Made with FlowPaper - Flipbook Maker
Kellogg’s grounds for the 21st Century BREAKING NEW GROUND TransformingOur vision To transform Kellogg’s green spaces and enrich the environment and wellbeing for the whole College community. Kellogg – Oxford University’s most international college – occupies a number of Victorian villas each with their own separate gardens. Our vision is to bring about a real sense of unity to these outside spaces, repurposing them into a varied and flexible series of interconnected gardens that nurture wellbeing. Kellogg was created to support graduate study and lifelong learning and we know from evidence-based research that transforming our gardens will greatly enrich the lives of our students. Not only that, it will create new habitats and generate biodiversity right in the heart of Oxford. Reimagining our grounds so they are fit for the 21st century, while honouring our heritage and nurturing wellbeing, will enable long-lasting impact to all users both now and in the future. This is our vision and we’d love you to be part of turning it into a reality. 5Off to a flying start As a first step to realising our vision, we are delighted to be working with Andy Sturgeon – a leading figure in British landscape design, and winner of numerous gold medals and Best in Show awards at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Andy’s belief that gardens improve both the environment and quality of life are fundamental concepts that run through his entire scheme. His designs creatively reimagine our green spaces all the while being sensitive to the site’s rich history. “For a landscape designer like me, Kellogg College is full of opportunities and is an incredibly exciting project. The challenge is to capture the essence of what is special about this place and to weave it into a plan which allows Kellogg to continue to grow and evolve. When I first came here, I found a college which is young and forward thinking yet lives in a collection of old Victorian villas and at the heart of these former residences lies the Hub, a brand new Passivhaus. Our proposed masterplan aims to create a unique atmosphere as it pulls together this somewhat disparate and disconnected collection of buildings, respects its history, and repurposes it for the 21st century.” 78A potted history of Kellogg 9 Kellogg is one of Oxford University’s newest colleges, founded just over 30 years ago in March 1990. It’s hard to believe now but we were the first Oxford college to support part-time degree courses allowing students to work while studying – and we’ve been breaking new ground ever since. Core to everything we do is a belief in a world where learning continues throughout life and where the brightest people have the opportunity to study at Oxford – alongside work and other commitments. This approach has led us to form an encompassing and inclusive community that impacts the world for the better. Kellogg found its permanent home in 2006 when it moved into numbers 60 and 62 Banbury Road, in the heart of the Norham Manor estate, which was originally developed as a residential suburb in the 1850s. Over the past decade the College has acquired additional houses on Bradmore and Norham Roads, forming a complex of around ten former Victorian villas. The most recent building in the College is the Hub. Overlooking the central lawn, it houses our Common Room and a café which is open to the public, and has achieved Passivhaus ‘green’ standards – yet another University first. Of course, with the former Victorian villas came the old gardens, with their distinctive red brick walls and the remains of glasshouses where households would have grown exotic fruits like pineapples and melons. Today these once self-contained gardens offer great potential to unify the College around a central yet diverse campus. A glimpse into the past The home of Kellogg has a rich and fascinating history which has inspired many elements of Andy’s innovative designs. The first resident of number 62 Banbury Road – or Ketilby as it was then known – was Reverend Richard St John Tyrwhitt who moved there in 1864. He was an extremely well-connected clergyman, artist, writer and poet who developed lifelong friendships with the artist, critic, and social reformer John Ruskin. In the years that Tyrwhitt lived at Ketilby it became something of a literary and artistic salon, with numerous high profile visitors and correspondents. As well as Ruskin, Tyrwhitt was in regular contact with key figures such as William Morris, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and Edward Burne-Jones through his own artistic efforts. His correspondents also included Dante Gabriel’s sister the poet Christina Rossetti, and the novelist Charlotte Yonge. Clearly these houses – and their gardens – were once at the centre of a most illustrious Arts and Crafts circle, whose reforms helped bring about positive social change. Andy’s designs complement this rich heritage, imaginatively unifying the gardens into beautiful and usable spaces fit for modern day needs, which will positively impact all its visitors both now and for generations to come. 1011Next >