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Girton College embarks on its largest building project in over 150 years
Girton College has appointed Gort Scott, working alongside J&L Gibbons and Price & Myers, to design a major expansion on its main site in Cambridge.
The New Court project will be the most significant single building development at the college since its foundation in 1869.
The 9,400m² expansion will enable the college to accommodate more undergraduate and postgraduate students, while enhancing conference and performance facilities, including a new auditorium. The design will prioritise sustainability, health, well-being, and connections between people, buildings, and the landscape.
Girton College was Britain’s first residential institution offering university-level education for women. Today, the college is co-educational and is one of the largest colleges at the University of Cambridge, with around 550 undergraduate and 300 postgraduate students.
The New Court project will provide over 160 rooms for students, Fellows, and guests, alongside facilities such as an auditorium, multi-purpose halls, and a fitness centre. The buildings will be arranged around three new landscaped courts, with a strong focus on enhancing the student experience and increasing biodiversity. Gort Scott said its design remains true to its founder Emily Davies’ vision of a college with “gardens and grounds and everything that is good for the body, soul and spirit.”
Girton’s original buildings were developed by three generations of the Waterhouse family, beginning with Alfred Waterhouse, architect of London’s Natural History Museum. Gort Scott describes the New Court design as an evolution of the existing structures, with an emphasis on inclusive communal spaces and free movement for students.
The project’s centrepiece will be a new auditorium, designed as a flexible space for a wide range of events, from Baroque concerts to DJ performances. It will sit within the college’s extended landscape setting, which includes orchards, wetlands, and lawns. The new public-facing rooms will allow the college to host a wide range of performances, conferences, and events.
James Anderson, bursar of Girton College, commented: “The team’s meticulous approach to understanding the college’s ethos and the detailed brief led to a confident and forward-thinking design concept that embodies the best of Girton’s traditions. Gort Scott’s approach will also meet a demanding sustainability specification, with the New Court project a major stepping stone on our journey to Net Zero.”
Other collaborators on the project include Charcoal Blue, which is providing acoustic consultancy.
>> Also read: Homerton College Dining Hall by Feilden Fowles
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