Topping out for new Passivhaus student accommodation at Queens’ College
Morgan Sindall Construction has marked a major project milestone by holding a topping out ceremony for Terrace 1, the first of four new timber-framed student accommodation terraces being delivered at Queens’ College, University of Cambridge.
Owlstone Croft is a 13-home, 60-bedroom development which is being built to Passivhaus standards. As part of the project, Morgan Sindall is also refurbishing two existing blocks within the Queens’ College estate, updating a further 87 bedrooms.
The project covers more than 6,500 sq m of residential space, which has been designed to cater to an array of students and their requirements.
Owlstone Croft boasts a mixture of single and double bedrooms, and the refurbishment works include a café extension, gym extension, cycle store, and study and seminar room.
The topping-out ceremony celebrated the completion of the highest point of the build with the project due to complete in summer 2027.
Attending the event were representatives from Queens’ College and Morgan Sindall’s Cambridge business, including Dame Menna Rawlings, President of Queens’ College; Jonathan Spence, Senior Bursar; and Rowan Kitt, Director of Alumni and Development.
Situated alongside Cambridge’s Paradise Nature Reserve, the design of Owlstone Croft aims to blend into the natural elements of the area. New rain gardens and an assortment of plants and trees, embracing and enhancing the site’s biodiversity.
In the construction of Owlstone Croft, Morgan Sindall has used a CLT timber frame and mansard roof, creating full-height rooms under the roof while upholding the development’s elegant aesthetic appeal.
Sustainability sits at the heart of the project, and in line with Morgan Sindall’s own green initiatives, the tier one contractor is installing air source heat pumps and PV panels on the Owlstone Croft terraces and refurbished blocks, in addition to crafting green roofs on top of the buildings.
Terrace 4, the fourth and final terrace within the development, is expected to top out in early 2027.
John Stedman, Project Director for Morgan Sindall Construction in Cambridge, said:
It’s an absolute pleasure to witness the topping out of the Owlstone Croft terraces. We’re committed to ensuring that students at Queens’ College have a place where they can study and unwind, and Owlstone Croft supports a more fulfilling living experience for them.
While we are ensuring that these high-quality developments remain in keeping with Queens’ Colleges historic feel, we are also innovating and working to the Passivhaus standard to ensure that the latest sustainable technology is being used to create a comfortable and inviting space.”
Andrew Bainbridge, Domestic Bursar at Queens’ College, University of Cambridge, said:
Reaching this milestone after years of planning is immensely gratifying. Not only is this development a true game changer for sustainability and biodiversity in modern building, but it also delivers essential additional accommodation for our Postgraduates alongside significantly enhanced facilities for our Undergraduates."
ENDS