We are pleased to share that we are now over halfway through our ambitious transformation of Owlstone Croft. With one year of the work completed and one more to go, we wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on the progress so far and look ahead to what the completed development will offer our students and the wider College community.
24th September 2026
Owlstone Croft is a site based in Newnham, which was purchased by Queens’ in 1988 and has been used to house our growing student community ever since. More recently, Owlstone Croft faced operational challenges due to outdated infrastructure, such as single-glazed windows and original fixtures and fittings, leading to Queens’ taking the ambitious decision to begin works to completely redevelop the site. The new development will create 13 brand-new Postgraduate terrace houses and refurbish the existing two blocks, including existing Undergraduate accommodation, meaning that the redeveloped Owlstone will be housing over 140 Queens’ students.
The redeveloped Owlstone Croft isn’t just accommodation. The site, which sits in just over 2 acres, will comprise of its own Porters’ lodge, cycle parking, gardens, study spaces, common rooms and a gym. The vision is to make this a hub outside central Cambridge, with all Queens’ students having access to the site and its facilities.
The environmental standards of our buildings are of the utmost importance to us, and the work at Owlstone has been no different. The team at Queens’ has worked closely with designers, developers and environmental experts to make sure we are carrying out our work responsibly and with consideration of the existing landscape. The new Postgraduate terraces are being built to the industry-recognised Passivhaus standard, with the existing buildings being decarbonised, so that all homes will be carbon-zero in operation. Many of these details were highlighted in our World Environment Day post, which we look forward to revisiting as the building work progresses.
Progress across the site has been strong this Summer as all four Terraces have transitioned into internal fit-outs, with window installations completed on Terrace 4, zinc roofing underway, and platform lifts fully installed in Terraces 1 and 2. In Block B, finishing trades are advancing as latex and vinyl flooring commence on upper levels alongside top-down bedroom decoration and vanity unit installation. Meanwhile, Block A has seen slate roofing completed to enable scaffolding strikes for its extensions, with internal drylining progressing well and foundations poured for the new Gym and Study. Additionally, site entrance works are complete, and the main transformer has been placed at the newly completed substation.
Looking ahead to next month, construction will move into its next phase as Block A begins erection of the timber CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) frame for the Gym and Study extensions. In Block B, work will focus on installing internal doors and advancing finishing trades across all levels. Across the Terraces, key progress will include partition wall builds in Terraces 1 and 2, staircase installations in Terraces 2 and 3, and platform lift placement in Terrace 3. Additionally, the site team will finalise sub-contractor interviews for external soft landscaping and hold a dedicated contingency meeting to resolve ongoing off-site power supply planning.
Despite the dedicated work continuing at Owlstone Croft, we still need your help. The future of Owlstone Croft relies on the generosity of Queens’ members and friends. Every donation counts.
If you would like to find out more about the project, donate, or speak to someone about how your generosity could help, contact our fundraising team at development@queens.cam.ac.uk or visit bridgetothefuture.co.uk
Owlstone Croft forms part of our 10-year-long campaign, Bridge to the Future.
Find out more at bridgetothefuture.co.uk
With thanks to:
Architect: Mikhail Riches
Contractor: Morgan Sindall
Queens’ College will be commencing a 20-week planned maintenance and repair programme on its river walls along the River Cam.
2nd November 2026
October has been an exciting month for progress over at our Owlstone Croft site. At the start of October, we marked a major milestone by hosting a topping-out ceremony to celebrate reaching the full height of the first of four new timber-framed postgraduate accommodation terraces.
29th October 2026
Back in 2021, Queens’ College partnered with IntoUniversity to launch the IntoUniversity Bradford East learning centre. Since opening in Holmewood in 2021, the centre has worked with over 3,000 young people, helping them develop academic skills, build confidence and explore their interests, education and career options.
28th October 2026
Last week, we marked a major milestone at Owlstone Croft with a topping out ceremony, celebrating the structural completion of the first new postgraduate accommodation terrace.
5th October 2026
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