UCL East, Marshgate

Marshgate is a new type of academic building at the heart of the UCL East Campus – the largest single expansion of University College London since its foundation nearly 200 years ago. The vision for Marshgate is based on the recognition that the answers to the global challenges facing our planet lie less within traditional disciplines than in the interaction between them. To enable new interdisciplinary ways of working, the design focussed on highly flexible spaces that encourage collaboration between teaching, research, academia and the public. This was an ambitious and challenging brief, not least because no existing UCL faculty was to be based at Marshgate. Instead, the building was to house entirely new cross-disciplinary courses along with multi-disciplinary, highly specialised laboratories where, for instance, materials scientists, engineers and finance experts could work alongside art conservationists. This meant that we couldn’t base our design around user-engagement on current needs, or analysis of existing facilities in need of improvement. Instead, we worked intensively with UCL staff and academics to understand what new teaching and research they might be undertaking in the future. Together we developed concepts for new facilities needed both in the immediate and longer term. Our main concern was with the wat the building functioned socially, encouraging interaction between users, activities and disciplines. This led us to focus the expression and identity of Marshgate around the main collaborative spaces and communal areas. As a result, Marshgate’s organisational strategy consists of 8 floors grouped into 'vertical neighbourhoods' of 2/3 floors. Horseshoe-shaped in plan, each ‘neighbourhood’ is oriented towards different views of the Olympic Park and organised around a double/triple height collaboration space – intended as a stage-set for groupwork. A central daylit atrium connects all activities vertically and highly visible circulation routes create further opportunities for interaction. Student, academic and research spaces are located on the central floors, with highly specialised laboratories on the upper levels. The lower levels include a network of publicly accessible spaces with a café, art displays and activities designed to draw the public into the building, blurring the boundaries between interior/exterior and facilitating engagement with local businesses and communities. As well as creating an environment where a collaborative spirit can flourish, Marshgate is designed to be robust and flexible, able to adapt to changing needs as new ways of working emerge. Stringent performance criteria, including floor loadings and vibration requirements, led to the selection of an in-situ concrete frame which also provides thermal mass to moderate the internal environment and is exposed internally as part of a strategy where materials are self-finished for longevity and low maintenance. Externally, the building establishes a strong sculptural presence in dialogue with the infrastructure-scaled architectures of the park. The facade’s precast concrete panels feature a variety of tones/textures that draw on the character of the Lea valley’s industrial heritage. These high performance, long-lasting facades, which reduce solar gain whilst providing natural ventilation and high levels of daylighting, exemplify the fabric-first and passive design strategies that underpin Marshgate’s design.