We recently completed work to extend and refurbish Old Garden Hostel for King’s College, Cambridge. The project significantly increased the accommodation capacity, with over 70 new bedrooms featuring en suite bathrooms. It also included the creation of three fellow’s sets, new gyp rooms, and enhanced common room facilities, providing both modern amenities and a high standard of living for the students.
The project involved the implementation of designs established in our masterplan, the first phase of which delivered a new wing of student accommodation.
The scale of this development has had a profound impact on the College’s accommodation, with Old Garden Hostel now being one of the most sought-after residences for students at King’s College.
An innovative use of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) was employed for the walls and roofs to speed up construction and reduce the carbon footprint of the work. The existing building was completely re-serviced and new double glazed replacement steel windows were designed to match the original. The entrance hall was reconfigured to allow for disabled access and to link the two existing wings, the floors of which were 700mm above the entrance level and a lift was discretely added to provide disabled access to all levels.
The solid steel stair, manufactured in Sheffield, weighed more than 2 tonnes and was carefully craned into place through the roof light. Balustrades act as structural stringers that are supported off new and existing slab edges.
The stairwell was refurbished and a gold-painted stair added to access the new top storey accommodation.
