New Library Building and Refurbishment of Kitchen New Library Building and Refurbishment of Commercial Kitchen and Upper Hall within a Grade I Listed Context.

A new four-storey library creates social and study spaces and connects to an adjacent historic building. Sustainable measures include mixed ventilation with MVHR in winter, replacing gas-fired heating with heat pumps and south-facing PVs. The project also upgrades a commercial kitchen to be fully electric.

A new three-storey library creates social and study spaces and connects to an adjacent historic building. Sustainable measures include mixed ventilation with MVHR in winter, replacing gas-fired heating with heat pumps and south-facing PVs. The project also upgrades a commercial kitchen to be fully electric.

Christ's College, just outside Cambridge's medieval city boundary, is replacing its 1974 library with a new three-storey building, offering bright, multifunctional study spaces and a landscaped courtyard. It will connect via a bridge to the Grade I listed 500-year-old college library, while an adjacent 1913 building is refurbished and linked. The project also refurbishes the kitchen and upper hall, enhancing functionality and historic character and supports carbon-neutral goals by 2050 with operational energy below 60 kWh/m²/year, 475 kg CO₂/m², and BREEAM Excellent.

The building is highly insulated and airtight, with daylight maximised through mezzanines, open floors, and atrium voids. In the upper hall, the original roof is exposed to highlight its historic character while improving energy efficiency.

Inefficient plant has been replaced with high-efficiency systems serving the kitchen and upper hall. Rooftop air handling units were removed, with services carefully coordinated through chimney risers in the new library, and kitchen plant relocated indoors to improve aesthetics. In the new library, a mixed-mode ventilation strategy combines mechanical heat recovery in winter with natural ventilation in summer, supported by thermal dampers and chimney return paths. Acoustic design controls internal and external noise from Christ's Lane, with attenuation preventing sound from returning through the plenum. Heating and cooling are provided by air source heat pumps with underfloor and radiant ceiling panels, while fan coil units in the upper hall and library study rooms maintain comfortable temperatures. All gas-fired systems have been replaced with electric alternatives, and the kitchen has been fully electrified with reconfigured washup and hot pass areas. South-facing PV panels further enhance energy efficiency.

Water efficiency is enhanced through rainwater harvesting and a sustainable drainage system, including a rain garden fed by an above-ground collection feature.

The new library is a transformative addition, enhancing the operation of adjacent heritage buildings while creating an inspiring spaces for learning, creativity, and community.