Designing a new building within the context of Cambridge is always going to be challenging.  So I came up with three concepts and stuck to them throughout the entire design process.

 

My parti diagram comprises of three main elements, the boundary wall, two buildings and a gateway between the buildings.

 

The wall is the boundary of the site and wraps itself around the two buildings. The only break in the wall are for door openings into the buildings and for the storage of bikes externally.  It is to be reconstructed using red brick to match the building on the other side of the street .

 

I designed two buildings in the form of public and private. The façade of the public building runs parallel to the street creating a relationship between the two. The private building is pushed back to allow for a threshold onto the site and to create  an open public area on a street that is lined with walls.  The buildings will appear as if they have been placed behind the wall.

 

The gateway between the buildings is to create a connection between the street and the college campus. I want this building to be the new entrance for the college.