Called The Triangle, this new international headquarters will bring together all Cambridge Assessment’s Cambridge-based staff, currently based in 11 different offices across the city, under one roof. The site is on what was previously Cambridge University Press’s Edinburgh Building on Shaftesbury Road Cambridge, to the South-East of Cambridge city centre.
Established over 150 years ago, Cambridge Assessment is the University’s international exams group. A major local employer, it carries out leading edge academic and operational research on assessment in education, designing and delivering assessments to over 8 million learners in over 170 countries.
Outline planning permission was granted for the new headquarters in March 2015 and construction began in September 2015.
In August 2017 we started supplying the nearly 19,000 shrubs and trees needed to populate the gardens for the entire site – from the Rudbeckia hirta ‘Cherry Brandy’ P9s to the 7m Prunus serrulata ‘Kanzan’ weighing in at 2.5 tonnes!
We worked closely with 7 architects throughout as things – inevitably – changed shape. All large stock had to be craned in, so all weights had to be precisely calculated too – a real logistical challenge. But we do enjoy a challenge – it’s not all just “trees and shrubs”!
It was a fascinating project that we were delighted to be part of.
The development of The Triangle includes:
- Contemporary building which is sympathetic to the neighbouring conservation area and surrounding buildings
- Office space to accommodate up to 3,000 employees by 2025
- Catering areas, meeting rooms and archives space
- Around 1325 cycle parking space
- Around 189 car parking spaces
- Green and outdoor spaces for relaxation and work including a number of courtyard gardens
- The extension of the avenue of tree planting along Shaftesbury Road, creating additional habitats for wildlife
- Commitment to high quality building
- A 39.1 metre tower that will be a landmark when approaching Cambridge from the south
A couple of fascinating videos can be found on YouTube, giving unique perspectives of the project. A time-lapse condenses the 2 years between September 2015 and September 2017 to just 10 minutes! Another [shorter] video provides unique views of this impressive site from drone footage. Both are worth a watch if you get the chance.
Time-lapse video link click here (opens in a new page)
Drone video link click here (opens in a new page)
Some copy courtesy of http://www.thetrianglecambridge.co.uk