Student Living and Facilities Close to the Main College Site.

An ambitious scheme with 100 new student bedrooms (net gain of 74) and a subterranean events and music hall near the historic College. Built for longevity, it adopts a ‘less but better’ M&E approach, achieving 44% energy and 22% carbon savings, with a potential 20% offset from future PVs.

New College, one of Oxford’s largest and most architecturally distinctive colleges, has completed a major expansion with the Gradel Quad development, just four minutes’ walk from the main site. The project adds 100 student bedrooms (a net gain of 74) and introduces Oxford’s first underground concert hall, designed for events, exhibitions, and musical performance.
The development also includes the refurbishment of existing accommodation at Savill House, a Grade II listed building, two additional listed structures, and a neighbouring primary school, alongside the creation of a new porter’s lodge. Two south-facing garden quads form the heart of the site, designed to embrace sunlight and seasonal changes, foster a dynamic microclimate and a strong sense of place.
Built for a lifespan exceeding 100 years, the development reflects a long-term, sustainable vision. The construction process was designed to be waste-neutral with responsibly sourced materials and strong support to the local economy. The project also adopted a 'less but better' approach to building services which resulted in 44% energy savings and a 22% reduction in carbon emissions.

The design features a highly efficient thermal fabric and maximises daylight and ventilation. A timber roof structure replaced a concrete shell, reducing total primary energy use by over 50% and global warming potential by more than 20%. To future-proof the building, the design was tested against climate change scenarios and adapted to improve ventilation and thermal mass through thick clay plaster ceilings.

Efficient heating and hot water are provided by a 100 kW closed-loop ground source heat pump, thermal energy storage, and a micro combined heat and power unit. These are supported by smart building controls that optimising performance across systems. Rainwater recycling reduces demand on mains supply, and the roof is designed to accommodate future organic photovoltaic (PV) cells, with the potential to reduce carbon emissions by a further 20%.

Rooted in tradition and built for the future, the Gradel Quadrangles is a confident addition to New College. It combines low-carbon construction, long-term performance, and a strong sense of place, embodying a visionary approach to sustainable and meaningful academic place-making.

"David Kohn Architects’ sinuous Gradel Quadrangles at New College, Oxford, is one of the most significant recent additions to the historic cityscape, providing 94 student bedrooms, a shared study space and a performance auditorium and facilities for the Gradel Institute of Charity and the adjacent New College School. The judges applauded its 'meaningful' and'joyful' architecture. One judge commented: If you think of it as a piece of townscape, it has really pushed the boundaries. It's a really good response to its historic context." AJ Awards, 2025

Described by Historic England as ‘one of the few instances where contemporary design can be considered genuinely outstanding’.

Awards

2016 – World Architecture Festival shortlisted – Future Projects Education Category
2025 – Schüco Excellence Award Winner
2025 – Building Awards, Building Magazine Project of the Year, shortlisted
2025 – AJ Architecture Awards, Higher Education, Highly Commended
2025 – Prix Versailles Award, World’s Most Beautiful Campuses
2026 – Civic Trust Awards, Regional shortlisted