A NEW LIBRARY & AUDITORIUM for Selwyn College
Appeal Update, Spring 2019
HOW ARE WE DOING?
THE NEXT SIX MONTHS
The appeal has met with a very generous response with more than 380 individuals donating so far – thank you! The idea of being able to leave your name on Selwyn has proved very popular with over 130 named bricks so far and more than 50 named paving stones and chairs. If you haven’t yet returned your inscription/donation form, don’t worry – there’s still plenty of time. Simply complete the form inside your appeal brochure and return it to the Development & Alumni Relations Office.
Following a competitive tender process, Barnes Construction were awarded the contract in early February, followed by an intensive design development period.
Alternatively, you can donate online at: www.selwynalumni.com/main-websitepages/library-and-auditorium To make a donation over the phone – or request another donation form – or to discuss any other aspect of supporting the appeal, please contact the Development Manager, Erin Bond on +44 (0)1223 767846 or email development@sel.cam.ac.uk.
Or make a bank transfer (Ref: your surname and initial): Name: SELWYN COLLEGE BURSARS A/C Sort Code: 20-17-68 Account Number: 40814598 Bank Address: Barclays Bank, 9–11 St Andrews Street Branch, Cambridge, CB2 3AX, UK SWIFT Code: BARC GB 22 IBAN: GB18BARC20176840814598
Project Costs
£12.6m Amount raised
£11.3m Outstanding (Appeal Target)
£1.3m
Over the next six months work begins with preparations of the site, the establishment of access and pedestrian routes, services diversions and the creation of a secure perimeter. By the early summer, a crane will be on site and excavation of the basement area will be well underway and the drainage and lift pits dug out. This will be closely followed by the construction of the actual foundations, perimeter walls and columns. By the start of Michaelmas term 2019 the site will be ready to advance to the next phase that will involve the construction of the steel frame that will support the walls, floors and ceiling. More about that in our next update…
WHAT’S IN A NAME? Displaying the names on to the bricks and paving stones that form part of the Library & Auditorium building will be a very public display of the tremendous support that Selwyn receives from its alumni and friends. We will be working with Saxon Monumental Crafts – a family run business based in Bury St Edmunds for over 30 years. Although great care and attention is given to the carving of each name, the average cost should be no more than £20.00 allowing more than 95% of every donation to go directly to the building costs. Here’s what’s involved in the inscribing process: A pattern of the name is produced and then ‘weeded’ which is the process of cutting away the parts of the pattern to be blasted.
The pattern is then transferred to a stencil, which is made from vinyl to withstand the blasting. The letters of the name are then cut out, cutting through both the pattern and stencil. The pattern is then removed and the stencil attached to the brick or stone, ready for blasting. At Saxon, the next part of the process involves a sandblaster, which uses a mixture of compressed air and sand (made from aluminium core) to blast away the inscription. A blast cabinet keeps the blasting sand confined, so that it doesn’t blow all over the room and operates much like a containment work unit in a laboratory. You can stick your gloved hands and arms through and work inside, while keeping the inside sealed off from the outside.
Once it is judged that the inscription has been cut to the correct depth, the stencil is slowly removed and each letter carefully examined. If anything has been missed, or impurities in the stone have caused a problem, the stencil is replaced and the brick or stone re-blasted. Only when the engraver is totally happy with the finished result is the item approved, brushed clean and carefully stored away, ready for its trip to Grange Road. Quite a few people are choosing to use the inscriptions as an opportunity to get together and remember a mutual friend or family member. “My fiancé and I met at Selwyn and we would very much like two bricks to
be engraved with our names.”
MEET THE TEAM Creating the new Library & Auditorium building will involve many dozens of individuals, working for different companies and with a wide range of skills and experience. We thought it would be interesting to introduce you to a few of the companies and individuals who we will be working closely with over the next 18 months or so.
The builders: Barnes Construction Barnes Construction was founded in 1978 and is a division of The Barnes Group Ltd. With a head office in Ipswich, the company undertakes a wide range of construction and refurbishment projects for a variety of clients both in the East of England and throughout the UK. Recent work in Cambridge includes kitchens at Corpus Christi College; Queens Wing and Griffin Bar at Homerton College; and American Battle Monuments Commission for the American Cemetery (pictured). Some years ago, the company worked on a significant refurbishment project at Selwyn, creating the Fellows Parlour in Old Court. The college is very pleased to be working with them again on this latest addition to the Selwyn estate. The project manager: Nigel New of Aecom “My involvement commenced in 1995/96 with the design competition to select a masterplan and architect for the future northwards expansion of the college. I was involved as quantity
surveyor for the construction of phases one and two of Ann’s Court (pictured). By the time the college commissioned this current phase three towards the end of 2014, I had moved to a role to include project management. To have been involved with the construction of just one phase of Ann’s Court would have been a career highlight, but to have been involved in the whole project since its inception will have been a unique experience. As ever, I’m looking forward to the construction phase of this building and the possibility of completing phase four before I retire.” The architects: Porphyrios Associates Porphyrios Associates have a long standing association with Selwyn College since they won the invited competition in 1996 for a new masterplan and major building programme. Although the plans have developed over the years, they were responsible for the existing two wings of Ann’s Court, which have been so successful and widely admired. The new
Library & Auditorium will provide Selwyn with tremendous new facilities and complete a handsome new court that has already greatly enhanced the college community. Porphyrios Associates describe the new building as “a figural structure that draws upon the classical tradition of Cambridge and which provides a contrast to the vernacular character of the two residential wings.” All the buildings use solid, beautiful and civil materials that will weather and mature with usage and time. The college is delighted to continue this mutually rewarding relationship with Porphyrios Associates and looks forward to the completion of this landmark building in early 2021.
© Porphyrios Associates: Whitman College, Princeton University, NJ, USA
Development & Alumni Relations Office: Selwyn College, Grange Road, Cambridge CB3 9DQ
Registered Charity No. 1137517