Info
Project Details:
Defining a new focal point for UCL’s Bloomsbury campus.
Awards:
- Camden Design Awards 2022, Major Projects Award: Shortlisted
- Civic Trust Awards 2019: Winner
- Civic Trust Awards 2019, Selwyn Goldsmith Award for Universal Design: Regional Finalist
- AJ Architecture Awards 2018, Landscape Architecture of the Year: Finalist
- RIBA Awards 2018, London: Shortlisted
- Natural Stone Awards 2018, Landscaping: Commended
- New London Awards 2018, Public Spaces: Shortlisted
- Lux Awards 2018, Hospitality, Leisure and Faith Project of the Year: Shortlisted
- New London Awards 2014, Education: Shortlisted
Images: Ben Blossom
Where we started
Despite the scale of UCL’s estate in Bloomsbury, they lacked good quality collegiate external space. Through their masterplan, an opportunity was identified to create a new courtyard terrace above an existing service yard and provide a new high quality landscape space for both staff and students.
The lower terrace extends the refectory and offers social and study spaces for students
The Wilkins Terrace does something no other space on the campus does – providing a destination that wants to be occupied.
Matthew Goulcher, Managing Director
The terrace is overlooked by a number of important buildings at UCL and is a critical access point
Stepped planters, pleached trees and canopy structures for vines create informal seating areas
The existing service yard had become unsightly with single storey buildings, skips and containers added over time. It was also overtly overlooked by a number of important university buildings. Our challenge was to connect these disparate elements with one cohesive design solution – all the more problematic considering the Wilkins Building is Grade I listed. Quite apart from the creation of the new terrace, there were a number of practical issues to be solved: providing good access and maintaining building services to the surrounding buildings.
The project wasn’t linked to a particular department or school – indeed it was one for the entire university: its students, staff and visitors and needed to be embraced as such. Everyone was keen to be involved and so a steering group was established with stakeholder representatives from the whole university.
Before: The existing service yard was not providing any amenity space for students or staff
Design
We developed the idea of enclosing the services yard as an undercroft, allowing the external space above to form new amenity for a variety of uses. This is conceived as a contemporary, high quality, stone landscaped terrace set within the historic courtyard. The terrace itself is split level with the lower space serving the new Lower Refectory, which is linked by a new lift and grand staircase.
Sectional perspective showing new terrace above existing service yard and relationship to surrounding buildings
The terrace is sculpturally carved out of Portland stone, a sustainable and durable material that also makes up UCL’s Grade I listed Wilkins Building. A new ‘fourth façade’ completes the composition, working in harmony with the surrounding buildings. Designed to classical proportions, this also conceals the myriad services required for the wider campus and new Lower Refectory.
Exploded axonometric drawing showing the terrace in context
The 'fourth façade' to the east completes the classical courtyard and reflects classical Georgian proportions
New classical planting, including large pleached trees and climbing wisteria, complements and provides a softening frontage to the built form. A number of edible species also allow staff and students to further interact with the new space, be it through flowers, herbs or fruit trees.
The terrace opens up a new east-west route to improve accessibility across the campus, in particular to the Bloomsbury Theatre and new Student Centre.
Core team
Matthew Goulcher
Managing Director
Barry McCullough
Director
Kate Digney
Studio Director
Mark Lewis
Studio Director
Eleanor Mayfield
Associate
Paul Martin
Technical Design Director
Ben Monteagle
Associate
