Rubicon

Located at the gateway to Cambridge University’s exceptionally ambitious North West Cambridge Development, Alison Brooks Architects’ Rubicon residential quarter builds on the paradigm of the 19th century warehouse and offers a new concept of sustainable urban living.

The five buildings have been designed to have a palette of materials that reflects a ‘Loft living’ concept, with robustness and permanence. Glazed bricks subtly change colour from east to west from pastel green, turquoise, light blue to silver-grey, giving each building a strong identity. Repetition of façade components and rationally distributed windows across the façades, give an overall sense of unity and evoke mill building typologies. The five buildings’ distinctive, undulating rooflines will create dramatic living spaces and combine to echo Cambridgeshire’s gently undulating landscape.

EH Smith were pleased to work closely with Alison Brooks Architects, Hill Group and our suppliers Klinker Covadonga to develop a bespoke range of single fired glazed bricks for the project.

The scheme has won the following accolades:

2025
Civic Trust Awards – Regional Finalist – Rubicon Cambridge

2024
Housing Design Awards – Rubicon Cambridge
British Homes Awards – Best Community Living, Finalist – Rubicon Cambridge
AJ Awards – Housing Project (£40 million and over), Finalist – Rubicon Cambridge

2023
WhatHouse? Awards – Best Apartment Scheme, Bronze – Rubicon Cambridge
WhatHouse? Awards – Best Sustainable Development, Bronze – Rubicon Cambridge
WhatHouse? Awards – Best Exterior Design, Gold – Rubicon Cambridge
WhatHouse? Awards – Best Development, Gold – Rubicon Cambridge
Housebuilder Awards – Best design for four storeys or more – Rubicon Cambridge