From keeping the building safe to making students and staff feel at home, Donatus Onyido has been indispensable to UCL's Bartlett School of Architecture for two decades.
Donatus, or Don as he’s more widely known, first arrived at the Bartlett 24 years ago as a contracted Security Officer. The factory he worked at was relocating out of London, and he didn’t want to leave.
“I like the vibes of London”, Don reflects. “It’s a similar city to where I come from in Nigeria. Lagos is like London: it’s a big city, full of life.” The opportunity allowed him to stay in the city he’s now called home for almost 40 years.
Today, he’s the Bartlett School of Architecture (BSA)’s in-house Culture and Community Manager and the school looks very different, following a transformative refurbishment of 22 Gordon Street in 2016. Students and staff have come and gone, but Don has remained, proudly looking after the school’s people and spaces.
The Bartlett has given me the platform to excel at UCL. Being here has allowed me to meet and collaborate with people from all over the world.
Don is the first face people see in the morning, and the last they see in the evening. He’s seen students grow from wide-eyed 16-year-olds on open days to becoming professors. Some students’ parents studied at the Bartlett themselves.
Anyone that steps into the Bartlett becomes family to me – no matter where they come from.
He is a well-respected figure, and students even installed a huge banner for him in the school, reflecting his profound impact on their lives. After working as a security operative for many years, he successfully applied for the role of Culture and Community Manager in 2024.
Don also won the 2021 One UCL award for Outstanding Contribution to Staff Experience and was a finalist for the Community Spirit Award. In his nominations, staff described him as ‘one of UCL’s most legendary figures’ and ‘the rock and anchor of our school community’.
I am so thankful to all the BSA staff, students and everyone connected to the school for the love, kindness and support they’ve shown me over the years. I hope they also remember the love and kindness I’ve tried to give in return. I always want to make sure they feel happy.
As for Don’s future plans? He’s not planning on going anywhere: “I want to carry on until my retirement date and retire gracefully.”
