Rhodes House Transformation
Designed by Sir Herbert Baker and completed in 1929, Rhodes House is located on South Parks Road, in central Oxford. Set within extensive gardens, the building is the historic headquarters of the Rhodes Trust, an educational charity which oversees the world-renowned Rhodes Scholarships at the University of Oxford and several other global fellowship programmes. By modernising, refurbishing and extending this 100-year-old Grade II* listed building, the scheme ensures that Rhodes House remains a magical part of Oxford's architecture, a home for the Trust, its scholars and the wider Oxford community. It enables the building to operate effectively and sustainably, while supporting the Trust's mission to expand its global Scholarship programme. This transformation required significant interventions and major structural alterations to open up the existing building to enable the creation of a new 300-seat Conference Hall, Foyer spaces and offices, all invisibly integrated into Rhodes House, along with 21 bedrooms in the old East Wing and new residential accommodation in the East Gardens. A new glass pavilion sits within the West Gardens above new lower ground Office spaces. The Conference Hall and Foyer have been created by converting existing restricted archive spaces beneath the House’s main rooms and gardens. These new spaces are ventilated using air that is passively cooled through ground coupled earth ducts, providing a stable temperature of air year-round. The Conference Hall features a new vaulted roof providing a generosity of scale and flexibility for a variety of convenings as well as opening views to the verdant gardens beyond. The access to the archive spaces was originally tucked away from the main route, whereas now the Conference Hall and Foyer are entered via an elegant new stone staircase created in the centre of the Rotunda – Baker’s spectacular main entrance to Rhodes House. The new staircase leads delegates directly into the new Foyer below, where newly glazed existing lightwells bring daylight and natural ventilation to the reconfigured lower floors, as well as acting as informal breakout spaces and display areas for public art. In the West Garden, a new 50-seat glazed Pavilion provides a tranquil place for Scholars and the public to meet in a magnificent garden setting. Turning a perceived weakness of highly-glazed buildings into a strength, the Garden Pavilion is designed to act as a solar collector. Its glazed façades passively collect solar heat. Excess heat is extracted by fan coil units, keeping the space at a comfortable temperature; this heat is then used in the main building. Beneath the Pavilion a new Office space has been added, directly accessible from the historic premises. Adjacent to the East Wing, a new lower-ground Residential Courtyard, discreetly set within the East Garden, provides 16 bedrooms, all opening onto a leafy communal terrace echoing the materiality of the historic façade above. The earth-sheltered design, with the gardens reinstated above, retains clear views between Rhodes House and the Civil War Rampart, a significant archaeological feature within Oxford. A new Garden Room opens onto the Courtyard providing additional amenities for staff.
Exeter College Cohen Quadrangle
Exeter College Cohen Quadrangle, Oxford is a 21st century reinvention of the ‘collegiate quadrangle’, the basis of Oxford’s academic and urban fabric. The Oxford quadrangle is an 800 year old pedagogical model that combines student rooms with teaching spaces, organised around landscaped courtyards. The 6000 m², new-build Cohen Quad expands Exeter College’s 700 year old campus in the heart of Oxford, with undergraduate and graduate living accommodation for 90 students, an auditorium, seminar rooms, archive, café, roof terraces, offices, fellows’ accommodation and Oxford University’s first dedicated social learning space. This complex building was designed within a highly constrained Conservation Area site and Grade II Listed Building context, to deliver Oxford’s first fully inclusive and barrier free quad. Our over-riding concept of a ‘scholarly home’ is characterised by an all-embracing stainless steel shingle roof, marking the new building on Oxford’s skyline. The building is conceived as a journey; a three dimensional Oxonian narrative that weaves between two courtyards to offer a surprising array of perspectives on adjacent landscapes and streetscapes. To respond to the constrained site, the new Quad is organised as an S-shaped plan that weaves between two new courtyards. This is a narrative route that connects the college’s public and courtyard spaces with a series of cloisters, amphitheatre staircases, landings and garden walks. The traditional Quad arrangements of courtyard and cloister, façade and roof, have been reconfigured to intertwine and merge, loosening spatial relationships and blurring programmatic boundaries while offering a ‘coherent informality’ to a largely residential urban context. Every corridor, corner and roofspace has been conceived as a place to dwell and opportunity to gather. The historic Grade II Listed English Baroque 1913 Ruskin College façade has been retained for it’s significant historic value, representing the 19th Century educational reform movement in Oxford. ”Windows and views in every corner and at every turning make one feel a secret spectator of the beauty of the surrounding city” Dame Frances Cairncross DBE FRSE, Rector of Exeter College 2004-2014 The Cohen Quad houses an academic community within the collegiate model of education, incorporating teaching and living spaces. A sequence of cloisters with subtly expanding and compressing elliptical geometries invite movement through the building. The first, cross-laminated timber cloister forms an ellipsoidal space that acts as a room as well as a passage. Visible from the building’s entrance, the second, concrete cloister is spatially convex, encouraging movement towards the auditorium. A multi-level commons space at the centre of the S-shaped plan is the new Quad’s social heart, opening onto both courtyards and offers a range of informal living rooms, open and hidden study areas, a sweeping staircase and double height café within the multi-level Learning Commons. Transparency and light form a central part of the Cohen Quad design concept and experience. The Learning Commons are lined with double storey glazed walls, creating a visual connection to its landscaped courts. At the top of the building, a glass lantern and dormers act as observation points giving spectacular views across Oxford. The quads’ public spaces are represented by a two-storey stone clad ‘base’, carved into and elaborated with stairs, voids and a ‘suspended room’ where it is revealed in the Learning Commons. This stone base houses the main academic facilities and service spaces: teaching rooms, archive, music practice room, porter’s lodge and ancillary spaces. The Fitzhugh Auditorium acts as a destination along the architectural narrative of this new collegiate campus. A new performance space for the College, the auditorium brings the main curved, patterned roof of the quad together with a shell roof form arching upwards from the garden wall in a surprising, lyrically expressive form. Concerts, events, lectures and dinners can be staged in this light filled but acoustically tempered and sealed environment, with the north quad acting as landscape threshold and stage for collegiate life. The over-riding concept of a ‘scholarly home’ is characterised by this all-embracing curved roof, marking the new Quad on Oxford’s skyline while providing unique loft study and living spaces. Enclosed by patterned stainless steel that folds across wall and roof surfaces, student rooms are conceived as a single large piece of furniture, with integrated desks, window seats, storage, and bathroom pods. They are arranged along naturally-lit corridors, animated by family kitchens, and terminating in a view to the outside. Fellows studies occupy the ‘loft’ spaces under the curved roof and are gathered around the Senior Common Room, which looks out onto a south-facing terrace formed by a sinuous cut made in in the curved roof form. The roof’s unique geometry and material is a unifying device between the old and new, a mediator between institutional and residential, and the all-embracing enclosure for this scholarly community. Referencing George Gilbert Scott’s latticed spire of Exeter College’s neo-Gothic Chapel, it’s patterned stainless steel folds across wall and roof surfaces - a single planar element, or ‘cloak’ cut to fit the building like the tailoring of cloth to a body. The new building’s curved roof form, its construction technique and patterned metal tiling draws on the Arts and Crafts tradition of William Morris, a graduate of Exeter College, and the ethos of his tutor, John Ruskin. Long term cost-effective sustainable design principles included natural and cross ventilation, high ceilings, natural light and exposed structural finishes to enable optimal performance. Our simple ‘fabric first’ approach provided a super insulated high-performance envelope, while careful detailing garners high levels of air tightness and minimal heat loss through thermal bridging. Using thermal mass, solar thermal panels and air-source heat pumps, the building has achieved a 20% improvement on Building Regulations standard for energy consumption.
Radley College Chapel
There was a real possibility that the existing Grade II* listed chapel at Radley could be deemed unfit for purpose. The school were ready to increase capacity and had already outgrown the chapel and needed a larger, more accessible building for their daily congregations. Therefore, our primary objective was to find a solution that would secure the long-term future and pave the way for future conservation and restoration works. The primary intervention to the east end provides space for the sanctuary and the opportunity for internal reordering to facilitate three additional rows of seats, increasing capacity by 30% as set out in the brief. The outcome is a celebration of craftsmanship, demonstrated in the fine handcrafted materials used to extend, enhance and modernise the chapel spaces. The cost of using high quality materials and highly skilled craftspeople will be countered by the longevity of the chapel. Whilst the deemed lifespan is over 100 years, using high-quality, fixable materials means the building could have a lifespan of many hundreds of years. A building of this quality requires exceptionally skilled craftspeople, which also support local economies. Internal brick repairs were undertaken alongside making good on completion of the extension using the original bricks that had been carefully removed in the construction phase. Where new bricks were essential, they were made using locally sourced clay excavated and fired at Northcot Bricks in Moreton-in-Marsh, 34 miles from source to site. 87 different types of handmade bricks were used, requiring over 50 different moulds and four bespoke finishes were blended to match the existing building. Cadeby limestone, quarried in 150 miles from site in Doncaster, was sourced via OG Stonemasonry in Witney, Oxfordshire. The historic pews were carefully taken apart and remodelled for the new layout. 88 separate painted-glass panels form the east windows, designed, fabricated and installed by York Glaziers Trust. The European oak roof is made up of 1177 sections, including sarking boards. The floor, which was insulated during re-laying works, is a combination of White Carrara and Nero Marquina marbles. The heating strategy improves the consistency of the temperature and relative humidity within the building to provide a better environment for the artefacts, memorials and fabric of the building. The Sanctuary was designed to ensure that the memorials and artefacts within the space are not impacted by direct sunlight, further improving the consistency of the environment. Our conservation plan for the building sets out future phases to replace 1980’s plastic rainwater goods with cast iron, undertake brickwork repairs, repoint using lime mortar, replacing areas of cementitious mortar and to replace an asbestos roof of the chapel whilst implementing thermal improvements. On returning after completion, the Conservation Officer for the project noted: ‘The Chapel looks absolutely fantastic and wouldn’t have been possible without the work of the project team. So much intricate detail, superb selection of materials and wonderful workmanship.’.
Copper Bottom
Copper Bottom is a new, better than net-zero, dwelling whose bold sculptural form is an integral part of its radical sustainability strategy. Sitting on a hillside within sight – and cycling distance - of the spires of Oxford, it is intended to be a holistically sustainable exemplar; a carbon-negative, low-maintenance, lifetime home in a rural yet sustainable location. The building’s defining characteristic is its origami-esque copper-clad carapace. This is a carefully crafted brise-soleil, integral to the form of the house: a solar helmet crucial to prevent over-heating of the interior. Its peaks and facets are shaped to modulate sunlight. They protect the generous glazing from summer sun but welcome low sun for solar gain in the winter. What would normally be considered a constraint on design has been turned into an opportunity for architectural expression. The highly sculptural and resonant form derives from the uses it serves; form follows function. Copper Bottom performs as a habitable power station, generating substantially more renewable energy than it demands. Not only is it carbon negative in use, but over time the 30% annual green energy surplus will more than compensate for the carbon footprint of its construction: • To maximise energy production, the house shelters below a single south-facing roof plane supporting a huge array of photo-voltaic panels. • To minimise energy consumption, below its sloping lid the house is a simple two-storey cuboid with a low form factor, built to passive house parameters. • To minimise the carbon footprint of construction, the house is built using structural insulated timber panels with softwood trusses and plywood forming the envelope; the structure is entirely carbon-capturing timber. The cuboid within the solar helmet works equally well for the interior. The slope of the site towards the sun and the views make for a straightforward diagram, with all the living spaces on the south and servant spaces on the north. The interior is pure and simple, all about space and light. It is open plan, focussed on a lofty light-filled double-height space. The finish is crisp, bright and timeless; then for tactility and thermal mass at the heart of the house there is a monolithic tall purple brick wall. This simplicity is also part of the sustainability strategy. Copper Bottom is a long-life, loose-fit, lifetime home. There are no steps on either floor; the ground floor can easily be reconfigured for wheelchair occupancy. Corridors and doorways are wide, ceilings are high, daylight is plentiful. It is easily adaptable to be comfortable whatever the future may hold for its inhabitants. Finally, why copper? Simply because it combines beauty with strong sustainability credentials: • it is less than 1mm thick but very tough, • it is 100% recycled and recyclable, • once patinated, it does not corrode further and will last effectively forever, with a unique and beautiful hue. Here the prepatination has been tailored to a specific verdigris which sits happily in its verdant setting.
Blavatnik School of Government
Public policy school of Oxford University.
St Antony's College, Oxford
St Antony's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1950 as the result of the gift of French merchant Sir Antonin Besse of Aden, St Antony's specialises in international relations, economics, politics, and area studies relative to Europe, Russia, former Soviet states, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, Japan, China, and South and South East Asia. The college is located in North Oxford, with Woodstock Road to the west, Bevington Road to the south and Winchester Road to the east. St Antony's had a financial endowment of £55.1 million as of 2021. Formerly a men's college, it has been co-educational since 1962.
Oxford North
Oxford North will be a new, globally significant innovation district for Oxford. Acting on behalf of Thomas White Oxford, subject to planning, Oxford North will support the world’s leading research university and celebrate science and technology and the application of knowledge. The 30ha site will provide nearly 100,000 sqm of workspace and research facilities capable of linking, fusing and subdividing to react to organisational, educational and social requirements. Up to £100 million of infrastructure investment, including £30 million to improve walking, cycling, bus and highway networks, will create a truly connected community for Oxford North’s occupants, residents and neighbours. Nearly 500 homes will be created, together with hotels, shops and cultural spaces. Our integrated approach to landscape delivers connectivity and sustainability, balancing amenity and accessibility with ecological protection and enhancement. New footpaths and cycle linkages through the site will allow access to the Oxford Canal, the centre of the historic city and towards nearby Oxford Parkway station. The masterplan delivers more than 9ha of open space including three new parks, and buildings that are sensitively oriented to enhance connectivity with the local landscape. This includes framed views towards Wytham Woods, an ancient woodland and designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, which is owned by the University of Oxford and is one of the most researched pieces of woodland in the world. The first phase buildings include the Red Hall, a dynamic workspace for start-ups, entrepreneurs and freelancers, with capacity for around 300 people to work collaboratively. The first phase buildings’ floorplates will be highly flexible, allowing a full range of occupiers, from a two-person start-up needing to incubate and grow, to a global organisation looking to thrive within a commercial ecosystem to develop ideas, collaborate and innovate. The intersections between science-based and knowledge-economy activities, academic research and places to live and socialise are catalysts for innovation and growth. Oxford North will attract world class talent seeking to cluster in proximity to this centre of research excellence. An energy sharing loop (ESL) linked to ground source energy systems via in-ground boreholes will connect all the buildings in the first phase. Water-to-water heat pumps connected to the loop will provide space heating and cooling as well as domestic hot water. This system alone will save over 21,000 tonnes of CO2 per year in the first phase. The loop is expandable for future phases, preventing the need for gas flues and exhausts, substantially enhancing local air quality. This solution supports the UK’s move towards zero carbon electricity within the lifespan of Oxford North. The project will reduce water demand by 40% in comparison to UK benchmarks, and 850 electric car charging points will support the city’s aspiration to remove fossil fuel-burning vehicles from the city centre by 2030. Almost 10km of new and upgraded cycle paths will be supported by facilities in the buildings that will encourage the use of low-carbon transport. The pursuit of BREEAM Excellent energy performance will place the workplace buildings in the top 10% in the UK.
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Open in Atlas MapFrequently Asked Questions
How long does the Oxford architecture walking tour take?+
The self-guided walking tour covers approximately 2 km with 3 stops. Allow approximately 1 hour including 20 minutes of viewing time per building.
Is the Oxford architecture tour free?+
Yes, this is a completely free self-guided walking tour. You can view the route on the interactive map, export it to Google Maps for navigation, and explore at your own pace.
Do I need to book the Oxford architecture tour in advance?+
No booking is required — this is a self-guided tour that you can start at any time. All buildings can be viewed from the outside. For guided tours with expert commentary, we recommend checking GetYourGuide for local architecture tours.
What is the best time to do the Oxford architecture walking tour?+
Morning light (before 11am) is ideal for photography of building facades. Weekdays tend to be less crowded around commercial buildings. Allow a full morning or afternoon for the complete tour.