Planning is approved for LSE's 1,945-bed Bankside student housing scheme
Hinsley Lane, University of Cambridge
Hinsley Lane, Cambridge’s largest Passivhaus student scheme, provides accommodation for 245 undergraduate and postgraduate students across 39 shared townhouses.
Key information
Architect
Allies and Morrison
Client
St John’s College, Cambridge
Value
£30M
Year of Completion
2024
Location
CambridgeSector
Services
Creating a neighbourhood for post-graduate students
Commissioned by St John’s College, at the University of Cambridge, and designed by Allies and Morrison, the development creates a new mixed-college residential community for St John’s, Lucy Cavendish, and Clare Hall Colleges.
The development has been designed for post-graduates and accommodates a range of occupancies. Comprised of 39 terraces and 245 rooms arranged around communal gardens, the development sits within a low-density semi-rural neighbourhood, partly within the West Cambridge Conservation Area, and 2 km from the city centre. Designed with materials such as red brick, clay tile and reconstituted stone, the development is intended to blend in with its conservation area surroundings.
Max Fordham was appointed to the £30m development by St John’s College to help achieve the Passivhaus Standard and thus reduce future energy consumption.
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Meeting the Passivhaus standard
Passivhaus fundamentals were considered throughout; the development's orientation was designed to maximise performance and was arranged with predominantly north-facing front facades and south-facing rear elevations with access to gardens. Window sizes, shading, and trellising support environmental comfort in both summer and winter. The design uses cross-laminated timber (CLT) as the primary structural material, reducing embodied carbon and helping to achieve an exceptional airtightness of 0.08ACH.
Heating and hot water are provided by air-source heat pumps, operating at low flow temperatures to maximise efficiency. Using electricity to extract heat from the air helps deliver an efficient, low-carbon heating solution. Photovoltaic panels provide additional power.
Underfloor heating systems served via manifolds were installed in the townhouses and are controlled by room thermostats. The underfloor heating flow temperature has been limited to prevent overheating in rooms with intermittent occupancy, such as living rooms.
To ensure fresh air is supplied, a decentralised, user-controlled mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery and frost protection delivers fresh air to each unit, minimising energy use while maintaining a comfortable building.
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Awards highlights
| 2026 | Greater Cambridge Design & Construction Awards | Best New Neighbourhood |
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