Cranmer Road

Best New Landscape: Highly commended: Cranmer Road (King’s College)

In this category there was one winner and one commendation.

Team

Client – King’s College, University of Cambridge

Landscape Architect – LDA Design

Architect – Allies and Morrison

Quantity Surveyor – Atkins Realis

M&E – Max Fordham

Structural Engineer – Smith and Wallwork

Planning Consultant – Turley Associates

Ecology – Denny Ecology

Arboriculture – JCA Principal

Contractor – R G Carter Cambridge

Landscape Contractor – Ground Control

Image credit – LDA Design

Judges Comments

“This scheme provides 59 high quality rooms for Kings’ College graduate students and is integral to their strategy to improve their offer to the graduate community, and to engage them in activities that promote wellbeing.  The planting scheme is still maturing, but we very much liked the different characters of different areas of the site, which has been matrix planted.  The SUDS scheme is supported by a swale and generous borders, and there are hard seating areas as well as a much-valued central lawn, and productive areas for fruit and vegetable growing.  The scheme retains the existing mature trees and boundary walls.  From the start there was a strong focus on examining, retaining and enhancing soil quality, and the college gardeners as well as residents are enthusiastic about the garden.  An active allotment society operates across three college sites, and there’s an enthusiastic take-up of growing spaces.  The gravel is rather deep in places, making wheelchair access hard work although providing level access was an objective of the scheme .”