The Queen’s College was founded in 1341 by Robert de Eglesfield and is the oldest university college in Oxford.
Beard refurbished and extended a collection of existing buildings adjacent to the main college campus to provide 73 ensuite student bedrooms, a lecture theatre, a music room and a gym.
Eighteen of these rooms were created by building a four-storey extension within an existing lightwell. This was constructed using a steel frame on piled foundations.
To respect The Queens College’s fine architectural legacy and to meet planning regulations in a conservation area, the building features a mansard style roof with slates to match the existing buildings. Stone details have been used around the parapet and entrance canopy.
The construction team had to excavate 2m below ground to insert the piled foundations. Holes were then cut into an existing flat roof to enable the construction of a steel frame. Existing buildings (some of which are listed) containing student accommodation were also refurbished at the same time.
Challenges and solutions
Access to the site was very restricted. The existing light well was a single-storey volume only accecourtyard. Piled foundations and the steel frame had to be erectedssible via a 8.6m entrance to a within a very confined space. The building was also located within Oxford city centre, with very restricted parking and loading.
All materials, muck-away and demolition waste had to be moved in and out of the site by a crane positioned in the courtyard. This was lifted over the building from the High Street at the start of the project
“It was quite a spectacle to see a very large crane lifting another crane above The Queen’s College Quad. As the second crane hung suspended above the listed buildings, it was good to know that we were in the safe hands of Beard’s.”
