UCLE

Lazenby were appointed to install almost 4,000m2 of decorative concrete across this fantastic new building which forms part of the UCL campus. The development provides a central hub for over 5,000 students and faculty and was designed with a key focus on sustainable construction methods and materials.

As UCL’s single largest building, Marshgate needed a hard-wearing flooring solution with the design potential to live up to the architects’ ambitious 250 million-pound design.

With its elegant, exposed aggregate aesthetic and more than enough durability to withstand over 5000 students and faculty members, Diamond Polished Concrete was the perfect choice for the ground floor of this impressive development.

We installed 2000m2 in warm Buff Aggregate, sourcing the concrete and aggregate locally to minimise transport emissions. We also mixed 30% GGBS into the concrete to lessen the cement content and we reduced the slab thickness from 150mm to 110mm. Together, these measures saved over 12 tonnes of CO2 compared to CEM1 concrete. Other measures included using a water-based, low-VOC sealant, sourcing recycled spacers, and reducing the size of the steel reinforcements to cut the overall steel content by 56%. This saved 4.7 tonnes of CO2 across more than 2km2 of Diamond Polished Concrete flooring.

Two central staircases were also required to have a matching finish as the reception floor. Lazenby produced pre cast concrete treads with an inset nosing which were installed over a steel structure. The treads were manufactured at our Somerset factory using the same aggregate and concrete mix to blend seamlessly with the Diamond Polished Concrete ground floor and the upper-level topping system.

The upper floors feature more than 2500m2 of an innovative ultra-thin polished concrete alternative — a material that produces up to 90% less CO2 emissions than traditional concrete whilst still providing the look and durability of polished concrete.