Coldhams Lane
A new part of the city
A new kind of science destination for Cambridge. A place of community and texture where architecture blends into landscape.
Our masterplan for an open innovation district will allow science to be seen and celebrated, to inspire and benefit local communities, With no formal edges, all of the buildings – from labs to cafes – will be experienced in the round in a landscape that is a continuation of existing neighbourhood routes.
The laboratory buildings are expressed as long ground-hugging masses that present a quietly confident presence. Alternating bands of rough textured concrete and ephemeral glass complement textures found in the landscape, and are a riposte to the many ‘shiny new labs’ proliferating across the city.
The phase 1 R&D laboratory building features a ground floor ‘veranda’. This is not just a lobby but an extension of the building into the landscape that enables a space for science-related programming and an upper level terrace for tenants. The main civic space, the ‘chalk plateau’, draws on Cambridge’s rich geology and is a space for hosting markets and performances.
‘The Mixer’ provides co-working and event space at a location along the cycleway. The building’s form references the plant of the former cement works on the wider site. Planned to utilise reclaimed steel from another of our client’s buildings, this will be a pilot demonstration scheme for the circular economy.
A travel hub provides parking, electric charging infrastructure and end of journey facilities. It will be fronted with a ‘gallery’ of terraces and affordable workspaces fitted into an open frame steel framework. Finding a home here will be subsidised businesses who will feed the science ecosystem.
Project details
Project name: Coldhams Lane
Location: Cambridge, UK
Service: Sustainable design
Value: £50M – £100M
Scope: Masterplanning, Architecture, Urban design
Clients: Mission Street
Status: Live
Completion date: 2028
Accreditation: Targeting minimum BREEAM Excellent
Project Manager: 3PM
Quantity Surveyor: CB3
MEP Engineers: Buro Happold
Sustainability: Element Four
Land and visual impact consultant: Bidwells
Landscape architect : Periscope
Structural and civil engineering: Ramboll
Planning consultant: Stantec
Email: darrylchen@hawkinsbrown.com