UCL at Here East
Building a shared home for two faculties.
I led on the strategy and positioning for the first joint site for the Faculty of the Built Environment and the Engineering Faculty at UCL.
The challenge.
This was the first time two faculties were sharing a space at UCL, and it was important to build a joint identity for the new site and to highlight its opportunities for collaboration. The two departments operate and speak very differently, so I worked to bring everyone on the same page and co-create a narrative that reflects the joint vision for the new site while honouring each faculty’s unique history and identity. As part of the launch activities, I commissioned a 3D paper model and a digital scan of the building to showcase the innovative research the new site will enable.
The impact.
As the first co-inhabited space, the site at Here East naturally enables collaboration between the two departments, thus facilitating innovation. The paper model and the digital scan were crucial for demonstrating the new robotics equipment, studio spaces and laboratories and inspiring students to imagine the future of their own work. Since this was the first UCL presence at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, where the university is building a campus, the new site was also an opportunity to introduce UCL to the community and lay the groundwork for productive cohabitation.
A new collaborative space for two faculties on the Here East site. To help visitors find the site, plywood letters were created to sit in the window. Photo credit: Jack Hobhouse.
The 3D virtual scan
A detailed digital replica was completed by ScanLab Projects capturing over 11 billion data points, which were assembled into the virtual model. Pascal Wise recorded sounds from the site which can be heard in the music over the scan.
The paper model
To help showcase the size of the space, a paper model was created by Helen Friel. Showcasing both levels of the site and the multidisciplinary nature, from lecture spaces to studios right through to fabrication spaces and even a parking space for SEAHA’s mobile heritage lab. Photo credits: Richard Stonehouse.
Environmental signage
Working with Boyle&Perks, a consistent system of way-finding was produced in vinyl alongside floor plans to help orientate people within the site. The vinyl used met the SKA rating for Higher Education. Photo credits: Boyle&Perks.
Positioning and visual identity
A bespoke illustration was commission by Boyle&Perks to bring UCL landmarks into the London skyline. Photo credit: Emma Todd.
Working with copywriter Kate van der Borgh a set of values and a manifesto was created. Photo credit: Emma Todd.
The manifesto was turned into a poster with the illustration on the reverse as a keepsake. Photo credit: Emma Todd.
The launch event
A private lunch was held for those who helped deliver this project before turning into an open house for all to come and see the site and wander around, getting a full sense of the scale of this collaboration. Photo credit: Richard Stonehouse.
“Manpreet brings unbounded energy, ideas and professionalism to communications and marketing. Her creativity coupled with her ability to listen and then strategically translate and invent across disciplines was an essential part of the success of UCL's Here East interdisciplinary venture.”
– Stuart Robson, previous Head of UCL Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering
I was employed by UCL while working on this project. This is indicative of the projects I can deliver through the studio or consulting service.