Making a College a Home
Emotional, physical and economic support from family is vital in the transition from home to university life. When this is unavailable, the hardships for the student increase dramatically. Therefore, our college caters to students who may lack this support, particularly care leavers, refugees and students who are estranged from their parents. It will provide what those lacking a support system may miss at university: stability, safety, advice, and close connections with older adults and the wider community.
By having conversations with a refugee and a specialist in refugee camp design, we found that food helps bring people together and is used to celebrate community and express individuality in a diverse group. Our scheme aims to centre college life around the production and enjoyment of food, foster independence, and create familial connections.
This led us to centre the dining hall at the heart of the college, surrounded by a community garden. This provides the opportunity to grow food on site and integrate the college into the wider Oxford community. The housing design aimed to achieve an extra sense of intimacy by being organised vertically around staircases, which open into shared social spaces to encourage support amongst different year groups and fellows.
This approach helps the college meet UN sustainable development goals by integrating social improvement aims, such as quality education and reduced inequalities, with environmental aims, like improving sustainable consumption and production.