Interiors:Layout 1 11/09/2009 14:22 Page 74
interiors
A substantial number of design and legislative challenges were behind a recent
refurbishment at University College, Oxford.
The Buttery extension and the first floor meeting/dining
room (Butler Room) at University College, Oxford.
Photos: David Stewart.
Improving circulation
within historic building
T
HE £2.5M SCHEME, designed by the circulation routes and provide level good daylight to all of the existing windows.”
Freeland Rees Roberts Architects, access between the buttery, the dining Freeland Rees Roberts developed and
has involved a new, two storey hall and the kitchens. refined the design and this required the
extension of the College’s buttery in the “We came up with a flow diagram that plan of the extension to become elliptical.
Master’s Garden, the provision of developed into a design for a circular Henry Freeland continues: “The
enhanced access facilities and the buttery extension,” explains architect construction detailing of an ellipse as
modernisation of the kitchen and stores. Henry Freeland. “At the same time we opposed to a circular building is far more
Shortcomings in terms of physical space were able to find a lift position that complicated and threw up unexpected
and catering provision needed to be would serve the ground floor levels, the challenges – for instance how you make
addressed in line with legal requirements basement and the first floor Alington an elliptical metal gutter.
for food safety, disability access and Room and Green Room. “The form of the extension responds to
health & safety. Meanwhile, the design had the materials and scale of the existing
to be sensitive to the surrounding Grade I Scale 17th century buildings while at the same
listed buildings and historic fabric. “When we considered the massing of our time being modern. We were keen to use
The College kitchen is located in the circular extension we soon came to the traditional materials, stone, timber and
south range of the buildings constructed view that a two storey-high extension lead. We were interested in maximising
in the early 17th century with additions of would relate better in scale to the chapel the effects of good use of light and
the buttery, offices and storage areas and to the kitchen range. The curved internal and external space.”
over the last 150 years. The brief was to building avoids architecturally crowding
extend the kitchen stores, refurbish the the chapel and the kitchen range, provides
www.frrarchitects.co.uk
kitchen, expand the buttery, improve open spaces between them and retains
74 edbmagazine.co.uk
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92