Follow our progress as Darwin’s site evolves

Darwin College has set an ambitious target to remove all gas boilers from its estate by 2032. Combined with a commitment to purchase only 100% renewable generation electricity, this would achieve our target of zero Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions in line with our strategic goal.

In many of our smaller off-site properties the solution lies in improving thermal efficiency through insulation and improved windows, as well as switching gas boilers for air-source heat pumps. However, on the main site we will be harnessing the thermal capacity of the river Cam which flows through the gardens.

Building works in 2025 and 2026 will involve the construction of a Pump House on the riverbank behind 12 Newnham Terrace, right on the edge of our estate bordering the Granta pub. This new building will house the mechanical and electrical equipment such as water pumps and heat exchangers that will eventually supply all the buildings on the main site with heat and hot water. A network of pipes will be laid in a trench that will run the length of the site distributing the hot water to be used for heating.

At the same time, thermal improvements will be made to the Rayne Building and Newnham Grange, including replacement windows, draught-proofing, wall insulation and loft insulation.

Updates on the project's progress and information for those living on site will be added regularly to this page, and answers to frequently asked questions can be found below.

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Impact on accommodation next year

Stay up to date as the plans progress

Darwin members should be aware that we are currently sharing this space with contractors operating in an active building site. While every effort will be made to avoid disruption to the day-to-day life of the College, members should follow all instructions given by the contractors around the site for their own safety.

Barriers should not be moved, and active work locations should not be entered without written clearance.

6th July 2026

Works and their impact on the site this week:

Heating pipework will continue to be installed.
Digging of the trench will be completed, before backfilling to create the haul road.
Sand and slabs will be delivered under the Dining Hall, and muck removed.

29th June 2026

Works and their impact on the site this week:

This week mechanical teams will continue to install heating pipework – believe it or not, one day we’ll need it again! Pipework will be delivered on Wednesday,
A new skip will be delivered under the Dining Hall on Monday morning.
New fencing and barriers will be installed between the Dining Hall and the marquee, while making sure that access to the servery is not affected.
The haul road and service trench will begin to be excavated by the Dining Hall.
Scaffold tower and ladder will be collected and removed.
Kiosk will be delivered.

22nd June 2026

Works and their impact on the site this week:

This week is mostly about digging…
Contractors will be excavating ground on the main site to prepare for the creation of a temporary haul road allowing equipment to be moved across the site more easily. This will be removed and the lawn fully restored following construction.
Excavation will also begin of the main service trench, into which pipework will start to be installed.
Monitoring will be installed to check any movement of the boundary wall caused by the works.
Electrical cabling will be delivered and installed from the kiosk.
Timelapse cameras will be installed on the 2^nd island and at 12 Newnham Terrace, to record the development of the works and allow us to watch its progress.

15th June 2026

Works continue behind 11 and 12 Newnham Terrace to excavate the network trenches that will eventually run across the whole site. As the excavation progresses through the gardens, barriers will be moved to ensure that the limits of the works are clearly indicated. Members are asked to respect these barriers and use alternative routes if necessary.
In the passageway next to 10 Newnham Terrace, excavation and works continue to prepare for the new electrical supply that will be housed in a purpose-built kiosk in the front garden. This area remains completely out-of-bounds.
Some of the recovered footpath stones are being re-located in order to widen the footpath outside the back door of the cafe. The works should be completed this week, but there will be some disruption whilst the stones are being positioned and laid.
There will be little or no work to the river wall this week as final preparations for the wall stabilisation programme are completed. This is likely to begin again over the next couple of weeks.
On Wednesday morning a large tree will be removed from the river bank at the Bridge end of the Study Centre (next to the punt company). There will be some noise disruption in the area caused by chainsaws and wood chippers, but this should be limited to Wednesday morning.
Scaffolding has now been erected on the garden side of the Rayne Building to allow new roof lights to be lifted into place and installed on the top of Newnham Grange. Residents should be alert when moving around the building – a member of College staff will be present throughout to ensure safety during the installation process.
There will continue to be contractors coming and going under the Dining Hall. Please be patient if the access for bike parking is closed off – you may sometimes need to take the longer route around the spiral staircase to get to the bike hoops. Please avoid parking your bike in the gardens or leaving it such a way that it blocks others from parking.

8th June 2026

Works and their impact on the site this week:

The footpath outside the café will be being widened this week, but don’t panic – no one wants to get between students and their caffeine in exam times. You’ll still be able to get in.
Pipework and a cold water tank will be installed in the basement under the café, avoiding peak times to allow everyone to get their lunch.
Groundworkers will continue to dig service trenches.
Muck extracted from the river will be moved to the main site.
Paving slabs will continue to be removed from behind Newnham Terrace, to be collected from under the Dining Hall.
Deliveries are expected at a rate of one or two a day, so please be cautious when leaving or arriving under the Dining Hall.
There will be a scaffold tower on the lawn outside the Rayne Building offices from Thursday for a couple of week to enable contractors to replace the roof lights on the top floor of Newnham Grange. This work will mostly be carried out from the roof itself, but contractors will sometimes be in the building.

1st June 2026

Works and their impact on the site this week:

Groundworkers will arrive on site on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.
There will be disruption on the main lawn as they arrive and manoeuvre a large excavator from under the Dining Hall to the work site at the rear of 12 Newnham Terrace
They will also be digging a trench for a new electricity kiosk at the front of 10 Newnham Terrace This will involve clearing the passageway under the building and digging up the paving slabs to create a trench for the power cables.
Please note that the area at the rear of 9,10,11 and 12 Newnham Terrace will become busy with work from this week. Residents of these buildings should use the front door when coming and going. The rear access into the gardens should only be used for exit in case of emergency.
Safety fencing is in place to provide a safe route of escape from the rear of the terraces into the gardens in case of fire
Works will commence on the river walls now that the pontoons have arrived and are now moored at the end of the gardens in the river.
Pumps and pipework will continue to be installed in the basement area, near the café. Mechanical and electrical fit-out of the site canteen will continue.

27th May 2026

Works expected this week:

If you’ve not yet had a glimpse of everyone’s favourite new toy, the amphibious excavator, it’ll be at work again this week preparing the riverbed for the next phase of work.
Bike parking under the Dining Hall will continue to be a bit more difficult during this stage – please bear with us, it will return!
There’ll be a skip on-site on Wednesday to remove the waste already cleared.
Protective track mats will be placed around the tree roots.
Mechanical pumps and pipework will be installed in the basement, near the café.
Regular deliveries will continue, so watch out for vehicles coming and going under the Dining Hall.

20th May 20206

New toy unlocked!

Works are now beginning in earnest to the river wall and river bed in preparation for the work platforms that will shortly be arriving.

Work underneath the Dining Hall to remove the old oil tank is ongoing, so there will continue to be some disruption to those arriving by bike from Newnham Road.

18th May 2026

Works expected this week:

Waste will continue to be moved from the site to the skip area.
Protection of tree roots within the site boundary will continue.
Removal of the oil tank below the Dining Hall should be completed by Tuesday.
Work will begin to prepare the river wall before the placement of the pontoon.
Deliveries will continue at a rate of one or two per day.

11th May 2026

Works expected this week:

Work will begin to fit out the interior of the temporary canteen.
Waste will continue to be moved from the site to the skip area. Skip exchange is planned for midday on Wednesday.
Building of the timber hoarding will begin on Monday.
Root protection will begin on Monday.
Cleaning and removal of the below-ground tank will begin on Wednesday.
The site will be monitored by an ecologist to assess the presence of bats from sunset on Thursday to sunrise on Friday.
Deliveries are likely to take place once or twice a day.

4th May 2026

Works expected this week:

The temporary works canteen will be built and fitted out.
Waste will be moved from the build site to the skip, avoiding busy periods.
The wall at the rear of the site will be dismantled to allow for vehicle access. This will be
rebuilt using the existing bricks following completion of the works.
Timber hoardings will be built and painted.
There are likely to be one or two deliveries each day.

27th April 2026

Today Darwin welcomed the first contractors on site, signalling the beginning of the Pump House building project.

The lead contractor, Barnes Construction, will have a permanent presence on site for the next year in order to coordinate the different teams and act as a point of contact for the College.

The full provisional programme is below, but over the first month the priorities will be to:

Prepare a contractor welfare area within the basement of 1 Newnham Terrace
Construct a flat-pack site office and run temporary services such as electricity to it
Remove the garden door from 1 Newnham Terrace garden door, replacing it with a temporary works door
Erect heras fencing around the work site and at the blue gates entrance
Clear the tank room (under the Dining Hall) and complete structural support works.

The space under the Dining Hall will be the primary point of access for the contractors and their vehicles, so members and visitors are asked to exercise caution when entering and exciting the College via Newnham Road. Pedestrians and cyclists may be asked to wait while vehicles manoeuvre, to ensure safety.

27th February 2026
Final preparations have been made to the main site by the College teams ahead of the contractors’ expected arrival on site at the end of March.

A provisional schedule of works and impact to the main site can be seen below. This is wholly dependant on the progress of works and is subject to change. An updated version will be posted every month.

16th January 2026
In preparation for the building works to begin by the river, trees will be cleared next week behind 11 and 12 Newnham Terrace, as well as on the islands to provide clearance for punting.

29th September 2025
Owing to a delay in receiving the permissions required from the Environment Agency, timescales have shifted on the Pump House build. We now anticipate this starting in early 2026, rather than during Michaelmas term.

In the meantime, planned upgrades to the building fabric in Newnham Grange and Newnham Terrace will begin this term, to improve the insulation and energy efficiency of the site.

Timetable of works and their impact

2026	Pump House works / Building Fabric Works (in italics) / Major College garden events (in bold)


April & May	Main contract site setup by contractor and river works commence Transplant olive tree in pot to new location. Remove rear door to 1 Newnham Terrace and replace with temporary workers’ door, install workers compound in the basement of 1 Newnham Terrace, install site office to the rear of 3 Newnham terrace and banksman’s office & skip to the front garden of 1 Newnham Terrace. Install skip to the front of 2 Newnham Terrace for College garden spoils to be recycled. Blue gates to be closed and managed by banksman with no College vehicle access under the Hall. Site compound segregated and Heras fencing erected. Haul road excavation begins from under the Dining Hall / in front of the Cafe. River wall platform and coffer dam construction begins via amphibious vehicles.
May	Haul road and network trench, river wall working platform, site compound stripped Working from the site compound at the rear of 12 Newnham Terrace towards the Dining Hall , excavating, laying network conduits in the trench then backfilling section by section. River wall works continue to establish working platform. Haul road continues to be backfilled and prepared for tarmac. Coffer dam construction continues Window, rooflight, and insulation replacement in Newnham Grange begins
May & June	Haul road and preparation works continue 1st building connection trench begins to the Hermitage basement Work on the new UKPN cabinet to the front of 9 Newnham Terrace begins Works halted to allow for June Summer Event 27th June
July	Haul road complete, piling begins Haul road back-filling of the trench and tarmac Site compound work begins: construction of pile matt and guide wall. Piling rig onsite. Haul road used to bring in equipment, vehicles and remove spoils throughout the construction period.
July & August	Pump House work continues in compound Piling and Concrete works in the site compound continue Garden parties and Graduation (marquee)
September	Tail building (along pub wall) piling and concrete for foundations Node connection to 12 Newnham Terrace
September	Rayne Building (except Porters) closed and fully scaffolded and covered. Rayne offices temporarily relocated. Newnham Grange student rooms closed Access to Newnham Grange offices and laundry to be via Laundry/Bridge doors and Deanery stairs Rayne and Newnham Grange Ground floor corridor M&E trench works to be prioritised.
October	Newnham Grange re-opens to residents for the academic year. Rayne to remain closed until Easter. Tail building foundations completed. Node connection to 11 Newnham Terrace Node connection to 10 and 9 Newnham Terrace Excavate drainage in Pump House Rayne roof removed. Graduation (marquee) Node connection to 4,3,2 Newnham Terrace
November	Rayne internal M&E works continue Rayne Ground floor window and radiator works Work to North of Site along the path next to Newnham Grange, in the Bradfield Court and Punt sheds

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Impact on accommodation next year

The College recognises that residents living on the main site may be affected by the works to varying degrees.

Accommodation offers to both balloted continuing students and incoming new students will include information on the works and the disruption that may be caused. It has been agreed with the contractors that there will be fixed working hours (8am-6pm max) and no weekend working.

The College continues to offer alternative spaces for work and relaxing such as the Study Centre and the Reading Room. The Newnham Terrace properties closest to the construction site have been equipped with specially created study/common rooms.

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