Morgan Sindall Construction’s London team has completed the retrofit and extension of the University of Westminster Zone29 building, turning a previously vacant site into a dedicated hub for careers and enterprise serving students, industry partners and the local community.
To celebrate the milestone, representatives from Morgan Sindall, the University of Westminster and ADP Architecture gathered at the building for speeches and refreshments.
Delivered via the PAGABO construction framework, the project remodelled and extended the property at the corner of Marylebone Road and Luxborough Street. The works include a roof extension that adds internal space and an external terrace, and a new lift at the rear that improves accessibility from the lower ground floor up to the fifth floor.
The eight-storey building at 29 Marylebone Road sits adjacent to the University’s Marylebone Campus, home to its Westminster Business School and School of Architecture + Cities. The completed scheme provides high-quality spaces designed to foster collaboration and engagement between the University and both local and global businesses.
Zone29 features flexible event and exhibition areas to showcase student enterprise, alongside state-of-the-art training facilities such as a digital studio and a dedicated maker space. The works increase the internal floor area from 2,754 sq m to 2,839 sq m, enhancing functionality while retaining and revitalising the existing structure.
Sustainability was central to the scheme, aligned with Morgan Sindall’s Intelligent Solutions approach. The CarboniCa carbon calculation tool was deployed throughout to drive reductions, calculating a carbon saving of 2.3 tonnes. Biodiversity measures include the installation of bird and bat boxes and a green roof atop the eighth floor.
Richard Dobson, Area Director for Morgan Sindall Construction in London, said: “What an achievement it is to celebrate the completion of works at 29 Marylebone Road alongside the University of Westminster. This transformative retrofit project not only enhances the building’s sustainability performance, but also creates an inspiring and inclusive environment for students, staff, local businesses and the local community.
“The completion marks another successful higher education project for Morgan Sindall Construction in London, reinforcing its commitment to delivering sustainable, future-focused learning environments.”
Professor Peter Bonfield, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Westminster, said: “I’m very pleased to see Zone29, our innovative new home of careers and enterprise next to our Marylebone Campus, come to fruition and be ready to open soon. Zone29 will be transformational for our students and be a hugely important facility to drive collaboration between students’ businesses and our local community to enhance relationships and create employment opportunities.”
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