UCL, John Dodgson House, London

Designed by Click Above architect Jonathan Pitt and completed in 2013, this 2/3 storey rooftop extension to John Hodgson House (Bidborough Street) created an additional 49 new postgraduate study bedrooms above an existing hall of residence for University College London.

Off-site, innovative construction methods were used to keep the site phase within one academic year. Each bedroom was fitted out in the factory with an en-suite bathroom pod, desk, wardrobe, and light fittings.

Once in position the units were clad with channel glass on the front facades, designed to create a layered appearance where the quality of light inside and out varied throughout the day and night.

Internally, circulation spaces were created that enhanced the social experience of students, by clustering bedrooms and maximising natural light through roof lights above widened areas of corridors and a central light well.