Sitting in the West Cambridge Conservation Area, the project will replace existing student halls at Wolfson Court off Clarkson Road with five buildings within a newly landscaped campus.

The London-based practice was appointed by St John’s College following an invited design competition in 2024. The scheme was narrowly given the go-ahead in a 3 to 2 vote by a Cambridge City Council planning committee meeting late last month (29 July).

MICA’s vision is structured around a new pedestrian route, connecting the site with the surrounding area and ‘strengthening an important ecological corridor across West Cambridge’ by creating a ‘rich biodiverse landscape’ to offer outdoor social spaces.

The 12,650m² proposal, the architects claim, prioritises the reuse of existing materials while aiming to deliver energy-efficient buildings with low embodied carbon levels.

The new site is currently occupied by student housing that first opened in 1972 and was designed by David Wyn Roberts, who worked on more university buildings for Cambridge University than any other architect. A second phase was added in 1990 and a third phase was planned to expand the development further, but this was never built.

The officers report recommended the application for approval, citing the provision of ‘much-needed student accommodation’ in the area and arguing that the development would result in an enhancement to the site, compared with the existing buildings.

Objections were heard, however, during the planning committee meeting. Concerns were raised over the sustainability of the proposals, especially the decision to use a concrete frame.

Green councillor Kathryn Fisher pointed to local policy which states that ‘all development should take the available opportunities to integrate the principles of sustainable design and construction into proposals’.

However, the delivery manager concluded that the policy did not impose a strict requirement and so the developer had no obligation to use particular materials.

Stuart Cade, director at MICA, said: ‘Wolfson Court represents an exciting opportunity to place landscape, wellbeing and sustainability at the heart of student living.

‘By creating a richly landscaped and connected campus environment, the design supports both collegiate life and individual wellbeing while delivering a significant enhancement to the College facilities.’

All but one of the accommodation blocks will contain flats of six to eight bedrooms with shared living facilities and social spaces, while the final building will offer one-bedroom apartments.

The design of the new buildings has taken inspiration from the surrounding context of the conservation area, and aims to ‘set a benchmark for sustainable collegiate living’.

MICA Architects consented Wolfson Court redevelopment

Source: MICA Architects

Project data

Location Cambridge
Local authority Cambridge City Council
Type of project Education/private/student accommodation
Commissioned 1 July 2024
Planning consented 29 July 2026
Client St John’s College Cambridge
Architect MICA
Landscape architect Jeremy Rye
Planning consultant Shrimplin Planning
Structural engineer Smith and Wallwork
M&E consultant Skelly and Couch
QS CB3 Consulting
Principal designer (CDM) BCAL
Principal designer (BSA) MICA
Lighting consultant To be confirmed
Main contractor To be confirmed
Project manager Ridge
Fire consultant Marshall Fire
Acoustic consultant Mayer Brown
Transportation consultant Mayer Brown
Tender date To be confirmed
Start on site To be confirmed
Completion To be confirmed
Gross internal floor area Approximately 12,650m²
Form of contract/procurement To be confirmed
Annual CO2 emissions 2.56 tonnes CO2/year
Construction cost Confidential
Planning application reference 25/04832/FUL