Burrell’s Field

Our development for Trinity College lies to the west of the city centre in a spacious residential area, laid out at the end of the 19th century; and is linked to the main College buildings by the College gardens.

Burrell’s Field explores geometry and contrast to create a richly complex, yet humanly responsive setting for study

Four Edwardian houses and two modern student hostels already occupied the site, lying amongst fragments of the gardens belonging to the houses running down to Bin Brook, which flows into the River Cam. Our design clarified the site layout by using the new buildings to frame and re-define the relationships between the existing buildings. It also creates a clear distinction between the open meadow along Bin Brook and the densely inhabited site.

The new buildings enclose the intensively landscaped site and control the access points for the development. They also overlook the principal external circulation routes to enhance security. The new accommodation is in the form of towers with staircase access to study bedrooms and Fellows’ sets with en-suite showers and shared kitchens. Common rooms are built against the older hostels as a means of integrating the existing buildings into the new site layout.

Materials were carefully selected on the basis of the College’s requirement to minimise future maintenance costs and are primarily brick and high quality precast concrete.