The University of Oxford’s Somerville College has received approval for the construction of the Ratan Tata Building, a four-storey learning and research facility designed by Morris + Company. The building will serve as the permanent home for the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development (OICSD) and feature flexible teaching, study, and event spaces.
Located in the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, the 700-square-meter building will boast a mass timber frame, airtight envelope, and all-electric systems, including air-source heat pumps and photovoltaic panels, adhering to Passivhaus principles. A large oculus above the main entrance will maximize natural light.
“The Ratan Tata Building is conceived as a beacon for Somerville’s RISE campaign, a place where inclusivity, sustainability, and academic ambition converge,” said Joe Morris, Practice Director, Morris + Company. “Our design responds to the heritage of Oxford while creating an exemplar of contemporary architecture: a building that is both sensitive and bold, efficient and delightful, deeply rooted in its context yet open to the future.”
Key Features:
– Eight tutor rooms
– Two seminar rooms
– Shared study spaces
– Flexible lobby and event space
– Internal link connecting to existing college buildings
Somerville College Principal, Catherine Royle, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “With planning consent for The Ratan Tata Building now secured, we can look forward to realising a project that will complete our historic campus, provide a permanent home for the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development, and embody the values of Resilience, Inclusion, Sustainability and Excellence that define our College community.”
Image Courtesy: Architects’ Journal
