Office Visit: Newnham College

Last Wednesday we all headed to Cambridge to see our building at Newnham College.

On our way, we visited the new gallery at Kettle’s Yard by Jamie Fobert Architects, currently the perfect foil to several Antony Gormley pieces (Infinite Cube II pictured here). And what a treasure the old House is! Every nook and cranny is filled with modern art and could tell a thousand stories.

The new building at Newnham is still on site, but, with only a few weeks to go, the beautiful brick facades stand proud, and we got a good feel for the internal spaces. It is easy to see that the generously-sized kitchens, each shared between 8 and 12 students, will be wonderful social hearts. The offices on the ground floor are well proportioned, with concrete ceilings and timber-lined walls creating a reassuringly sturdy and studious environment. Looking around a bedroom I couldn’t help but envy the lucky students who will come to call it home, taking their place on a deep window seat to write an essay, watching the world go by while ideas percolate.