Project overview
This project for Newnham College involved the demolition and partial demolition of the Strachey and Fawcett buildings, with a four-storey student accommodation building constructed in their place.
Named after Dorothy Garrod, the first female Professor at Cambridge, the building encompasses a new entrance, a welcoming Porters’ Lodge, conference facilities, a rooftop gym, staff offices, meeting and supervision rooms, 86 generous ensuite student bedrooms, kitchen/social areas with plenty of space to cook and eat together, and a café in the heart of the College.
Designed to sit between the adjoining Champneys’ buildings, the Architect described the project as a ‘contemporary addition that will provide a dynamic new frontage for Newnham College along Sidgwick Avenue yet does not impose on the historic buildings and gardens.’ Landscape works were therefore integral to the design, with the building wrapping around a new courtyard garden, and carefully considered interstitial spaces improve visual and physical links between buildings.
Predominantly constructed using a reinforced concrete frame, there is also a single-storey steel frame on the third floor to form two pavilions that are set back from the edges of the building to limit visual impact at street level.
In terms of challenges, the College had a desire to provide high-end facilities that maximised space and comfort while also providing efficient services.
Project team
Adam Knaggs
Managing Director
Adam joined SDC in 1995 as a Site Engineer. His position as Managing Director involves contributing to the day-to-day running of the business, setting the strategy for projects, and supporting all departments. Adam’s active approach to problem solving has been a defining trait of his career, as recognised by the Institution of Civil Engineers who honoured him with their Site Engineer of the Year Award 1999, in which he was praised for designing his own shuttering system.
Andrew Shiner
Director
Andy joined SDC as a Site Agent and rose through the ranks to Project Director, before taking on his current role as Board Director in 2020. The experience he gained in all three professions will undoubtedly assist him in leading this scheme. On a previous project for NIAB in Cambridge, Andy’s team were responsible for SDC’s highest Considerate Constructors’ score to date (90 out of 100) and a Runner’s Up Prize at the CCS National Awards in 2019.
Andrew Mitchell
Director
Andrew is a senior member of staff who holds the role of Director/Company Secretary. He joined SDC in 1994, and had therefore been with the company for almost thirty years. He plays a key role in ensuring that board procedures are both followed and regularly reviewed. The Chairman and Board Directors will look to the Company Secretary for guidance as to what their responsibilities are under the rules and regulations to which they are subject, and on how these responsibilities should be discharged.
Francis Shiner
Chairman
Since joining the company in 1983, Francis has assumed various roles, from Chief Surveyor to managing Director, ultimately assuming the position of Chairman in 2021.
Dan Changer
Director
Dan studied Architecture at the University of Cambridge and worked as a chartered Architect before joining SDC in 2010. Joining as a Design Coordinator, Dan then opted to work as a Contracts Manager, receiving a promotion to Project Manager before his appointment to the Board of Directors in 2020. His duties and responsibilities include setting the overall strategy for the project, as well as leading the project team and ensuring the scheme is delivered within the client’s time, quality and budget constraints. Dan’s client-focused attitude and collaborative problem-solving approach will be crucial to the scheme’s successful delivery.
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