Geoffrey Arthur Buildings Pembroke College Oxford Brochure

Geoffrey Arthur Buildings Pembroke College

Expanding college accommodation and building in sensitive riverside setting

Accommodation for 85 graduates, teaching staff and visitors with social and convening space for 200+

Co-design with College and stakeholders beyond consultation

A major new floodable building

Working with the parks department to create a rich biodiverse landscape

Quality student accommodation designed to lean budget

High quality detailing and interior finish

“We’re thrilled that Pembroke’s new graduate accommodation enables more students than ever to enjoy the benefits of collegiate life. The rooms are superb and were designed with the needs of graduates in mind.”

- Rohan Watt, MCR President

“The new GAB is in the perfect location for enjoying student life – close to main college, departments, and social activities, from great pubs to the college boathouse! It will be a wonderful asset to our thriving graduate community for years to come.”

- Kathryn White, MCR Vice President

Details

Client: Pembroke College

Location Pembroke College, Geoffrey Arthur

Building; Long Ford Close; Oxford OX1 4NJ

Scope of Work RIBA 0-7

Building type 77 graduate bedrooms, 4 studios common rooms

Type of contract: Traditional Contract [JCT SBC/Q 2016] Main Works. Traditional Contract [JCT MW 2016] Enabling Works Project Value £15m

Dates

01.08.2018 Commissioned

21.07.2019 Planning Submitted

28.05.2020 Planning Consented

03.02.2020 Start of Enabling Works 08.2023 Completion

Team

Internal Team:

Stuart Cade Project Director

Mandy Franz Architect

Mark Tugman Project Architect

Yuchen Pan Architectural Assistant

Haziq Ariffin Architectural Assistant

External Team:

Main Contractor Beard Construction

Planning Consultant JPPC

Structural Engineer eHRW

M & E Engineer Qoda

Env. Consultant Qoda

BREEAM Consultant N/A

Building Control Oxford City Council

Quantity Surveyor Ridge

Fire Consultant Astute Fire

Acoustic Consultant Bloc Consulting

Principal Designer MICA

Cost Management Ridge

Photographs

Complete: @Hufton+crow photos@huftonandcrow.com

Construction Photographs, Photos prior to works, drawings and other images (except historic paintings and engravings) ©MICA Architects Ltd.

Project background

Situated on the outskirts of the historic Oxford city centre, and directly on the River Thames, is the Sir Geoffrey Arthur Building. In this setting, MICA developed additional high-quality graduate student and studio accommodation with views to the waterfront setting.

The design followed an initial masterplan and feasibility looking at a business plan for the college maximising student accommodation and preparing a transition to a fossil free future.

The building provides 77 single occupancy bedrooms, a common room and 8 studio rooms on the one site, bound together by sympathetic landscaping. The accommodation is arranged with the main graduate block replacing the previous Damon Wells building footprint, housing the common room and ancillary facilities at lower ground level, with a landscaped quad designed to open up to a lower terrace forming an amphitheatre lawn. The accommodation is arranged above upper ground level and is organised around clusters of rooms. The studio accommodation occupies the top floor of the graduate building and additionally takes the form of a standalone building on the NW corner of the site in a prominent location.

Aerial sketch of new accommodation knitting into existing complex and riverside setting

River Thames

Existing plan with areas of development highlighted

Plan of Southern Gas Board’s Oxford Gas works. HM Land Registry title no. ON23546. Pembroke College Archive.

Oxford Gas works. Looking West, with GAB site prior to work on the left

Oxford Gas works. Looking East toward GAB site

Site prior to work, looking East toward GAB site

Aerial of site prior to work, extent of Pembroke College - GAB outlined in red.

Site context and history

The Geoffrey Arthur building sits to the south of the river Thames and to the east of the River Park. The site sits on the outskirts of central Oxford, early maps show no development on the site, the meadows formed part of the historic county of Birkshire.

In 1889 the low-lying land south of the River Thames at Folly Bridge, which had always been part of Berkshire, was incorporated into the City of Oxford. This was a signal for much house building in what became known as ‘Grandpont’. The area was named after the “grand pont’’ or big bridge – actually more of a causeway with a series of bridges taking a road to Abingdon which was built by the Norman baron Robert d’Oilly whom William the Conqueror had made Governor of Oxford.

The site sits to the South-West of the Conservation Area. With its close proximity to central Oxford the site will be considered taking in mind the context, setting and views.

The Area of the site is 1.1 Acre and with consistent ground level. The site was once part of a much larger site known as Grandpont, owned by the Southern Gas Board’s Oxford Gas works. Gas production at Grandpont commenced around 1930, high levels of demand lead to the expansion of the original Gas works on the northern bank of the river. The availability of North Sea gas in the mid 1960’s led to the decline in gas production on the site. Gas manufacturing eventually ceased and most of the associated buildings on the site were demolished. Evidence suggests that foundations of these buildings and underground pipework were left in place following demolition.

The site investigation report shows variation in the bearing strata below the gas works top fill which lead to the original Sir Geoffrey Arthur Building’s sub structure design utilising driven piles and ground beams as foundation with a ventilated undercroft below habitable floor levels.

Aerial of completed new student accommodation knitted into existing complex

New campus extension for student accommodation away from main central campus

Completed campus extension provides a new spaces for a collegiate riverside community

City Centre

Pembroke

College Main Site

GAB Annex site

River Thames

Extension of the campus

An outline feasibility study was undertaken in Jul - Oct 2018 by MICA to assist Pembroke College, University of Oxford to develop a business case for the project, test the capacity of the site and analyse the overall need within the college facilities across all sites. The resulting brief and scheme was subsequently developed and delivered at best-value with a unique new funding model.

The existing building, designed by Maguire and Murray architects and completed in 1989, was constructed on a complex plinth with the perceived ground floor and quad level being elevated two metres from the existing ground condition, creating a fortress like presence. Replacing underused parts of the existing complex

the project provides the opportunity to define a more active frontage and entrance sequence which would contribute to the safety and security of the site and surrounding locale, making the best of the prominent riverside location on the edge of Oxford’s city centre.

MICA’s scheme is synergetic with the existing student accommodation stock and provides new en-suite and fellow capacity, and for the growth of the college in the years to come.

Early concept sketch of the new scheme embedded in its context

After. The completed buildings define a more active frontage and entrance sequence which contributes to the safety and security of the site and surrounding locale.

Before. Geoffrey Arthur Building as seen from the East with the River Park in the foreground.

The buildings are among the first floodable buildings in the UK to allow the Thames to safely flood the building.

Aerial of new complex which reconfigures the floodplain boundaries, and mitigates flooding risks for surrounding areas

1 in 100 year flood

1 in 1000 year flood

Aerial illustrating 1 in 20 year flood

A ‘floodable building’

The site sits within the flood plain of the River Thames with the site frequently flooding. All parts being affected by 1 in 20 year floods and flooded throughout surrounded by 1 in 100 floods. This impacted the permanent long term redevelopment together with the construction phase and logistics plan. To address the permanent condition the MICA team devised a unique design that allows safe flooding of large parts of the ground floor of the building to maintain flood capacity whilst allowing continuing access and escape from upper floors. This was carefully developed at strategic level together with precise and innovative detailing and specifying of floodable spaces that allow for ready inflow and outflow of floodwater.

The site is constrained with minimal road access, a local busy primary school on the access route, many close local private dwellings and a high-water table and frequent flooding. The site is also located on a former gasworks with a known, but capped, below ground contaminated conditions together with unknown existing live and unused services. These significant factors were considered from the outset of the project with the design team providing design solutions and enhanced modelling to mitigate risks and aid client decision-making. The enhanced information similarly allowed contractors to fully understand the site, price accurately and provide programmes and site logistics plans which allowed the building to be constructed without the constraints impacting the smooth operation of the site.

New student accommodation arranged around a landscaped quad. Common room and ancillary spaces occupy lower levels which are designed to allow for ready inflow and outflow of floodwater.

Before. Entry point / transition from Grandpont bridge to the river path

After. The new building forms a more active frontage toward the river

Before. Damon Wells Building at NE corner of the site, from Baltic Wharf After

After. Isis building with studio flats making the best of the prominent riverside location

Illustrative diagram of cluster arrangement of bedroom blocks and student facilities. Maximising efficiency through the largest number of rooms served by a single staircase.

Double (small) Bed With under-bed storage

Double Wardrobe + Drawers 1000mm

En-suite

Desk 1450mm with Full Height Shelving

Pin Board

Pin Board

Window seat with drawers

Axonometric drawing of typical bedroom, with corner window.

Student accommodation block with corner windows with window seats to make the best of the riverside views

Study bedrooms

The study bedrooms are arranged in clusters with a large social space and kitchen. The rooms are all ensuite and compact, the furniture design is allowing for study, relaxation and sleeping with inbuilt cupboards, desk and window seat.

All rooms have openable windows and provide a home from home.

Study bedroom with built in desk, storage and window seat which takes advantage of riverside views

Social kitchen dining space

Lower ground common room with access to gardens

Early sketch of accommodation block illustrating active corners which provide passive surveillance to the improved public realm

Cluster kitchens are located immediately adjacent to staircases, offering views of social spaces upon entry. This increases the convivial feel of each floor and identifies it as a community, and allows daylight to filter into the corridors.

Kitchens and common rooms

The kitchens for each cluster are generous in size and provide a large kitchen, eating area and comfy seating.

Each kitchen has views to the entrance of each cluster and to the outside, therefore provides an interactive space and passive surveillance. The kitchens, appliances and storage was designed with student input resulting in a perfect mix of storage, fridge space and cooking facilities.

For the overall design and external appearance the kitchens and their location at the entrances provide an anchor and key to wayfinding.

The accommodation is arranged with the main graduate block replacing the existing Damon Wells building footprint, housing the common room and ancillary facilities at lower ground level, with a landscaped quad designed to open up to a lower terrace forming an amphitheatre lawn.

Perspective Sketch. Social Hub - Arrival Space.

Plan of typical kitchen layout with ample shared social space

Landscape

The landscape acts as the binder to tie the existing building and the new additions on the GAB site into a cohesive whole. Opportunities exist for various scales of intervention using the landscaping as a means to safeguard the approach to the site and surrounding area, in addition to improving the quality of the external spaces within the GAB.

Entrance Space - Public Realm

The landscaping proposals works form a more active frontage toward the river contributing to the safety and security of the site and surrounding locale. The proposed Osney Mead Masterplan to the West of the site will have a future impact to pedestrian flow along the river path affronting the GAB, the design of the public realm fronting the GAB should be considered with this longevity in mind.

Arrival Court

An entrance court, a buffer between the entrance gate and the internal quad, defines a sequence of spaces on arrival.

Landscaping of existing quad

Re defining the existing quad, to embed the new communal spaces and gradation of the landscape down to the lower level and perimeter planting, DDA compliant access within the landscaping design.

Fellows Garden

Provision of the new studio accommodation brings an opportunity to look at the integration between the studio accommodation and the garden, retaining as many of the existing trees as possible.

New entrance square

Widened route to Baltic Wharf

Durable hard landscape

Retained trees

New tree species

New gates

New paving

New lighting along pedestrian pathways

Fulbright Quad

Fellows garden

Arrival court

Photos of key stages throughout the construction of the GAB buildings

Construction

The project was a logistically challenging project, landlocked on three sides by existing structures and the river Thames. We also had challenges relating to Covid 19, BREXIT and the introduction of road closures to allow safe pedestrian access to and from the nearby school. There were some interesting details relating to the brick work, blockwork and cladding including lots of brick specials and junctions. GAB 3 was exceptionally challenging due to its remote location, therefore as a team we had to reassess the approach by creating ‘off site’ solutions and having the larger components manufactured in kit form and constructed in situ on site.

There were five recorded apprentices working on the project, 1nr carpenter, 2nr electricians, 1nr heating engineer and 1nr single ply roofer. The contractor also had a number of day release ex-offenders

involved in the project, who were attempting to rehabilitate themselves by learning construction skills that will assist with their reintegration into society.

There were also visits arranged for key personnel within the College, inclusive of students whose key topics related to built environment studies. We also worked closely with the neighbouring properties and school, with regular newsletters, updates and correspondence (dedicated email address, letter drops, notice board updates).

Average daily head count on the project was 60 people

Mean safety score was 97.37%

The brickwork package had 78,000 ‘standard’ bricks and a select number of specials, comprising half bats, three quarter bats, Queens and angled corners.

Pembroke College, MICA and Beard Construction team at topping out ceremony

Public consultation set-up in Sir Geoffrey Arthur Building - Rockerfeller Room, May 2019

Completed Fellows garden

Written comments by resident

PLANNING CONSULTATION

Collaboration

The process to define, design and develop the new residential and social spaces was highly collaborative. It embedded a series of consultation sessions with the college staff, students and fellows, neighbours and the wider University community to ensure that brief and aspirations were met.

At the outset of the project, a user engagement plan was established between MICA and the client with key points for input sessions highlighted within the programme.

This allowed us to guarantee that the right people were being asked the right questions at the right time and that there was a sufficient period allowed to integrate feedback points into the proposals.

Workshops were held with existing students and students with accessible needs to develop the designs for bedrooms and kitchens; a key part of the process for MICA when designing spaces for people to live and learn.

At the end of each stage, our collaborative approach and engagement KPIs were reviewed to ensure that we were meeting our defined targets.

Once on site, there were challenges that required a proactively collaborative approach to address in a calm and efficient manner.

MICA worked closely with the main contractor, structural engineer and services engineer to overcome this issue successfully.

A process of post occupancy evaluation is due to begin one year after completion, gathering feedback from residents to make improvements where required and to productively inform our future projects.

Photos of engaging consultation techniques used to raise key issues with the students and stakeholders

Diagram illustrating strategy for consultation during early stages of design development

RIBA STAGE 03

Analysis

Figure 4: WWHR system components

Diagram illustrating water management measures that reduce hot water demand by around 50%

Project

New

Certification NA

Project RIBA Stage 5

Operational Energy and CO2 (kWh/m2/year and kgCO2/m2/year)

Embodied Energy and CO2 (kWh/m2/year and kgCO2/m2/year)

Sustainable Connectivity and Transport

MICA tracks the sustainability metrics for all our buildings to benchmark against RIBA 2030 and achieve optimum environmental standards

Carbon

Sub-standard

Business as usual

2025 Targets

2030 Targets

Sustainable Water Cycle (litres/person/day)

Carbon Ecology Wellbeing

Sustainable Land Use and Biodiversity (increase in species)

Sustainable Life Cycle Value (£/m2)

Sustainable design strategies

Operational Energy and CO2 (kWh/m2/year and kgCO2/m2/year) 125.73 / 84.01

Embodied Energy and CO2 (kWh/m2/year and kgCO2/m2/year) 887 (G2) 1009 (G3)

Mechanical systems

Sustainable Connectivity and Transport (kgCO2e/km/person/year)

Passive design measures

Waste

Wellbeing

Sustainability has been at the forefront of this new development from its inception, with the buildings being designed to deliver key energy-saving principles and performance:

Solar shading reveals / Glazing orientation

Off site pod construction / Reclaimed piling mat

The detailed brief developed closely with the College, places a high priority on welcoming and comfortable living accommodation, delivered practically and affordably, that can be easily maintained and operated at low running costs.

Key to the success of this approach are the Lean and Clean innovations employed:

Good Health and Wellbeing Responsive controls / adaptive spaces / Biophilic connections

Sustainable Communities and Social Value Increased security and passive observation to public realm

Ecology

Sustainable Water Cycle (litres/person/day) 105

– a measurable carbon emissions reduction of 25%, through energy efficient boilers, maximising natural ventilation, natural lighting, high performance glazing, and waste water heat recovery technology; – the pre-installed infrastructure to insert alternative energy supplies to gas when new technologies become viable; – ultra-low energy lights and ‘absence detection’ lighting – new, secure bike storage to encourage and help facilitate carbon-neutral travel for residents; – a new biodiverse internal garden/quad.

– Space efficiency and avoiding duplication of services by pairing of bathroom risers serving the bedroom e-suites.

– Air Heat Recovery System to minimise the heating of water capable of meeting 70% of the hot water demand throughout the year.

Sustainable Land Use and Biodiversity (increase in species) Net gain in biodiversity / Reuse of brownfield

Sustainable Life Cycle Value (£/m2)

The scheme adopts Passivhaus principles in the design of the building envelope, design of fenestration, roof and wall design, extent and location of glazing and air tightness.

Natural lighting has been optimised and artificial lighting minimised, with a carefully configured and calibrated set of windows for each of the 80 residential units. The windows being larger and spread at lower levels to maximise the lower natural light levels with smaller singular windows at roof level. The project features a comprehensive set of renewable energy sources with air source heat pumps and PV ready infrastructure.

– Smart but Low-Tech energy solutions including an Exhaust Waste Water Heat Recovery system – encasing the warm shower waste water pipe with the cold water supply feed to minimise energy use.

– Adopted building envelope principles of passivhaus to deliver high performance building with low running costs and easily maintainable: Low air-leakage, avoid thermal bridges and cold spots, and low u-values reducing heat loss through building fabric.

– Future proofing: M&E pipework and fittings sized to suit future low temperature air-source heating system.

– Use of the integrative design process.

High quality brick detailing

Throughout the detail design and construction of the buildings, MICA sought to emulate the high detailing quality of 1987 ‘Forticrete’ Blockwork by Architects Robert Maguire and Keith Murray,

Existing accommodation buildings built from a raised plinth of approximately 2m, and registered within the new MICA buildings to ensure they feel rooted in the wider site. MICA also used the same specification of Forticrete Shot-Blasted Bath-Stone Architectural Masonry Blocks used in the original 1987 construction in the 2023’ building works.

We selected a hand-made white-clay brick available in two standard sizes (215x65 and 210x50) and used both throughout the buildings in conjunction with a soft bath-stone lime mortar to help the buildings harmonise with the bath stone Forticrete architectural blockwork. The white, textured brick ensures the buildings have a strong sense of identity and presence, unique within the Oxford landscape whilst also appearing soft and nuanced in the sensitive riverside setting.

Our proposals provide much needed ‘book-ends’ to the riverside site, but great care was taken to ensure the new blocks

were softened and as carefully detailed as the original buildings:

Soften the corners: Each time the buildings turn a corner, MICA have sought to soften the interaction with the building by subtly changing the articulation of the brickwork to register a human scale; this includes changing the orientation of brickwork, combining bricks of different sizes, and creating recessed soffits to articulate entrances at a grander scale.

Window detailing: MICA have developed a range of brick detailing types including flush, deeply recessed, chamfered revealed, picture frame, and frameless windows.

Celebrate Circulation: MICA employed the bricks in different bonds and orientations to increase the legibility of the buildings and enhance the articulation of the circulation; each stair core has thin vertical stacked brickwork, set in contrast to the larger stretcher course bond used in the student bedrooms. These are tied together with horizontal bands of solider courses and stack bonded ribbons that articulate the main walkways.

Window types to reduce solar gain

Photographs of completed brick detailing with different details and coursing

Location Plan - existing

Geoffrey Arthur Buildings

Pembroke College City Centre Campus Site Plan - proposed

Grandpont Bridge

Geoffrey Arthur Building 2

River Thames

Geoffrey Arthur Building 3

Floor Plans Geoffrey Arthur Building Pembroke College

Upper Ground Floor

Lower Ground Floor

Second

First

Plan detail Geoffrey Arthur Building 2

Brick setting out drawings Geoffrey Arthur Building 3

Plan detail Geoffrey Arthur Building 3 Pembroke

Plan of GAB 3

Plan detail Geoffrey Arthur Building 3

London UK NW1 7JR

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