Kho Building Cambridge: Rooms, Costs, Location & Facilities

The Kho Building is a postgraduate residence at Corpus Christi College’s Leckhampton site in Cambridge. Completed in 2012, it provides 34 single study bedrooms with private ensuite bathrooms and six self-contained flats. It is not a separate private student-housing development; it forms part of Corpus Christi College’s wider postgraduate accommodation system. Students living there also use communal facilities across Leckhampton, including dining, social, study, laundry and sports spaces.

Its location on Grange Road in west Cambridge makes Kho particularly relevant to students studying near the Sidgwick Site, West Cambridge and the University Library. The residence also has architectural significance because it was designed to fit into a site containing both Victorian and twentieth-century buildings. For students researching Kho Building Cambridge, the most useful questions are practical: what accommodation is available, how much it may cost, where the building is, what facilities residents can use, and how room allocation works.

What Is the Kho Building?

The Kho Building is purpose-built postgraduate accommodation for members of Corpus Christi College. It stands at Leckhampton, the College’s postgraduate residential site west of Cambridge city centre. The building contains 34 single study bedrooms and six flats, making it one of several accommodation options available to Corpus postgraduates. A student cannot normally treat Kho like a commercial rental property and book a room independently; accommodation is managed through the College and allocated according to its postgraduate housing arrangements.

Kho is not the only residential building at Leckhampton. The George Thomson Building, commonly referred to as GTB, accommodates 32 graduate students in single rooms, while Leckhampton House contains accommodation for a smaller number of students and Fellows. Corpus also uses College-owned houses around areas such as Cranmer Road and Selwyn Gardens. As a result, being eligible for Corpus Christi postgraduate accommodation does not automatically mean receiving a room in Kho.

What Rooms and Flats Are Available in the Kho Building?

The building’s principal accommodation consists of 34 single study bedrooms, and every one of those rooms has an ensuite bathroom. This is an important distinction because Cambridge college accommodation varies considerably: some older rooms rely on shared bathroom facilities, whereas Kho’s single bedrooms provide residents with their own bathroom. The rooms are intended to function as both living and study spaces, which is why official College material describes them as study bedrooms rather than simply bedrooms.

Kho also contains six self-contained flats, which Corpus identifies as accommodation suitable for couples. Students interested in a flat should not assume that six vacancies will be available every year. The College specifically notes that availability can be limited, meaning some or all of those flats may already be committed or unavailable during a particular allocation cycle. Anyone who specifically needs couples’ accommodation should therefore confirm availability with Corpus before making plans around a Kho flat.

How Much Does Kho Building Accommodation Cost in 2026/27?

Corpus Christi does not publish a separate public rent table specifically for Kho Building rooms. Instead, it publishes postgraduate accommodation charges by room category. For the 2026/27 academic year, the College lists ensuite postgraduate accommodation at approximately £220 to £254 per week. Because Kho’s 34 single study bedrooms are all ensuite, that is the relevant College-wide rate category for students estimating their likely housing cost.

The exact amount should still be confirmed after allocation because a College-wide ensuite range is not the same as a fixed Kho Building tariff. Other accommodation-related charges can also affect a student’s budget. Corpus bills accommodation according to its College payment arrangements, and Leckhampton residents may also have separate charges for items such as laundry or electricity where applicable. Students entering in later academic years should check the current Corpus fee schedule because accommodation rates can change annually.

Where Is the Kho Building Located?

The Kho Building is located at Leckhampton, 37 Grange Road, Cambridge CB3 9BJ. Grange Road runs through an important University area west of Cambridge city centre, with several colleges and academic sites nearby. Leckhampton is particularly well placed for students who regularly need the Sidgwick Site, where many humanities and social-science departments are based, as well as students working in the expanding West Cambridge academic area.

Corpus Christi’s historic central site is also reachable from Leckhampton on foot, with the College describing the journey as approximately 15 minutes. The University-supported Universal bus route provides additional connections between locations including West Cambridge, Cambridge railway station and the Biomedical Campus near Addenbrooke’s Hospital. This means Kho residents can reach several major University areas without living directly in the busy historic centre.

What Facilities Do Kho Residents Have Access To?

Some facilities belong directly to the residential accommodation, while others are shared across the wider Leckhampton postgraduate site. Corpus residential buildings provide shared kitchen facilities, allowing students to prepare food outside formal College dining. Leckhampton also has laundry facilities and communal areas that support day-to-day postgraduate life. These shared resources should not be confused with features physically contained inside every Kho room or corridor.

Residents can also use Leckhampton’s broader social and academic facilities. The site includes dining and bar areas, common spaces, recreational reading facilities and places where postgraduate students can meet outside their rooms. This matters because Kho functions as part of a postgraduate campus rather than as an isolated block of ensuite bedrooms. Students therefore have access to communal services within walking distance of their accommodation while retaining their own private study-bedroom space.

What Sports and Recreation Facilities Are at Leckhampton?

Leckhampton has a substantial set of sports facilities immediately associated with Corpus Christi’s postgraduate site. Current College information lists a gym, squash court, four grass tennis courts, two hard tennis courts, a cricket net and a croquet lawn. The site also includes playing fields, giving residents considerably more outdoor space than would normally be available in student accommodation closer to Cambridge city centre.

These facilities are available within the broader Leckhampton environment rather than inside the Kho Building itself. That distinction is important when comparing accommodation descriptions. A student living in Kho benefits from being based beside these facilities, but it would be inaccurate to describe the gym, tennis courts or cricket facilities as part of the internal Kho Building amenities. Social events and postgraduate activities organised through the Leckhampton community further extend the residential experience beyond the individual room.

Who Can Live in the Kho Building?

Kho forms part of Corpus Christi College’s postgraduate accommodation provision, so rooms are intended for eligible postgraduate members of the College. Corpus states that students taking a one-year postgraduate course are normally offered College accommodation for the duration of that course. PhD students can normally receive College housing for their first three years, although previous time spent in Cambridge college accommodation may affect the number of years for which accommodation is available.

Those rules apply to Corpus postgraduate accommodation as a whole rather than to Kho specifically. A student may therefore qualify for College housing but be placed in another Corpus property. The same principle applies to the six Kho flats: their existence does not guarantee availability for every couple requesting accommodation. Students should rely on their actual College accommodation offer for confirmation of building, room type, rent and licence conditions.

How Does Kho Compare With Other Corpus Postgraduate Accommodation?

Kho’s most distinctive practical feature is that all 34 of its single study bedrooms are ensuite. By comparison, Corpus Christi’s postgraduate accommodation stock includes several different property types, some of which may contain rooms with different bathroom arrangements or building layouts. The nearby George Thomson Building accommodates 32 graduate students, while Leckhampton House contains a much smaller number of residential rooms alongside its broader role within the postgraduate community.

The comparison is useful for understanding allocation rather than trying to rank one building as universally better than another. Kho may appeal particularly to students who prefer a private bathroom, while other properties may differ in room size, location within the site, layout or price category. Because students are not necessarily able to choose any available Corpus room freely, prospective residents should compare accommodation types but treat the College’s final allocation as the definitive information.

Who Designed the Kho Building?

The Kho Building was designed by Bland, Brown & Cole, also known as BB&C Architects. The project had to fit into an unusually varied architectural setting. Leckhampton already contained the nineteenth-century Leckhampton House as well as the modernist George Thomson Building, completed in the twentieth century. The new residence therefore needed to look contemporary without appearing disconnected from buildings created in very different periods.

The architects addressed that challenge through materials, proportions and repeated vertical elements that visually relate the new building to its neighbours without copying either one. Environmental performance was also part of the project approach. The bedrooms were designed to use natural ventilation, reducing dependence on mechanically conditioned air, while the building’s position takes advantage of views toward the playing fields and open parts of the Leckhampton site.

When Was the Kho Building Built?

The project progressed from planning to occupation over the early 2010s. Planning proposals were submitted in October 2010, and construction began in July 2011. The completed residence was handed over to Corpus Christi College at the end of June 2012, allowing the College to bring the building into use for postgraduate accommodation.

The formal opening took place on 14 September 2012, when Lord Sainsbury officially opened the building. Architectural records place the development within a project-value band of approximately £3 million to £4.99 million. These dates make Kho one of the more recent major additions to the Leckhampton accommodation site, particularly when compared with Leckhampton House, which dates from the nineteenth century, and the George Thomson Building from the 1960s.

Why Is It Called the Kho Building?

The name Kho comes from a person rather than an architectural term or University abbreviation. Corpus Christi records relating to the development identify financial support from several benefactors, including the family of former Corpus member Philip Kwee. His family contributed to the project as part of the fundraising that supported the new postgraduate accommodation.

College material specifically records that the building was named after Mrs Kho, Philip Kwee’s grandmother. Knowing the origin of the name helps avoid a common misunderstanding created by writing “KHO” as though it were an acronym. The College and architectural sources normally use Kho Building, which better reflects the fact that Kho is a family name connected with the building’s benefaction history.

What Should Students Check Before Accepting Kho Accommodation?

Students offered a room in Kho should first confirm the exact weekly rent and accommodation period shown in their College offer. The published £220–£254 ensuite range for 2026/27 is useful for budgeting, but it does not replace the price attached to an individual allocation. Students should also check what is included in their accommodation charges and whether additional costs such as electricity or other College charges apply to their particular room.

Couples interested in one of the six flats should verify availability directly because the number of flats in the building does not mean all six are released every year. Residents should also read the current accommodation licence and College rules covering matters such as guests, room occupancy and other residential conditions. Checking these details before arrival is more reliable than relying on older student guides, property websites or archived accommodation prices.

Conclusion

The Kho Building Cambridge is a modern Corpus Christi College postgraduate residence containing 34 ensuite single study bedrooms and six self-contained flats. Its address at 37 Grange Road places it within Leckhampton, close to Sidgwick, West Cambridge and other important University locations. Completed in 2012, the building also has a distinct architectural identity shaped by its position between older Leckhampton buildings, modernist architecture, gardens and playing fields.

For prospective residents, the most important details are practical. Kho’s single rooms all provide private bathrooms, residents can use Leckhampton’s extensive communal and sports facilities, and Corpus currently places ensuite accommodation within a £220–£254 weekly range for 2026/27. However, the exact room, rent and flat availability depend on the College’s allocation for the relevant year, so an individual accommodation offer should always take priority over general published guidance.

FAQs

How many single rooms are in the Kho Building?
The building contains 34 single study bedrooms, and all 34 have private ensuite bathrooms.

Does the Kho Building have flats?
Yes. It contains six self-contained flats, which Corpus identifies as accommodation for couples. Availability can be limited in individual academic years.

Where is the Kho Building?
It is at Leckhampton, 37 Grange Road, Cambridge CB3 9BJ, on Corpus Christi College’s postgraduate site.

How much does a Kho Building room cost?
Corpus does not publish one Kho-specific room price. For 2026/27, its College-wide postgraduate ensuite category is £220–£254 per week. The exact price should be confirmed from the student’s accommodation allocation.

Are all Kho Building bedrooms ensuite?
Yes. Corpus Christi confirms that each of the building’s 34 single study bedrooms has an ensuite bathroom.

When was the Kho Building completed?
The building was handed over in June 2012 and officially opened on 14 September 2012.

Who designed the Kho Building?
It was designed by Bland, Brown & Cole, or BB&C Architects, as part of Corpus Christi College’s expansion of postgraduate accommodation at Leckhampton.

Why is it called the Kho Building?
The building was named after Mrs Kho, the grandmother of former Corpus member Philip Kwee, whose family was associated with financial support for the project.

Can any Cambridge postgraduate rent a room in Kho?
No. The building forms part of Corpus Christi College’s postgraduate accommodation, so rooms are allocated through the College to eligible Corpus students.

Does being offered Corpus accommodation guarantee a Kho room?
No. Corpus has several postgraduate residences and College-owned properties. An accommodation offer does not automatically mean the student will be placed in the Kho Building.

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