes Level 5. This was achieved by creating compact, efficient volumes with high performance Fabric Energy Efficiency, good internal daylight performance, bespoke assisted natural ventilation for night-time cooling, large array of PV cells on the roofs, district heating, a site wide rainwater attenuation strategy including a grey water system and collective gardens that increase the biodiversity.
Eddington Housing Development, Cambridge – Building Information
Architects: Mecanoo
Programme: 232 dwellings for researchers and key university employees (19,500 sqm), parking (3,120 sqm) and public realm (5,126 sqm)
Design: 2012-2014
Realisation: 2014-2018
Client: Northwest Cambridge Development, University of Cambridge, UK
Project management: Aecom, London, UK
Structural, Mechanical and Electrical engineer: URS, London, UK
Acoustic, Building physics and Fire safety consultant: URS, London, UK
Cost consultant: Gardiner & Theobald, London, UK
Photography: Greg Holmes and Mecanoo
Eddington Housing Development in Cambridge, England images / information received 300420 from Mecanoo
Location: Cambridge, UK
Cambridge Architecture
Cambridge Architecture Design – chronological list
Cambridgeshire Architecture Designs – selection:
New Buildings in Eddington
Design: Stanton Williams
photo © Jack Hobhouse
Buildings in Eddington, Northwest Cambridge Homes
Northstowe, Cambridgeshire
Design: Urban Splash and Proctor & Matthews architects
image courtesy of architects
New Town Quarter in Northstowe
Cambridge Building – Architecture Tour of the city on one page
Cambridge Architects – Alphabetical list of all featured designers
2021 Neave Brown Award for Housing Shortlist
Comments / photos for the Eddington Housing Development in Cambridge design by Mecanoo page welcome