A vision for regeneration realised
Located on the edge of Cambridge’s De Freville Conservation Area, this regeneration scheme for Clare College, University of Cambridge, provides high quality, post graduate student accommodation and market flats. The specification of Vandersanden’s Majestic and Luna Apollo bricks helped to repair and maintain the rhythm of the street scene.
Hear from the mind behind Clare St Regis, Cambridge
We talk to Alexander Hobohm, Director at Freeland Rees Roberts Architects for his insights into the design and how the choice of brick has helped break down the overall massing of the facades and provided a canvas for public art too.
The tonal variation of the bricks within our design breaks down the massing of the facades and works with the dark zinc roofs…
How would you describe the project?
The St Regis site has been providing accommodation for Clare's students for over fifty years but, in recent years, the need for its regeneration became clear. The project is a successful replacement for the previous buildings that failed to fit into the surrounding urban context.
What was your design vision for the project?
The perceived scale of the buildings was important. We broke up the volumes to feel more like a series of big houses than large residential blocks. The buildings are clearly of a confident, contemporary time but communicate with their context and respect their surroundings, repairing and maintaining the rhythm of the street scene. This, in part, relates to the treatment of the facades by choosing the right brick and splitting the massing into separate gables with slopping roofs.
How does your choice of brick complement this vision?
There is plenty of life, texture and colour variation in Vandersanden’s Majestic bricks which assists in breaking down the overall massing of the facades and works well with the dark zinc of the roofs.
We introduced rhythm and detailing to soften the appearance of the buildings and tie together the context of the new and neighbouring buildings. The use of two brick colours helped achieve this: the lighter Majestic for the expanse of the wall and the darker Luna Apollo for detailing. Creating a plinth of dark bricks placed horizontally, topped by a soldier course of light bricks, anchors the building. At the junction with the zinc roof, the detailing is more subtle with stepped brick courses providing the transition.
Panels of projecting brick headers are a further feature that we introduced to add a textural quality that brings light and shade to the facades.
Explain your choice of mortar?
With the mortar joints, we were keen to create a natural, lime mortar-like appearance. This was achieved by fully pointing and, after the initial set, brushing back – there are no struck joint lines. The finished joint needed to feel appropriate for the texture of the bricks and look similar to the surrounding context.
What brick innovations were there with this project?
For the front facade, the College commissioned a carving featuring swifts in flight, inspired by the birds that were in residence in the original buildings. Swift boxes have been reinstated on the new site to provide a home for these beautiful birds.
Using hand tools and following trials, stonemasons carved some 5-10mm into the face of the brickwork to create the public art. A breathable paint finish was used to highlight the indentations - a single bird at the very top was gold-leafed.
What support did Vandersanden offer you in the process?
It was a very straightforward and well supported specification process. Early on, Vandersanden supplied product and technical information, plus a batch of the two brick types, enabling us to create sample panels. Usefully, they invited us to see a number of projects using the same bricks.
How would you sum up your experience with Vandersanden on this project?
Working together with Vandersanden has been a positive, supportive and proactive process. The bricks helped deliver the project vision and the client is delighted. It is now one of the college’s signature buildings and has won several awards.
Thanks Alexander, for taking time to talk to us and of course choosing Majestic & Luna Apollo bricks by Vandersanden for your project.
Project information
- Project – Clare St Regis
- Location – Chesterton Road, Cambridge
- Architect – Freeland Rees Roberts Architects
- Developer – Clare College University of Cambridge
- Year of completion – 2021
- Bricks used – Majestic and Luna Apollo
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