Cripps Court

Working for Freeland Rees Roberts, the office was commissioned to design this major new building, creating a formal court in the grounds of two listed Victorian villas. The site, on the other side of Chesterton Road from the college’s main site, had quite a slope and this turned out to be a good opportunity in the design solution for this building complex. Other Key factors influencing the design process, was sensitivity to the surroundings as it is adjacent to the historic Castle Hill plus it is in a busy residential area. Site access, parking and requirements for conference use were also substantial design considerations. Marilize worked on the restoration of the two listed Villas on Chesterton Road plus the new infill Cripps Court entrance building. The listed Villas accommodate the conference and seminar teaching rooms on ground floor with disabled bed-sitting rooms above. The new entrance building, sitting between the two villas on the street front , acts as a connection or link between the old Listed Villas and the new auditorium, dining spaces and residential accommodation to the back. These new buildings were carefully placed around a garden and courtyard to enclose the space into a lovely private garden courtyard.
The new building has a concrete structure revealed internally and clad externally in oak and brick, roofed in clay pantiles and Welsh slate. The Gallery features an innovative green-oak structure built by McCurdy & Co.

Client: Magdalene College, Cambridge
Location: Cambridge
Budget: Undisclosed
Engineer: Andrew Firebrace Partnership
Quantity Surveyor: Sheriff Tiplady
Services Engineer: Roger Parker associates
Status: Completed 2005