Building Bloomsbury 2025

The first-ever Building Bloomsbury Hackathon has come to an end, and what an incredible journey it has been! Over four days, UCL students from across disciplines and departments came together to reimagine the future of UCL’s Bloomsbury campus. Delivered through a UCL ChangeMakers project, which empowers students and staff to collaborate on initiatives that enhance education and student experience, the event was driven by a shared ambition to contribute to UCL Vision 2050. Leveraging the wealth of expertise within The Bartlett, UCL, and beyond, it aimed to create a more inclusive, sustainable, and connected university environment.

With support from UCL ChangeMakers, the Bartlett School of Planning (BSP) staff partner, and KPF, we were able to provide a platform for students to engage directly with key urban planning challenges, working alongside industry professionals and university leaders. The passion, creativity, and teamwork displayed by participants throughout the event were nothing short of inspiring!

Day 1: Kickoff & Inspiration

The hackathon kicked off with an inspiring opening session featuring expert insights into masterplanning and urban design.

• Dr. Ana McMillin (Broadway Malyan) delivered an insightful talk on masterplanning, highlighting real-world challenges and solutions in urban regeneration.

• Prof. Matthew Carmona (UCL) led an on-site tour, offering a deep dive into Bloomsbury’s historical and urban fabric.

• UCL Estates & Sustainable UCL shared critical information on UCL’s redevelopment vision and sustainability strategies.

  
  

This first day set the stage for an engaging and hands-on experience, giving participants the knowledge and tools to start shaping their ideas.

Days 2 & 3: Intense Design & Collaboration

The weekend was dedicated to intensive group work, design workshops, and strategic masterplanning discussions. Guided by experts, participants explored key themes of connectivity, sociability, and sustainability within UCL’s campus.

Special thanks to our Teaching Assistants—Mehul Banka, Efstathia Kostopoulou, Joseph Cole, and Emilia Mizielinska—who provided invaluable feedback on human geography, urban design, urban policy, and nature-based solutions.

Day 4: Pitches & Final Judging

The final day saw teams present their innovative proposals to a panel of distinguished judges. The ideas were diverse yet united by a common goal: making Bloomsbury more connected, accessible, and sustainable.

Key themes from the pitches included:

• Enhancing wayfinding with innovative signage and navigational strategies.

• Transforming key spaces like Torrington Square and Medawar Gardens into vibrant, multi-functional social hubs.

• Strengthening sustainability efforts by integrating modular student unions, green corridors, and climate-responsive urban solutions.

  
  

Winners:

🏆 First Place: Team 3

🥈 Runner-Up: Team 5

🎉 Congratulations to all participants for their hard work, creativity, and dedication!

Reflections from the Winning Teams

"Our team had an incredible experience at the Bloomsbury Hackathon, where we explored UCL’s campus history, estate facilities, and redevelopment plans. With guidance from field professionals and estate specialists, we embarked on an exciting journey of analysis and masterplanning. The continuous support and insightful feedback from UCL alumni and staff helped refine our ideas, pushing us to think critically and strategically. This collaborative process not only deepened our understanding of urban development but also strengthened our ability to create impactful design solutions."

Team 3

"On behalf of Team 5, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude for an incredible week at the UCL Urban Planning Hackathon! It was an inspiring experience to collaborate, innovate, and learn alongside such talented individuals. A huge thank you to the organizers, mentors, and judges for their guidance and support, making this event both insightful and impactful. We truly enjoyed exchanging ideas and tackling urban challenges together."

Team 5

Folder with Student Proposals

A Huge Thank You!

None of this would have been possible without the incredible support of our contributors:

💡 Guest Speakers & Judges: Dr. Ana McMillin, Prof. Matthew Carmona, Alice Yau, Blanche Cameron, Leif Lomo, Kerry Ngan, and Joy Mulandi.

🏛️ UCL Estates & Sustainable UCL: Joao Filipe, Katie Plews, and Ben Stubbs – for their valuable insights into UCL’s masterplanning vision.

📚 Supporters: Valentina Giordano (BSP Careers), Fiona Wilkie (UCL ChangeMakers), and KPF – for their generous contributions and ongoing encouragement.

Of course, a massive thank you to the BUPS team—Lauryn Chan, Rebecca Koh, Ziru Huang, Rachel Ngai, Ksenia Gudim, Yixi Chen, Bosco Choi, Tiger Wang, Théophane de Lassus, Hanifah Malik, Gladys Fong, Adhrita Roy, Dana Cheng, and Yolanda Wang—who worked tirelessly to bring this event to life.

A special shoutout to Stepan Adamenko, Lauryn Chan, and Rebecca Koh for their leadership and commitment to making this hackathon a success!

Looking Ahead

While the hackathon has ended, the conversation about UCL’s urban future is just beginning. The ideas generated during these four days will continue to inspire future projects, initiatives, and student-led contributions to the university’s built environment.

We encourage all students to stay involved with BUPS and take part in shaping the spaces we study and live in. This is just the beginning—more exciting opportunities are on the horizon, and we can’t wait to see what’s next!

Until next time—keep innovating, collaborating, and dreaming big!