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The site has been occupied by a building for over 300 years, most recently a pub built in 1903 and later trading as an Indian restaurant until it closed due to fire in 2016. The project, identified as a “distracting building” in a local conservation area assessment, presented an opportunity to reimagine a prominent corner site overlooking Newnham Mill Pond.
The brief from local developer CamProp GCR calls for one-bed or studio apartments to be built above ground-floor commercial units. The upper two floors offer seven fully accessible apartments with views of the city across the mill pond, while maintaining privacy for residents. The first floor is occupied by a café-deli that doubles as a venue for evening events.
The site is located in a flood risk area, which influenced the decision to place all residential units on the first floor. Mitigation measures for the ground floor include the selection of cast-in-place concrete up to the first floor and the use of high-rise power and data feed cabling. Temporary floor barriers can be inserted into exterior door frames.
The scheme is clad in suspended ceramic tiles that complement yet contrast with its historic surroundings.
In response to the sensitivity of the site and the level of interest in its redevelopment, MCW, along with planning consultant Carter Jones, held a series of consultation meetings with local community groups. The events were held at MCW’s own studios and included representatives from the local community as well as South Newnham Residents’ Forum and Newnham Croft Residents’ Association.
Source: David Walinsky
architect’s perspective
This was a special project for us – a fantastic opportunity to engage in small-scale placemaking on a fantastic site just a stone’s throw from our Cambridge studio. We are excited to meet with community members and engage in a truly collaborative process to create a building that is so popular in this part of the city. It’s great to cycle past early morning coffee drinkers and enjoy the view of the mill pond; in the evening you can see the reflections of the scattered apartments in the water.
Colin Moses, Director, MCW Architects
Project data
Completion Date January 2023
project costs Undisclosed (under £5m)
Total internal floor area 567 square meters
architect MCW Architects
client GCR Campup
cost consultant Project Eleven Consultant
Heritage Consultingdonald insull partners
Structural and civil engineers Conisby (under planning)
structural engineer Cooper Associates (post-planning)
Mechanical and electrical consultant scottish partner
civil engineer car
acoustic consultant Cass Allen
fire consultant GB Compliance
Chief designer construction project
Accredited Building Inspector support
planning consultant Carter Jonas
main contractor construction project
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