Residential Building at One Pool Street, Part of University College London's East Campus
In the heart of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands (LDS) has unveiled One Pool Street, a groundbreaking building that serves as the gateway to UCL's new East campus. This architectural marvel seamlessly blends student accommodation with a variety of learning and public spaces, creating a hybrid environment that reflects UCL's pioneering approach to education and civic interaction.
Spanning approximately 26,000 square meters, One Pool Street stands tall with a three-storey podium and two towers reaching up to 17 storeys. The podium houses interdisciplinary teaching spaces, research labs, academic workspaces, a cinema, café, shop, and a public-facing atrium. These elements blur the traditional boundaries between educational activities and public life, creating a fluid zone where private and public uses intersect.
The towers accommodate students directly within the academic environment, with each student room featuring an ensuite and large windows offering expansive views. The towers rise to 13 and 17 storeys, and student rooms are clustered in small flats of 8 to 11 bedrooms. The building is designed for longevity, with adaptable interiors that can be reconfigured for postgraduate use or visiting scholars.
One Pool Street is part of the East Bank initiative, which also includes the V&A Storehouse and Sadler's Wells East. Visitors, students, and researchers enter through a shared portal with secure zones delineated by fob access rather than turnstiles. The atrium, a top-lit public foyer and performance space, hosts exhibitions, lectures, and impromptu demonstrations.
Functional elements such as stair silhouettes and shading overhangs are subtly integrated into the design, while the building's facade is composed of precast concrete panels in a palette of whites and greys. The building's design aligns with LDS's aim of delivering "hard-working" architecture.
One Pool Street is not just a building; it embodies a new type of university experience, inviting collaboration on topics ranging from robotics and AI to disability and sustainability. Communal terraces and rooftop gardens are accessible, offering recreational space and an outdoor laboratory. The building's design aims to engage authentically with its context, educationally, architecturally, and socially.
With extensive biodiversity measures, One Pool Street has achieved BREEAM Excellent and Outstanding ratings for residential and academic areas, respectively. The building's design reflects a commitment to sustainability and longevity, making it a defining building on UCL's emerging campus.
[1] Reference: One Pool Street Building, Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands, accessed on 2022-03-01, https://www.ldsarchitects.co.uk/projects/one-pool-street
- One Pool Street, with its blend of student accommodation, interdisciplinary teaching spaces, and public areas, creates a culture that fosters education, collaboration, and community, reflecting UCL's innovative approach to education and civic interaction.
- The commitment to sustainability and longevity in One Pool Street's design extends beyond its architectural elegance, as the building's BREEAM Excellent and Outstanding ratings for residential and academic areas demonstrate a dedication to health and education-and-self-development for future generations.
