The University’s Chancellor, Lord Sainsbury, visited Corpus Christi College's graduate campus at Leckhampton on Friday 14 September to open the new graduate accommodation building.
The University’s Chancellor, Lord Sainsbury, visited Corpus Christi College's graduate campus at Leckhampton on Friday 14 September to open the new graduate accommodation building.
Leckhampton was created in 1961 when the College decided to have a dedicated graduate campus, the first in a Cambridge college. Today, 43% of Corpus students are graduate students. Lord Sainsbury, who is also the College's Visitor, visited the main College in Trumpington Street and was shown the Parker Library and the new student Taylor Library before going to Leckhampton for the opening and lunch.
Lord Sainsbury met the Master Stuart Laing, the Warden of Leckhampton, Professor David Ibbetson and the Tutor for Advanced Students, Dr Christopher Brookes and was introduced to some of the donors to the new building, including former Fellow Dr Jack Gordon and his wife Diana whose generous donation enabled the College to build a roof terrace on the top of the building. Members of the student community and other Fellows and staff were also introduced to the Chancellor.
After lunch the Chancellor and guests walked in the beautiful gardens at Leckhampton, where the prairie garden designed by Old Member and Chelsea gold medal winner Tom Stuart-Smith was in full bloom.
The new building, the first on the campus since the George Thomson Building in 1961, was designed by architects Bland Brown & Cole and the main contractor was Barnes Construction. The building has 34 ensuite single rooms, the smallest of which is 22.5 sq m and the largest have beautiful balconies. There are also 6 one bedroom flats for students and Fellows.
The building has been built to the very highest standards of thermal efficiency and all hot water and heating is provided via air source heat pumps. The new building was built on time and under budget.
Leckhampton provides academic, dining and social facilities as well as accommodating around 126 of the College's graduate students. Just over half the graduate community is from the UK, the rest being split between Europe and the rest of the world. Almost all continents are represented. Subject areas are just as diverse, with the largest group being in the biomedical sciences.
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