St Mary’s Campus at The University of West London

The transformation of St Mary’s Campus brought together a series of interventions across the University of West London’s existing estate, with a clear ambition: to create a more connected, cohesive campus centred around the people who use it.
Extensive remodelling introduced a new social hub, performance venue and modern library, while a new central ‘heartspace’ connected different parts of the campus and created a focal point for student life.

Rather than considering individual spaces in isolation, the project focused on how they could work together – improving connections, supporting different ways of learning and socialising, and helping the University make better use of its existing estate.

Transforming an operational university campus requires more than good design. The challenge was to deliver significant change while allowing teaching, learning and day-to-day university life to continue.

Careful phasing and churn management coordinated construction around the University’s ongoing operations, minimising disruption for students and staff throughout the programme.

By looking at how spaces connected and were used across the campus, the project also helped unlock greater value from the existing estate – bringing key functions together and creating flexible, purposeful spaces that could support the University’s changing needs.

At the heart of the transformation was the student experience.

The new heartspace created a focal point for the campus, connecting previously separate areas and bringing learning, social and cultural activity together. Alongside the new library and social spaces, the performance venue broadened the ways students could use and experience the campus.

The project also considered the University’s relationship with its wider neighbourhood. Located within a conservation area, early engagement with local groups and conservation stakeholders helped balance the University’s ambitions with the character and heritage of the site.

Opening cultural and social spaces to a wider audience also strengthened connections beyond the campus, supporting the University’s role within the surrounding Ealing community.

Making better use of existing buildings was central to the transformation, adapting the campus to meet changing needs while investing in its long-term future.

The new atrium maximises natural daylight, creating bright and welcoming spaces while reducing reliance on artificial lighting. Durable, low-impact materials were selected with longevity in mind.

Flexibility was also designed into the campus. Spaces can respond to changing patterns of teaching, learning and student life, reducing the need for significant future alterations and helping the University get more from its estate over time.

The result is a campus better equipped to adapt as the needs of its students, staff and institution continue to evolve.