The ‘apart-hotel’ model fuses traditional hotel accommodation with self-catering, blending the convenience and quality of hotels with the familiarity and autonomy of short-term rental homes. As the first apart-hotel in the new neighbourhood of Eddington in North West Cambridge, Turing Locke offers accommodation for up to 90 days. This means it aligns with many of the specific needs of the Cambridge community, being able to house short course student groups, visiting lecturers and professors, on-site staff, as well as the wider business and academic workforce.

This agile approach to short-term living is supported by the project’s aim to become an open, public hub in the heart of the neighbourhood — a place where people can pass through at any time of the day to work remotely, meet with colleagues, stop for food and drink, or just sit within a leafy green courtyard. With strong links to Eddington Square and the Storey’s Field Community Centre, the site is envisioned as a work-leisure epicentre, a generator of activity for both residents and the wider Cambridge public. The ground floor is therefore designed to blend inside with outside, with semi-outdoor spaces and glazed facades eliminating boundaries and welcoming people in.