BDP and Arup have unveiled detailed plans to restore and refurbish James Stirling’s grade II* listed Cambridge History Faculty Building. The building, which also houses the Seeley Library, is one of the iconic ‘Red Trilogy’ of significant Stirling university buildings from the 1960s.

The restoration project aims to enhance the learning and working environments within the building, located at the university’s Sidgwick site, while addressing accessibility, safety, and comfort issues. The comprehensive refurbishment will involve repairing and upgrading the building’s fabric and replacing services to improve thermal comfort. Additionally, the project will introduce carbon-saving and climate-resilient measures.

BDP’s architect director, Jessica Mailey, highlighted the building’s architectural significance, noting, “We recognise that the Stirling Building is a landmark in the history and development of architecture and needs to be treated as such.”

The project team is adopting a conservation-led approach, seeking to balance the preservation of the building’s distinctive character with the need for updates to meet contemporary requirements. This approach includes the recovery and reinstatement of original materials and details where possible, alongside some adaptations to the building’s fabric.

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