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      What we do/ Our Projects/ Somerville College, Oxford - Catherine Hughes Building

      Contemporary student accommodation for an historical college in the heart of Oxford

      Catherine Hughes Building 1
      Catherine Hughes Building

      Value
      £11.5m

      Client
      University of Oxford

      Size
      2,500 sq m

      An exciting demolition and construction project with an iconic Oxford institution, we worked closely with Niall McLaughlin Architects to deliver state-of-the-art residences and communal spaces for students.

      Somerville College instructed us to plan high-quality, contemporary student accommodation for 68 students including various communal areas for students to enjoy, such as the graduate reading room. 

      An existing building on site needed to be demolished before the construction of the new residence started and as part of our service, we negotiated the main contract tender with an experienced regional building firm whilst preserving our clients’ interests and managing the expectations of all parties.  The project was kept on track with frequent on-site meetings to ensure any issues were dealt with in a quick and timely manner. 

      The accommodation needed to be complete by the start of the academic term and so we managed the handover of the building to ensure it was ready for fit out by the college and occupation by incoming students.  

      As a result of our comprehensive strategy, planning was approved by unanimous decision. The construction phase of the project began on time and we continued communication with all parties throughout the entire process to ensure it stayed within budget and was built to the highest standard. 

      12835_RIBA South Awards-9
      RIBA South Award, 2022

      WINNER: RIBA South Award was awarded to the Catherine Hughes Building, Somerville and Master's Field Development, Balliol.

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