The College’s documents
MICA Architects’ masterplan page for Christ’s College, captured 25 July 2026
PDF · 6 pages · Primary source · The text below is the PDF’s own text, page by page
MICA Architects’ masterplan page for Christ’s College, captured 25 July 2026 (6 pages).
The document in full
Page 1
Work Practice Features Contact Search Projects Themes Index Map
Christ's College Masterplan
Client Christ's College, Cambridge
Location Cambridge, UK
Page 2
A future strategy for Christ’s College Work Practice Features Contact Search Projects Themes Index Map
MICA set out a long-term strategy for the Domus site identifying future potential projects and changes over the next 25 years together with short-term development opportunities that address current priorities and needs. Our study covers three primary objectives of the strategic mapping and planning exercise, namely: improving the use of space, a route to carbon reduction goals and improvement of access across the Domus site. Twenty interventions together with holistic energy strategies improve space and facilitate access. Our aim is to augment an extraordinary historic built environment and bucolic landscape setting with changes that are discrete and complementary to the character of Christ’s. Internally, the same sensitive approach has been taken with the added objective of peeling away 20th century additions to reveal original features and historic arrangements.
1 / 2 Aerial of the existing site
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Work Practice Features Contact Search Projects Themes Index Map
Landscape Plan
Consultation The strategy for the College has been borne out of extensive consultation and engagement. The team met with around 400 members of the College including Fellows, students, staff and alumni; conducted three college-wide workshops; held three staff and Fellows focussed workshops; presented three times to Governing Body; held around 30 in-person meetings; through the open suggestion box and online survey we received over 150 anonymous suggestions throughout the process. Findings were summarised, reported and informed the outline emerging strategy, which was presented to the Governing Body and was then developed into a detailed document with further consultation, the outcome of which was presented later that year.
1 / 4 Consultation at the college
Pathway to Net Zero A comprehensive carbon reduction strategy has been drawn up to achieve 30% carbon reduction commitments by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2048 or sooner. The work has been carried out by MICA, Services engineer Andy Long, and Beyond Carbon with input from specialist engineers and suppliers. The strategy considers ways to reduce energy use across the estate with new renewable energy sources (ground source and air source heat pumps, photovoltaics) providing a balanced new strategy to replace the existing fossil fuel energy supply. Working closely with the Estates Department we established the age and condition of the buildings and the energy used for heating and hot water along with the available electrical capacity and location of transformers. With this data we were quickly able to identify which buildings could have which elements upgraded or replaced and their effect on peak heating loads and the annual energy demand and savings. The college had already had a survey undertaken to indicating the available energy from ground arrays for heating. We were then able to establish which buildings could utilise which array, location of
1 / 3 Sustainability - Pathway to Net Zero
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plant and how to decarbonise the heating. This will allow the collegePractice to programme which buildings to upgrade and provide Work Features Contact Search alternativeThemes heating Index from heat pumps as they work towards Projects Map achieving their zero carbon targets.
1 / 2 Areas with potential for solar arrays within Christ’s College
Universal Access Primarily focussing on physical access improvements across the Domus site, the new strategy provides opportunities to transform step-free access across communal spaces such as Upper Hall, Library and the Old Combination Room together
Page 5
Work Practice Features Contact Search Projects Themes Index Map
Access plan
Spatial Efficiency Improvements are put forward that improve efficiency of space, provide new space including a new library and study constellation, consolidate uses and--above all--improve the quality and environment of a number of important existing spaces in College. Improving teaching, Fellows’ accommodation, support, and study provisions are balanced with improvements to social, communal and opportunities to improve wellbeing.
with accessibility to a number of residential staircases and upper floor teaching rooms.
Page 6
Work Practice Features Contact Search Projects Themes Index Map Spatial efficiency within the college
1 / 3 Blyth perspectives
The first permission is quashed. The second is frozen.
On Tuesday 20 October 2026 the High Court quashed the first approval, 25/02161/FUL, on all four grounds of our claim. The Secretary of State has frozen the permission. On 13 October she directed the Council not to grant it without her authorisation while she considers whether to call the application in, six days after the identical application 26/02109/FUL was controversially approved. If you would like to support a call in, write to us and we will tell you how.
Email residents@christs-lane.com.