Read more about our long-term roadmap to ensure that our campuses are safe, inclusive, sustainable and fit for the future.
UCL’s estate is vast, complex, and central to everything we do. With over 250 buildings, many of them listed or in conservation areas, and a population the size of a small town, maintaining and improving our physical environment is a major undertaking. But it’s also an essential strategic priority for us.
Our estate is critical to creating the kind of environment that world-class research, teaching and work can take place in. By investing in essential infrastructure projects and future-focused upgrades, we’re not just ’keeping the lights on’, we’re creating spaces where our community can thrive and be inspired.
That’s why we’ve developed the Infrastructure Masterplan (IMP), a long-term roadmap to ensure our campuses are safe, inclusive, sustainable, and fit for the future. The plan sets out how we invest in our buildings in a strategic, data-informed approach to continuous improvements, with a focus on delivering the greatest benefit to the widest number of people.
What’s already happening?
We’ve been listening to feedback from our community on what matters most and are already making progress on several key projects, including:
Decarbonising our estate
- We’re making progress in reducing UCL’s carbon footprint by upgrading how we heat and power our buildings. Since 2019, we have cut carbon emissions from building energy use across campus by 53%, and this plan accelerates these efforts.
- A new all’electric heating system in the historic Wilkins Building has been installed and will be operational later this year. This will replace a failed fossil-fuel-based system with a modern, energy-efficient Air Source Heat Pumps. The result will be warmer, more comfortable spaces for students, staff, and visitors, as well as a step forward towards a green future for our campus.
- We’re also working with partners to decarbonise the Bloomsbury Heat and Power Network, which serves multiple institutions. This includes installing air-source heat pumps and electric boilers to replace ageing systems, improving energy efficiency and reducing emissions. The first phase of this work is underway at 20 Bedford Way, demonstrating that environmental responsibility and operational efficiency can go hand in hand.
Inclusive teaching spaces
- We upgraded 27 classrooms in the last year across campus to be more inclusive, accessible, and engaging. This includes adding biophilic design elements to support neurodiverse students and staff, providing more ergonomic furniture, including chairs, desks, and writing tablets and improved layouts to enhance comfort and usability.
- We’re also improving hearing accessibility in teaching spaces and large meeting rooms using new technology to allow users to connect to a live audio stream via their own smartphone, using headphones, hearing aids or cochlear implants. It helps remove background noise and makes it easier for students to participate fully in seminars and lectures.
- We have refurbished a further 18 teaching spaces this summer. We’re continuing to gather input from staff and students to guide the next phase of refurbishments planned for next summer.
- As part of our detailed understanding of our facilities, we have assessed all 260 lifts across UCL and are prioritising upgrades working our way from worst to best. This is part of our commitment to making our estate more inclusive and easier to navigate for everyone.
Listening to you
When we set out UCL Strategic Plan 2022-27’s enabling priorities we committed to prioritising investment in the basics of campus management and room quality. It was clear from feedback how vital a period of investment in the nuts and bolts of our physical estate was.
We have continued to be shaped by insight and data about what our community of students and staff wants to see first, and this has shaped the plan’s development. The IMP brings together data from asset condition surveys, user feedback, and strategic priorities to guide investment where it’s needed most.
One of the most important tools helping us listen and respond to feedback is MyCampus, UCL’s integrated helpdesk for reporting issues across the estate. Since its launch, MyCampus has transformed how we manage day-to-day maintenance, with job completion times cut from three days to same-day resolution in many cases.
It’s also helping us build a clearer picture of where improvements are most needed. For example, data shows that 75% of reported issues in the Student Centre relate to blocked toilets. Insights like this directly inform our planning and prioritisation. MyCampus is not just a reporting tool; it’s a two-way feedback loop that helps shape the Infrastructure Masterplan in real time, ensuring our investments reflect the lived experience of our community.
You can keep giving us instant feedback on what you need via MyCampus or CampusVibe so we can help and respond.
A strategic approach to investment
To make the best use of our resources, we’ve taken a close look at every building across UCL to understand what each one needs, now and in the future:
- Some buildings are central to our long-term plans, and these are our priority spaces for investment. These are known as ’core’ buildings.
- Others are still important but may need to be adapted or used differently over time. These are our flexible spaces, where we’ll make improvements as needed, known as ’flex’ buildings.
- A smaller number of buildings may no longer be suitable for long-term use. For these, we’re exploring options like repurposing or moving out when the time is right. These are known as ’tail’ buildings.
Combined with staff and student feedback about their priorities, this approach helps us focus our efforts on where they’ll have the biggest impact, improving the spaces people use most, while planning carefully for the future.
What you will see next
Over the next two years, UCL will invest £48.5 million in a mix of essential upgrades and ongoing maintenance.
These improvements are designed to make our spaces safer, more comfortable, more inclusive, and more sustainable. Upcoming work includes:
- Further decarbonisation of heating and power systems
- Refreshing and repairing the fabric of our buildings
- Upgrading fire safety systems
- Upgrades to lighting, ventilation, and building management systems so we maximise every opportunity to make our buildings more energy efficient
- We have made improvements to toilets and welfare facilities with over 100 toilets refurbished over this summer period alone.
Learn more about how colleagues in Estates are working to ensure all’our students, staff and visitors can do their best work and have a fantastic experience at UCL by visiting our Estates Vision Sharepoint or browse the Estates area of the UCL website.
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