Sustainable estate: review of progress

Visitors to Gordon Street will have noticed that the new Student Centre is emerging from its coverings – it’s due to open its doors in early 2019.

The Student Centre is one of the flagship buildings of the £1.2billion Transforming UCL project, and the embodiment of UCL’s aspirations towards a sustainable estate. Not only does it represent the very best of environmentally-conscious building, but it’s also a benchmark of excellence for future projects, with the student experience at the very heart of its design and function.

With an extra 1,000 ‘study seats’, as well as flexible spaces designed to facilitate collaborative and research-based learning, and green spaces including a roof terrace, the new Student Centre will provide new ways for our students to work, discover and learn for generations to come. Efficient power, water and heating systems, and a focus on healthier study spaces designed to optimise natural light and indoor air quality, mean that the design of the building has already received an “Outstanding” certification from BREEM. It is also on track to gain an “Outstanding” rating for its construction, making it one of the most sustainable buildings in the UK.

Image: Cut-away artist’s impression of the new Student Centre. Image credit: Nicholas Hare Architects