Logistically complex project involved the refurbishment of five buildings, all situated in the historic heart of Cambridge.
 

Coulson Building Group were the principal contractor for the Granby Court major refurbishment project at St John's College, Cambridge.

This logistically complex project involved the refurbishment of five buildings, including two Grade II listed properties, delivering 27 bedrooms within the warehouse and 11 flats across the remaining buildings, all situated in the historic heart of Cambridge. The site presented significant challenges—landlocked by shops, the River Cam, college residences, and one of the busiest streets in the city—with no direct vehicle access to the site compound throughout the works.

To adapt, site welfare facilities were relocated four times, making use of the buildings themselves due to the absence of external space.

A particularly notable engineering solution was the cantilevered scaffold structure and temporary roof spanning over the River Cam, designed to avoid any loadbearing impact or interference with the river. In addition, specialist diving teams were deployed to assess the below-water condition of the warehouse structure.

The refurbishment works included substantial upgrades to both the building fabric and services:

· Installation of centralised MVHR systems

· Integration of photovoltaic (PV) panels

· Installation of five heat pumps and nine-cylinder heat pumps

· Thermal upgrades to floors, roofs, and external walls

· Installation of centralised plant rooms

· Decommissioning of multiple existing gas and electrical supplies

Coulson Services delivered the MEP works across the scheme, working closely with Ingleton Wood and JGC throughout.

Coulson Joinery delivered high-quality double-glazed sash windows to the warehouse, while historic windows to the Bridge Street elevation were sensitively refurbished using Fineo vacuum glazing, achieving performance comparable to triple glazing while preserving the building’s heritage character. Working closely with AMA, our Joinery ensured the original design intent was respected throughout. They also manufactured the bespoke larch-clad curved benching, bespoke fitted furniture and external oak doors to the listed elements.