This page includes information and guidance about working at Bidborough House including guidance on booking desks and meeting rooms, and details on building access services and facilities.
- Scheduled team days and spaces
- Booking a desk
- Meeting and collaboration spaces
- Opening hours, access, security and services
- Storage and equipment
- Facilities
Team days, desk booking and meetings
Scheduled team days and spaces
- Schedule by team
Team Team Day Floor Advanced Research Computing Centre Tuesday 2nd East and 3rd East Campus Experience & Infrastructure Tuesday and Friday 3rd West Change & Improvement Tuesday 5th Floor Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Monday, Tuesday and Friday 6th Estates Development Tuesday 3rd West Finance & Business Affairs Monday 3rd West Human Resources Monday 2nd East and West ISD: Architecture Wednesday 5th Floor ISD: Development & Testing Friday 4th East ISD: Digital Infrastructure Monday and Friday 3rd East, 4th West and 5th (Monday) or 3rd (West (Friday) ISD: Education Wednesday 3rd East ISD: ISG & CE Friday 2nd East ISD: LPG Friday 2nd East ISD: Research & Innovation Operations Friday 5th Floor ISD: People, Money & Insight Friday 2nd West ISD: Student Experience Thursday 3rd East and 5th Floor LCCOS (Library, Culture, Collections & Open Science) Monday and Wednesday* 4th East (Monday) and 3rd West (Wednesday) The Office of General Councel Monday, Thursday and Friday 6th and 5th (Thursday) OVPA (Advancement) Tuesday 4th East and West OVPEE (External Engagement) Tuesday 2nd West OVPS (Strategy) Monday, Wednesday and Friday 6th Procurement Remote first N/A Professional Services Hub (PS Hub) Wednesday* 4th East and West Research & Innovation Services Wednesday 2nd East and West Student & Registry Services Thursday 2nd East and West, 3rd West, 4th East and West
Notes on the schedule
- On the second Wednesday of every month extra space is allocated to the PS Hub team that is usually allocated to LCCOS and ISD (3rd floor East and West and 5th floor).
Booking a desk
Remember to ‘Check-in’ when arriving using the QR code located on the desk or via your confirmation email or cancel your booking if your plans change.
- Team days
All teams have a scheduled day when their whole team can work on-site. On your team day, please ensure you book a desk in your allocated area.
- Non-team days and 1st floor booking trial
Unused desks in team areas are available to book after 10am.
First floor usage trial: Currently ongoing
Staff can use any available desks on the first floor without needing to book them.
Although this trial may cause concern for some, with some staff feeding back if they are coming in then they want to have a set desk, available utilisation data shows that there is always space in the building – we are currently seeing actual average daily utilisation of 35% (with a peak of 65%).
- What should I do if the first floor is full? If the first floor is full you should use other floors. A desk at Bidborough House is there to be used and although we are aware that some Team Days are more protected than others, please do use desks. Please remember that all desks become available after 10am.
- What should someone do if they require use of a height adjustable desk (or any other piece of bookable equipment)? During this trial period colleagues should refrain from automatically using a Height Adjustable (HA) desk unless they need one, remembering that they may be needed by someone with a visible or non-visible disability. If you need to use a HA desk and cannot find one, you should book a desk on floor 2-6.
- What should someone do if they are worried about coming into work and not finding a desk? We are aware that by removing the desk booking system for the first floor we are effectively creating a first come first served model, which we hope will free up space and reduce wastage. However, it could inadvertently impact those who start later in the day. You will see from the utilisation data that there will be space available whenever you arrive at Bidborough House, and you should select a desk on arrival.
- How can I work close to colleagues in my teams? We are aware that some people use the booking system to organise teams and group together, this will not be possible and is an impact of the trial. We believe that due to the average utilisation being low there will be opportunities for people to sit close enough together to allow this to continue, and by creating less formality people may be able to take advantage of opportunities throughout the day as desks naturally become available.
- Can I continue to report faults using the desk number and QR code? The desk QR codes (which are currently used to book a desk and report operational faults) will remain switched on and a team in the background will simply book all desks, this will in effect switch off the booking system but still allow the QR code to be used. We are aware that some people are not using (or even aware of) this reporting and wanted to find a way to restrict its use as uptake is increasing.
- How are we going to review the impact of the trial? We have detailed utilisation data across a historical period, this will allow us to review the numerical impact of the July switch off (compared to other months) and understand impact. In addition to that we are going to ask the BH User Group reps, and PS leadership to collate qualitative feedback, to be shared at the end of the trial period. You can also give your feedback directly via this short feedback form.
We are aware that several desks are currently not included on the booking system, either made available for specific teams or allocated to individual members of staff (for a range of reasons). All desks currently allocated will remain as such and local signage should be used to make this clear.
If you have ‘access to work’ support and do require two desks next to each other, please do raise this with Sarah Knox, Area Facilities Manager, and we will ensure this is taken into account.
- Accessibility and workstation requirements
If you have specific accessibility requirements, or requirements following a Display Screen Assessment or Workstation Assessment please contact your local BBH Working Group representative in the first instance.
- Quiet areas: East wing on floors 3 and 4
The East wing on floors 3 and 4 are considered quieter working areas.
Unless the space is being used during a team day by a team who choose to use the space differently, when working within a ‘Quieter Zone’ please keep the noise down to not disturb other office users.
- Meeting rooms
Meeting rooms on all floors can be booked through Outlook by any staff member in a team based in the building.
There are 23 meeting rooms available and nine of these are teams enabled. Smaller meeting rooms for sensitive discussions or calls are available on the first floor. Further details of the rooms can be found when booking through Outlook.
- Booths
Booths can be used for non-confidential meetings up to an hour, available on a first come first served basis. As the demand on meeting rooms is high, it is recommended that meetings of up to four people, including 1:1’s where possible, should take place in booths.
- Ground floor collaboration space
The ground floor collaboration spaces are available to book via Outlook and are listed as:
~BidHse.GrdFlr.SofaArea(16).SurfaceHub ~BidHse.G01 - Collaboration Space Theatre Style Seating .(60).SurfaceHubTo use the whole of the ground floor for a meeting, all three spaces need to be booked.
- ~BidHse.Projectarea.Grd.Flr.(12).PSH
- Opening hours, access and security
Opening hours
Weekdays: 7am–7pm
Out of hours access: Workspace on the 2nd floor is available 24/7 to UCL staff and accessible through the side entrance of the building.
Staff working in the building past 7pm should move to the 2nd floor West in advance of this time to ensure you can exit the building smoothly.
Access and Security
The main entrance on Bidborough Street is open, and staffed, during office hours.
Staff should show their ID cards to reception staff as they enter the building and will need their card to access the East and West wing of each floor.
- Visitors, interviews and new starters
If you are expecting visitors, conducting interviews or welcoming a new starter, please advise the Receptionist via MyServices in advance.
All external visitors will be required to sign in at reception on arrival and departure.
- Sending and collecting post
Post will be delivered and collected from G01, Ground floor West.
Mail will be sorted by surname to the A-Z mail pigeonholes. Mail addressed to a department without a name will be sorted to divisional pigeonholes. Mail should be collected daily.
All outgoing mail, including internal UCL mail, should be left in the outgoing sack provided adjacent to the mail frames. Any mail left by 4pm will be sent on same day.
Delivery Schedule
10.30–10.45am delivery / collection 2.45–3pm delivery / collection 4–4.15pm final sweep collectionContact and courier form
See the UCL Mail & Courier Services webpage for contact information and the courier service form. Please notify reception of any courier collections via MyServices.
UCL Mail & Courier Services webpage
Storage and equipment
- Personal lockers
Please refer to the Bidborough House locker policy.
- Stationery
Two central stationery cupboards are stocked with commonly used items and are for use by staff from teams based in the building.
Cupboards are located on the 1st Floor West Wing and 4th Floor West Wing.
Facilities
- Showers
There are two large shower rooms in the basement – one male and one female. Each has six shower cubicles, toilets, sinks, a utility sink, and several changing room style lockers.
- Bicycle, motorbike and car parking
There are covered, caged facilities for parking bicycles and motorbikes in the basement of the building. This area can be accessed from the vehicular entrance on Bidborough Street at the East end of the building. You can enter the basement from this area with your staff ID card once your access has been set up.
Cycle access should be requested through your departmental administrator.
- Quiet room
There is a quiet room in the basement which can be used for:
- Breastfeeding/expressing
- Emotional distress
- First aid or if you feel unwell
- Quiet contemplation
- Meditation Prayer