University of Westminster
New Cavendish Street Campus
A carefully phased refurbishment across the University of Westminster’s New Cavendish Street campus, delivered within a live academic environment.
KEY FACTS
Project: Fit Out
Sector: Education
Size: 15,985 sq ft
Programme: 17 weeks
Contract: Single Stage, JCT Design & Build
TEAM
Architect: Architecture PLB
PM: Bidwells
PQS: Henry Riley
Services Consultant: Introba UK
The Project
At the University of Westminster’s New Cavendish Street campus, we seamlessly delivered a series of complex refurbishment works across multiple levels within the Copland and Cavendish Buildings. The projects bring together teaching, research and workspace environments, each carefully reconfigured to support the next generation of students and staff. Working across a live academic campus, our role was to deliver multiple, technically demanding spaces in parallel, each with its own brief, constraints and performance requirements.
Coordinated Across Complexity
The works span several distinct environments, delivered simultaneously across different buildings and floors. In Copland Building, Level 3 has been transformed into a flexible open plan workspace, with cellular offices, meeting rooms, teapoints and collaboration areas, all delivered through a full strip out and replacement of finishes, partitions and services. At Level 5, the space has been reimagined for teaching and support, introducing computer labs, a games room, administrative offices and collaborative areas, alongside upgraded building services and new plant infrastructure. Working across both levels required close coordination to maintain programme and manage interfaces within a live, operational campus.
Specialist Environments, Carefully Delivered
Within Cavendish Building, we delivered a highly serviced life sciences laboratory on Level 3. The space includes fixed and mobile lab benching, specialist finishes, upgraded drainage and a new fume extraction system, alongside full mechanical and electrical installations designed to support advanced scientific use. It is a technically complex environment, where performance, safety and precision must align without compromise.
Delivering in a Live Academic Setting
Working within an active university campus always demands careful planning and consideration for those who continue to use the building throughout. Sequencing, access and coordination were carefully managed to minimise disruption, while ensuring that each phase of the works progressed safely and efficiently. It is an approach built on communication and consistency, allowing complex refurbishment works to be delivered within a live educational environment.
This project was about maintaining momentum in a highly constrained environment, while never losing sight of quality or detail.
Richard McCracken, 8build Divisional Director