Clare College, University of Cambridge

Upgrading the Grade I-listed Old Court included refurbishing the kitchen, creation of ancillary catering accommodation, and renovating the Porters' Lodge, Great Hall and Chapel. For all areas, improving accessibility and means of fire escape were paramount, along with providing improved facilities and fabric upgrades to the roof. A new basement plantroom was designed to house the main heat source, water storage and ancillary plant. 
 
The renovation provided the opportunity to remap the services distribution, running the new services within a trench around the Old Court courtyard, before branching off into a stairwell, minimising impact on the historic fabric.  Electrical upgrades have been carried out across the phases. 

Completed in 2023, the North Passage, a narrow wedge of land between Trinity Hall College and Clare College's Master's Garden, was repurposed to become the River Room Café. Designed by Witherford Watson Mann Architects, the challenges of working in such a confined space and alongside historic building fabric meant that the structure was constructed in timber to sit within the space. The site required the clever use of light wells and exact detailing to fit the services into the cabinetry. The River Room uses a mixed-mode ventilation scheme including mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR). Ductwork runs are concealed within services trenches in the slab, to maximise useable floor-to-ceiling heights while complying with strict planning requirements.

To support the confined space with minimal access, a temporary bridge was created across the River Cam spanning the Master's Garden to the Fellows Garden, bypassing the historic Clare Bridge, which couldn’t accommodate heavy machinery. The café, finely detailed in brick and wood, opens out to the River Cam with a view to the Fellows Garden.  The main college kitchens were refurbished, and innovative MEP design utilised medieval chimney flues to route the kitchen extract ventilation. 

This phase also saw the completion of the extensive Great Hall renovation, which included regilding, repairing, and cleaning the stained glass, as well as the installation of new lighting, small power and data. External access to the Great Hall has been created by designing a concealed lift within the stone steps, sympathetically matching the exterior façade and style.