Work on a £14 million upgrade project at the University College London's (UCL) Kathleen Lonsdale Building is now complete.

The project was carried out by Graham Construction and architect Levitt Bernstein as part of the University's £1.2 billion 'Transforming UCL' capital programme.

The scheme involved delivering extensive upgrade works and transforming the building into a cutting-edge laboratory, learning and research facility. The newly refurbished building now accommodates the entire Earth Sciences department, open plan offices, a shared studio space called 'Hubs', and a variety of breakout areas. Further improvements have been carried out to teaching, research and social learning spaces for the existing Chemistry group, an Astro Physics departments and a new Radio-chemistry GMP suite as well as the Faculty Office.

In addition, the original form, spaces and features of the Grade II Listed building have been carefully restored where possible to preserve its historic character, while new layouts have been introduced within the building to create high quality workspaces with modern facilities to support learning. Detailed phasing was adopted throughout the project, with the programme broken down into five main phases and 16 sub-phases which enabled the building to remain in use throughout the construction works.


The project is also on target to achieve a BREEAM 'Very Good' rating, with 96% of all construction waste being recycled and the project team achieving a 23% reduction in overall carbon emissions.

UCL's Director of Estates Development, Kevin Argent, said: "As part of the Transforming UCL £1.2bn capital programme, UCL Estates have refurbished and restored the historic features of the building respecting the original design. New layouts have opened up spaces to create high quality workspaces with modern facilities, sensitively blending the old and new.

"The project has also delivered a substantial improvement in the environmental performance of the building with much reduced energy consumption and natural ventilation in many areas. I am delighted with the finish and quality of what's been delivered by the project team."

Graham Construction's London office director, Rob Joyce, said: "The Kathleen Lonsdale Building is a renowned building that has become somewhat tired over the years, but this transformation has brought it back into the 21st century with intelligent design, construction and collaboration.

"We worked closely with UCL throughout the programme to ensure that the space was maximised in terms of efficiency, while taking care to restore the building's period features that evoke so much of its history. The result is a building that essentially blends old with new and repositions it as a leading facility for education once again."

(LM/MH)