School of Pythagoras

As part of Beacon's role providing heritage and planning advice to St John's College, Cambridge, we were asked to work with Caroe Architecture on the conversion of this grade I listed building to an Archives Centre for the College.

The School of Pythagoras is thought to be the oldest secular (non-religious) building in Cambridgeshire, dating from c.1200 and is important as one of the very few domestic buildings of this date surviving in the country. It was built as the home of the first known mayor of Cambridge, Hervey Dunning, whose family owned the prestigious stone-built house until c.1270 when it was bought by Walter de Merton, founder of Merton College in Oxford.

It remained in the ownership of Merton College, Oxford, until 1959 when St John's College acquired the building and restored/converted it to a performance and lecture theatre space. Disabled access requirements and other issues have however meant that the building has been under-utilised for some time and a new use needed to be found.

Access to and storage of the College's archives had long been identified as an issue and soon seemed an appropriate and logical use of the ancient building. The opportunity to make the School of Pythagoras more publicly accessible was also a recognisable benefit for both the building and the College.

In addition to being grade I listed, the building also lies within the College's grade II* registered park and garden, the Cambridge Historic Core Conservation Area and adjacent to the College's grade II* listed Cripps Building. The impact of the proposals on the fabric and archaeology of the building therefore had to be carefully considered alongside the impact on the setting of these other important heritage assets too.

After lengthy discussions and negotiations with English Heritage, the City Council's Historic Environment Team, and various amenity societies (including the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, the Ancient Monuments Group and the Twentieth Century Society) the planning and listed building consent application was submitted in early August 2011. Consent was gained at the end of November 2011 with work expected to start by summer 2012.