Northwest Cambridge studio, Cambridge University, 2012
Taught by John Ellis, Visiting Marshall Professor of Sustainable Urban Design
with Ying Jin from Cambridge University, and Jonathan Rose from AECOM.
The position of the Marshall Professor of Sustainable Urban Design was founded by Sir Michael Marshall to promote this subject at the Cambridge University Department of Architecture. John Ellis was the inaugural Professor in 2012 and ran a graduate urban design studio at the Department during the Lent Term.
The studio project focused on the University’s proposed plans for Eddington in Northwest Cambridge, an ambitious plan to create a new district on the outskirts of the city to provide housing and other facilities for faculty, staff and students. The project was being designed by AECOM under the direction of Jonathan Rose, who generously provided details of the programme and background to the plan.
The 12 students worked in teams to create plans to accommodate the programme looking at a range of building types as well as configuring a street and block pattern. Within that framework the students were each given a block and to design buildings in model form which would then be evaluated in the larger context. The master planning exercise was undertaken twice to allow for the interrelationships between the various buildings to be adjusted after a first conceptual design.
The first round revealed the need for greater collaboration between the different teams, resulting in a more coherent plan with a stronger sense of urbanism.
The first layout revealed a series of individually designed blocks that were not integrated with each other. Each student 'doing their own thing'. The interim review prompted the need for a redesign over the next couple of weeks.
The second phase revealed a more integrated approach with each block relating to its neighbours and making a more coherent urban design. Students had to acknowledge each others' designs and respond accordingly.
Models of the First and Second reviews.
Evolution of the designs during the course of the term.
Northwest Cambridge, now known as Eddington as built 2022. (Masterplan by Jonathan Rose at AECOM). It is interesting to compare with the student designs and see some similarities with the Architecture School charrette.
Eddington under construction, 2020
The first phase consists of student and staff housing, a Primary School, Supermarket and Energy Centre.