The College’s Univ North development now includes a wooden pergola, constructed using green oak from the College’s own woodland in Linton-on-Ouse in Yorkshire.

The striking pergola, which consists of four sections set across the southern elevation of Walnut Lawn Villa, looks over the main quad of Walnut Lawn. The structure included in Univ North early design was originally conceived as a brick pier construction. When the opportunity arose to use timber felled from the College’s estate, the pergola was reimagined in green oak. The updated design involved placing large glass panels onto freshly felled, lightly seasoned oak frames, a technique that accommodates for natural shrinkage while also showcasing the oak timber.

Forestry and woodland consultant, Oliver Combe, helped to select the appropriate trees from the College’s estate as part of the woodland management process. Once felled, the trees were taken to a local sawmill where they were processed into their rough dimensions. The wood was then transported from Yorkshire to Carpenter Oak’s yard in Devon, where the raw lumber was cut into finished sections. After being delivered to the Univ North site, the finished sections were assembled in November. The pergola will provide covered outdoor seating for the student café while allowing light to filter through, which will be of particular benefit during the summer months.

In addition to the installation of the wooden pergola, a katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) was planted inside the seating area at the end of the Water Rill which sits between the two Water Court buildings. Katsura trees are a medium-sized deciduous tree which often bear bronze-tinted leaves when young that turn yellow, orange and pink in autumn, giving off a scent of burnt sugar.

You can learn more about the Univ North development here.

Explore Univ on social media