British architectural firm Feilden Fowles has submitted comprehensive plans for a major redevelopment project at Mansfield College, Oxford, after winning a competitive design contest in early 2024. The practice, collaborating with heritage consultant Marcus Beale Architects and engineering firm Structure Workshop, beat out prominent competitors including Allies and Morrison, and Stirling Prize winners Haworth Tompkins, Mae, and Mikhail Riches to secure the prestigious commission.
The student accommodation project forms a central component of Mansfield College's ambitious Estate Transformation Project, which college officials describe as the most significant investment in the institution's campus in decades. The comprehensive development plan encompasses new academic and social facilities, enhanced accessibility features for historic buildings, creation of a pocket park, improved landscaping throughout the site, construction of a new Porter's Lodge gatehouse, and better connectivity across the entire campus.
Mansfield College, which first opened its doors in 1886 as a theological training institution for nonconformist ministers, occupies several historic buildings including Grade II-listed Gothic Revival structures designed by renowned Victorian architect Basil Champneys. The college's architectural heritage has significantly influenced Feilden Fowles' contemporary design approach for the new development.
The ambitious scheme involves demolishing several existing structures from the 1960s era, including the John Marsh Building, buildings at 6-8 Mansfield Road, Staircase E, and the Garden Building. These will be replaced with an entirely new south range that incorporates innovative sustainable design principles. Feilden Fowles plans to reuse building stone from the demolished structures, combining it with other sources of recycled limestone to construct the replacement buildings using a hybrid structural system that combines timber framing with load-bearing limestone walls.
Edmund Fowles, practice director at Feilden Fowles, explained the firm's sustainable approach to materials and construction. "Working with specialists Material Index, the design team is developing a strategy for a careful program of deconstruction and reclamation, drawing inspiration from the ancient practice of spolia," Fowles said. "Recycled stone is proposed to be reincorporated into the new south range and hard landscaping elements, while selected decorative stone fragments may be embedded within the masonry as a quiet memory of the buildings that once occupied the site."
The project also includes extensive refurbishment and strategic additions to the Grade II-listed north range, specifically designed to improve user experience, enhance accessibility features, and streamline operational efficiency. Feilden Fowles describes their design philosophy as "a quietly radical contemporary response" that remains deeply rooted in the material character of Champneys' original architecture while honoring the broader architectural traditions of Oxford University.
The new building's Mansfield Road and north elevations feature a distinctive regular rhythm of projecting stone chimneys, which serve the practical purpose of providing passive ventilation to ground floor academic and office spaces while creating visual references to the vertical architectural accents found throughout Oxford's historic urban fabric. In contrast, the elevations facing the south quadrangle, which look toward David Kohn's neighboring Gradel Quadrangles at New College, showcase what the architects describe as "a calmer material character with timber windows, lime-washed reclaimed stone, fine metalwork and deep eaves."
College Principal Helen Mountfield emphasized the transformative significance of this development project. "This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to secure Mansfield's future for generations to come," Mountfield stated. "We want to ensure we can offer more of our students an inspiring, sustainable and inclusive place to live and learn while contributing positively to Oxford. By increasing on-site student accommodation, improving our green spaces and honoring the college's heritage, this development helps both our community and the wider city to thrive."
The design team's approach involved extensive research and observation of Oxford's unique urban characteristics. Early in the project development phase, the architects undertook a series of guided walks through Oxford, including one led by a college fellow, to study the city's distinctive architectural elements such as spires, quadrangles, gatehouses, cloisters, chimneys, and narrow passageways. These detailed observations helped establish core architectural principles that are both sensitive to Oxford's historic character and distinctively appropriate for Mansfield College.
A key architectural feature of the new design is the creation of a generous entrance garden on Mansfield Road, which will replace an existing parking area. The new porter's lodge tower is strategically positioned back from the street, creating an welcoming open threshold that preserves Mansfield's characteristic sense of civic accessibility. This tower will engage directly with Champneys' historic chapel across the way, establishing a meaningful dialogue between old and new architecture while providing clearer definition to the college entrance.
The planning application is currently under review by Oxford City Council, with a decision expected in spring 2026. Subject to planning approval, construction is scheduled to begin on site in autumn 2026. The project represents a significant investment in student facilities and sustainable architecture, incorporating modern environmental standards while respecting the historic character that makes Oxford's collegiate architecture world-renowned.
