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Marshgate triumphs at Building Awards 2024
6 November 2024
Our flagship UCL East campus building Marshgate has been crowned Building Magazine Project of the Year, one of the top accolades at the 2024 Building Awards.
Marshgate was built by our construction partners, Mace Group. Awarding the top prize in the Project of the Year category, judges said:
"This building stands out for its excellent use of materials, sustainability focus, timely and budget-conscious completion, and was developed through early collaboration between the client and architectural team, resulting in a high-quality, sculptural, and refined structure that integrates community and provides a dynamic collaborative environment for UCL staff and students."
Marshgate is the largest building in the first phase of our new UCL East campus on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, and acts as the cornerstone of the UK’s newest cultural quarter, East Bank. Students based at the building and our One Pool Street site across the river on the Park study ground breaking interdisciplinary degrees in brand new cutting edge research centres.
Business and community partners, schools and the public are frequent users of the campus too, along with SHIFT innovation district partners, in spaces specially designed to support a wide variety of engagement activities, along with specially commissioned public art for all to enjoy in both Marshgate and One Pool Street.
John O’Toole, Interim Director of Major Projects at UCL, welcomed this top industry accolade:
“Winning the Building Magazine Award for Project of the Year is a proud moment for UCL and represents the best in collaborative working between UCL colleagues from Estates, academia and professional services, and our student community. We are delighted to see Marshgate recognised for early collaboration on design and its focus on community. Every member of the project team should be proud of their contribution.
“Within the sector, UCL is leading the world in developing university campuses that enable excellence in teaching, research and civic engagement, allowing higher education to support and drive the innovation we need to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing the planet. As a client, we demanded project management and construction standards of the highest order, and the teams delivered. This award is richly deserved."
Mace was brought on board as our construction partner for Marshgate in August 2018 and building began in 2019 with completion in March 2023, ahead of the first students studying for both undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses in the building from September 2023.
The team worked in collaboration with architects Stanton Williams, AKT II as structural engineers, and Arup looking after engineering for the mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP). They used innovative construction techniques, including BIM 3D modelling and on-site prefabrication, to achieve BREEAM Excellent and a 100% renewable energy supply.
Paul Thomas, Director of Operations, Mace Construct, said:
“Winning the Building Awards for Project of the Year is a tremendous honour for Mace. Together with UCL, our project team, and supply chain partners, we have delivered an outstanding building. Marshgate champions collaboration between students, academics, and the wider public. We are proud to see it recognised for its excellent use of materials and sustainability focus.”
This prize follows last month's awarding of an international Architecture MasterPrize (AMP) for Marshgate in recognition of its excellent design.
Find out more about our award-winning UCL buildings
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Images
- 1 and 2: Images of Marshgagte - Hufton and Crowe, courtesy of Stanton Williams
- 3: Marshgate's official handover by Mace to UCL - UCL / Morley Von Sternberg