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TIMBER!
6a Architects on Churchill College Cowan Court The new court at Churchill College shares much in common with the original Sheppard Robson buildings, while gently voicing its difference in both form and materiality. Like the original, three storeys of student bedrooms are arranged around a square inner court which, rather than containing the traditional grass quad, is filled with densely planted birch trees, the lawns now placed outside the building. Cowan Court also replaced the existing courtyard board-marked concrete with dark timber. It aims to offer a natural warmth both externally and internally, rhyming in colour and texture with the planted surroundings. Reclaimed oak board cladding (from the walls of railway carriages) covers the exterior; the boards are already weathered to a soft dark brown, blending with the tones of the original brickwork. This patina is offset by windows of a new, lighter joinery oak, accentuating the differences in colour and texture through age. The structure of the building is made of laminated soft wooden beams and posts which remain exposed in most areas, giving a rhythm and natural depth to the interior and echoing much of the highly expressive structure of the original buildings. The timber involves less CO2 emission in the construction process, triple glazing and abundant insulation prevents heat loss, while renewable energy is provided by solar panels and photovoltaic cells on the roof.
Hall project, here the timber glulam beams are left exposed in each of the bedrooms, giving a real glimpse of the structural design of the building. The effect of the exposed beams will surely be a delight to the students and visitors of this building. All the design teams, contractors and clients I have spoken to have unanimously agreed that working with timber as a construction material brings a whole new positive dimension to buildings, whether this is through reduced programme, lighter buildings, or for the possibilities of architectural expression that it creates. I look forward to seeing more timber buildings in Cambridge that follow on from these two fine examples of timber construction.
Churchill College’s Cowan Court - Internal and external views of the glulam timber frame and cladding during construction © 6a Architects
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