Oftentimes, a city’s worst urbanism happens at the fringes. From highways and exurban sprawl to polluting heavy industries, the peripheries can easily become sites of neglect, with wealth, resources — and design — concentrated in downtowns and wealthy inner suburbs. In Cambridge, however, the far northwest edge of the British municipality is now home to one of its most appealing communities. Led by the city’s renowned eponymous university, the nascent Eddington community is gradually replacing 150 hectares of the school’s former farmland with a dense and sociable mixed-use community.

Since the first phase of the ambitious development opened in 2017, the master-planned community is defined by mid-rise residential density, pedestrian-friendly public spaces, all framed by wetlands and a rustic agricultural landscape. The capstone? Dubbed Rubicon, a cluster of recently completed residential buildings designed by London’s Alison Brooks Architects meets the tranquil cycle track at the far western edge of the new neighbourhood with understated yet quietly striking design.

Combining a total of 186 apartments (in a variety of residential layouts) with co-working spaces, the Rubicon community comprises a row of five four-storey buildings, each of which is organized around a generous mid-block courtyard. Featuring ample grade-level and underground bicycle parking, the porous, pedestrian-friendly block is shaped by an elegant design language of glazed bricks, punched windows and angular rooflines.

The S- and L-shaped buildings are contoured to weave greenery, outdoor seating and public space throughout the 7,100-square-metre site. In each of the five volumes, ground floor co-working foyers meet the public realm, inviting interactions as the day progresses, and pairing an office environment with a sociable “third space.” The convivial atmosphere is amplified by the diversified tenant mix, with 35 per cent of Rubicon suites set aside for university students and campus employees, while faculty and visiting academics make up much of the remainder.

Inspired by the 19th century warehouses that often bordered pastoral settings, Brooks’s design re-imagines the industrial vernacular into a sustainable contemporary setting. A zero-carbon operational energy development, 82 per cent of the project’s energy use is generated on-site, with ample solar panels lining the roofs.

Moreover, the glazing and insulated building envelope are designed to limit energy use, while the floorplans and interior layouts are contoured to facilitate cross-ventilation. Finally, a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) District Heating System and an efficient Mechanical Heat Recovery Ventilation (MHVR) system further reduce energy demand.

While the project is shaped by a contextually sensitive, vernacular-inspired aesthetic, Brooks’s carefully considered design moves add up to a bold, sustainable vision. “Rubicon offers a vision for the future of high-density, low-rise living, by interweaving cycling, home-working, community spaces and landscapes,” says Brooks. “We have reimagined how people can live, work and connect with one another as a community of shared interests.”

Lead image by Hufton + Crow.