On Thursday 27 March members of CCI’s Advisory Board visited Cambridge for their fifth meeting. One of the highlights of the day was a visit to the Arup building, which is undergoing a transformation to become CCI’s new Conservation Campus.

Work commenced on the Campus in November 2013, and the building is now covered in a dense foliage of scaffolding. The only part of the building not yet beneath scaffolding is the roof, but work is now underway to build a scaffolding roof that will cover the whole building.

The Advisory Board’s tour, which commenced with the obligatory dressing up in hard hats, steel-capped boots and high-visibility jackets, took in the third floor of the building, and one of the rooms of the towers, and ended with an ascent to the roof. From here the views of Cambridge are breathtaking, providing vistas over the city that few are privileged to see.

In the future, these views will remain limited to a select few, in the form of the insects, birds and other species which, it is hoped, will take up residence on the new green roof that will be installed as part of the refurbishment.

Dame Alison Richard, the Chair of the CCI Advisory Board, said “The Board members very much enjoyed their tour of the Arup building. The refurbishment underway is really impressive and we’re all excited to be involved in bringing the Conservation Campus to life right in the heart of Cambridge”.