The ambitious scheme involved the sensitive refurbishment of the historic Wesley House site, successfully transforming the Grade II listed Webb Building into high-specification student accommodation while remodelling the 1970s Rank Building into luxury delegate hotel rooms. Seamlessly blending heritage restoration with modern architecture, the expansion features a striking four-storey glazed lantern extension housing new reception, exhibition, and conference facilities, alongside a lightweight timber-framed café pavilion and bespoke basement venue overlooking the college grounds.
To complement this intricate mix of historic fabric and contemporary construction, our building services design balanced modern energy performance with strict conservation standards. Bedwell MEP engineered a high-efficiency mechanical solution featuring Low Pressure Hot Water (LPHW) heating via gas-fired condensing boilers, alongside tailored passive and mechanical purge ventilation systems designed to meet rigorous acoustic standards along Jesus Lane. On the electrical side, we provided fully integrated automatic control systems, intelligent indoor and landscape lighting, small power distribution, state-of-the-art security, door entry, and life-safety systems. The completed project highlights our expertise in higher education and heritage MEP engineering, providing Jesus College with a versatile, future-proofed facility in the heart of Cambridge.
