The defining feature of Cambridge Mosque is its timber structure. The columns, or ‘trees’, reach up to support the roof in an interlaced octagonal lattice vault structure evocative of English gothic fan vaulting, famously used at the nearby King’s College Chapel. The timber is sustainably sourced spruce which has been curved and laminated. Roof lights are located above the ‘trees’, bathing the prayer hall in light. The octagonal geometry has strong symbolism in Islamic art, suggesting the cycle of inhalation and exhalation – the ‘Breath of the Divine’.

In 2009, Marks Barfield Architects won the competition with the concept of the mosque as a calm oasis within a grove of trees. The link between the local and the Islamic is expressed through the natural world. For centuries, mosques throughout the world have adapted to their local building materials, vernacular, cultural and climatic conditions. Consequently, Marks Barfield Architects too were inspired both by Islamic and English religious architectural traditions. The mosque’s design represented a developed the idea of a British Mosque for the 21st century.

The defining feature of Cambridge Mosque is its timber structure. The timber columns, or ‘trees’, reach up to support the roof using an interlaced octagonal lattice vault structure evocative of English Gothic fan vaulting, famously used at the Kings College Chapel, Cambridge nearby. The timber is sustainable sourced spruce which is curved and laminated. Roof lights are located above the trees creating a prayer hall bathed in light. The external walls are clad in tiles of the traditional Gault colour with castellated parapets that symbolise the meeting of heaven and earth. Worshippers and visitors take a journey from the street through an Islamic garden, to a covered portico and into an atrium, preparing them in a gradual transition for the contemplation of the prayer hall, which is orientated towards Mecca.

Their design of the mosque is committed to sustainability through its advanced eco-design which gives it a near-zero carbon footprint, honours natural forms with sustainable timber vaulting, and reminds the visitor
of our connection to nature. This is considered the First Eco-Mosque in the UK.  Environmental concerns have been paramount in the design of the new Cambridge Mosque. The building is naturally lit all year round by large skylights in the roof, supplemented by low energy LED bulbs, while photovoltaic cells on the roof help generate renewable energy from sunlight. As well as being very well-insulated and naturally ventilated, the mosque is heated and cooled by locally generated energy, by way of highly efficient heat pumps in the basement that produce far more energy than they consume. This type of heat pump extracts energy from the relatively stable temperature of the air or ground water, heating the building as needed and cooling it at times of high occupancy or excess heat gains.

Grey water and rainwater are harvested to flush WCs and irrigate the grounds. The building’s carbon footprint – which is already low – will improve over time as mains electricity from renewable sources becomes more available. Green transport has also been taken into consideration in the design: there is ample space for bikes and it’s easily accessible by pedestrians, while an underground car park frees up space
on site for the mosque and gardens.