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A NEW COMMUNITY FOR CAMBRIDGE Take a wander around Eddington and something that shines through is the commitment to creating not just a collection of houses, but a living, breathing community. Far from an afterthought, community has been designed in from the outset; a sense of identity carefully woven into the fabric of the place in a way rarely seen in new residential developments. The on-site primary school opened early (around four years ago in fact – before the first homes had been completed), meaning families moving in are able to enrol children immediately, and that Eddington didn’t add to a school-place shortage in Cambridge. The school, which combines an innovative circular design with an equally innovative approach to education, serves not only to educate the children of Eddington families, but also as a primary teacher training
school for Cambridge University – the first of its kind in the UK. There’s a community and performing arts hub, too; the stunningly state-of-the-art Storey’s Field Centre. Boasting an impressive 180-capacity main hall for concerts, classes and clubs, two smaller multipurpose rooms and a walled garden, the centre is available for both local residents and the wider Cambridge community to use. Also adding to Eddington’s unique character are the numerous pieces of public art that are peppered around the site, which animate both the built and natural landscape. Through the Fata Morgana Teahouse, a steel pavilion on the edge of the lake, and the Pixel Wall, a mirrored surface that reflects its surroundings, passers-by are invited to see the landscape from a different perspective, continually engaging with and enjoying their surroundings; lingering rather than hurrying through.
“Eddington is not just a collection of houses, but a living, breathing community"
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