Student accommodation scheme reaches milestone

A sustainable student accommodation development in Cambridge has reached a construction milestone, with the first of four new residential terraces topping out.

Morgan Sindall Construction has completed the highest point of Terrace 1 at Owlstone Croft, a new development for Queens’ College at the University of Cambridge.

The scheme will deliver 13 homes containing 60 bedrooms, built to Passivhaus energy efficiency standards, alongside the refurbishment of two existing accommodation blocks providing a further 87 updated bedrooms.

Covering more than 6500sq metres, the project will also include improvements to communal facilities, with a café extension, gym extension, cycle storage and additional study and seminar space.

Situated beside Cambridge’s Paradise Nature Reserve, the development has been designed to complement its natural surroundings, incorporating rain gardens, new planting and green roofs to support biodiversity.

Sustainability measures include cross-laminated timber frames, air source heat pumps and solar panels, helping to reduce the buildings’ environmental impact.

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.”

Representatives from Queens’ College and Morgan Sindall attended the topping-out ceremony, including college president Dame Menna Rawlings and senior bursar Jonathan Spence.

The fourth and final terrace is expected to top out in early 2027, with the wider development scheduled for completion in summer 2027.

Andrew Bainbridge, domestic bursar at Queens’ College, University of Cambridge, added: “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.”

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