Westminster College
Westminster College Principal’s Lodge Feasibility Study
Cambridge

AC Architects Cambridge Ltd were invited to explore the possibilities for reorganization of the spacious Principal’s Lodge at this handsome turn-of –the-century theological college in Cambridge. The innovative design for Westminster College, by architect Henry T. Hare, was built beginning in 1897 and inaugurated in 1899. All elements of this splendid complex, including the Principal’s Lodge, are on the registry of Listed Buildings, Grade 2.

Objectives for the renovations to the Principal’s Lodge, as set out in the AC Architects Cambridge Ltd Feasibility Study, included the following:

  • To update the residence for the Principal to a manageable area within the existing structure.
  • To make the large original reception rooms available for a wider range of uses within the college.
  • To create a further professorial residence, within the surplus space, that is in keeping with and enhances the original architecture.

Of particular concern was the creation of new uses for the redundant stable at the far west of the Lodge. Existing flats carved out of the loft space in recent years were also considered in terms of their revenue-generating potential versus the best use of the space architecturally. Two options have been presented, starting at the stable end of the Lodge, and making use of extra spaces in the Lodge accessed from a new entrance. The first option roofs over the stable and adds a new stair visible externally. The second option extends a new stable roof upwards, respecting the existing geometries and containing a new internal stair.


Westminster College