The Student Centre
University College London
In the heart of London next to the Bloomsbury Theatre, the multiple award-winning Student Centre at UCL was conceived as an inside-outside environment with student welfare at its core.
Collaboratively with Nicholas Hare Architects, Colour designed this peaceful and tranquil garden on a busy pedestrian movement route from the Wills Building which offers valuable decompression for staff and students through nature and shelter.
The Japanese Garden commemorates the Chōshū Five who in 1863 were the first students to study outside of Japan and played prominent roles in the development of modern Japan
In full circle, the Japanese Government donated the blossoming Cherry trees now thriving in the courtyard as part of the ‘Sakura Project’ intended to foster positive international relations. Colour helped negotiate the opportunity and redesigned planting within the courtyard to accommodate the trees, now an annual feature of campus life.
In a location where the initial ecological survey did not find a single invertebrate, the seasons are now celebrated by a planting scheme pragmatically developed around retention of the best existing specimens.
The technical challenges of the project were great, mediating level changes between the existing and new buildings, all on a podium yet now a calm retreat in the midst of busy lives and respectful of the university’s rich heritage.
LOCATION Bloomsbury, London
CLIENT University College London (UCL)
TEAM Nicholas Hare Architects Arcadis AECOM Curtins Useful Projects Arup Deloitte
STATUS Built
LOCATION Bloomsbury, London CLIENT University College London (UCL) TEAM Nicholas Hare Architects Arcadis AECOM Curtins Useful Projects Arup Deloitte STATUS Built
2021 Winner, RIBA London Award
2021 Winner, RIBA National Award
2020 Winner, Civic Trust Awards
2020 Shortlisted: Selwyn Goldsmith Award for Universal Design, Civic Trust Awards
2019 Shortlisted, NLA Awards Sustainability Prize - shortlisted
2019 Shortlisted, NLA Awards Best Education Project - shortlisted
2019 Winner, AJ Architecture Awards, Higher Education 2019
2019 Shortlisted, Building Awards, Project of the Year
2019 Winner, Education Estates Awards, Project of the Year (Colleges & Universities)
2019 Winner, Education Estates Awards, Student Experience
2018 Highly Commended, BREEAM Awards
2021 Winner, RIBA London Award 2021 Winner, RIBA National Award 2020 Winner, Civic Trust Awards 2020 Shortlisted: Selwyn Goldsmith Award for Universal Design, Civic Trust Awards 2019 Shortlisted, NLA Awards Sustainability Prize - shortlisted 2019 Shortlisted, NLA Awards Best Education Project - shortlisted 2019 Winner, AJ Architecture Awards, Higher Education 2019 2019 Shortlisted, Building Awards, Project of the Year 2019 Winner, Education Estates Awards, Project of the Year (Colleges & Universities) 2019 Winner, Education Estates Awards, Student Experience 2018 Highly Commended, BREEAM Awards