This year marks the final phase of a major, multi-year refurbishment programme to modernise the undergraduate physics teaching laboratories in the Blackett Building.
Phase 3, beginning in April and running until September 2026, will transform the second-year undergraduate laboratories into a high quality, fit for purpose, flexible and fully accessible space for students and staff. The refurbishment will also significantly improve ventilation, environmental stability and the digital infrastructure required for modern experimental physics, while also providing upgraded facilities for the technical team.
The new design will expand capacity, support the needs of a growing undergraduate cohort, in line with Imperial’s academic growth ambitions, and create a more adaptable environment for teaching, as well as research linked activities and MSc projects.
Phase 1: first-year undergraduate labs (completed 2021)
Phase 1 design began in 2018 as part of a wider commitment to modernise teaching labs. Following an unexpected delay due to the pandemic, the first-year undergraduate labs were completed in 2021. These works replaced ageing equipment, introduced new ventilation systems, enhanced electrical and network services, and created a more flexible room layout designed specifically around student needs.
The redesign emphasised group work, peer-to-peer learning and ease of discussion, with integrated screens and whiteboard areas. Many of the improvements were codesigned with students through Student Shaper projects, and the response to the new facilities has been overwhelmingly positive.
Phase 2: third-year undergraduate labs (completed 2022)
Phase 2 continued the transformation with a full refurbishment of the third-year laboratories, completed in 2022. The upgrade strengthened the alignment between modern research practices and undergraduate teaching, providing students with improved experimental environments and better support facilities.
Together, Phases 1 and 2 delivered substantial benefits: improved comfort through upgraded ventilation, more reliable services, far greater flexibility for experimental setups and better opportunities for collaborative learning.
Phase 3: second-year undergraduate labs (practical completion September 2026)
"[Phase 3 sees] a new high-quality space created for teaching vital laboratory skills..."
Phase 3 addresses the oldest teaching labs in Blackett, spaces on Level 4 which date back to the original 1960s construction. These labs are now struggling to meet the needs of a larger undergraduate cohort and experiments that increasingly rely on more sophisticated, often larger, equipment.
Fixed benching, constrained layouts and the lack of fully accessible arrangements have all contributed to significant space pressure and operational challenges for both students and staff.
“The proposal [for improvements to the second-year space] is the third and final phase of a multi-year programme to upgrade the laboratories in physics. Specifically, it will see a new high-quality space created for teaching vital laboratory skills to second-year students, significantly better facilities for the staff that directly support this and create a far more flexible space enabling the use of these labs outside of term time for largescale MSc projects and other teaching activities.”
- Dr Simon Bland, Department of Physics (academic lead for the project)
Key deliverables in Phase 3
- Refurbished dark labs
- Upgraded light lab
- New undergraduate HackSpaces
- New shared office space for technicians
- Improvements to communal areas
The second-year dark laboratories will be refurbished and expanded to accommodate up to 80 student workspaces. This will improve the layout and functionality of the space while supporting modern teaching requirements. A new equipment storeroom will provide more efficient storage, while a new movable partition wall will allow the laboratory to be divided when needed for different teaching activities. The space will also include new fixed, mobile and height-adjustable laboratory benching, improved storage solutions, light-tight blackout blinds for optics experiments and modern audiovisual equipment to support more interactive teaching.
The second-year light laboratory will also be upgraded to provide space for up to 80 students. New half-glazed partition walls will improve the flow of natural light between working areas. The installation of new laboratory benching and upgraded storage solutions will create a flexible and well-organised environment. This space will also include modern audiovisual equipment to enhance teaching delivery.
The project will also introduce new Undergraduate HackSpaces to provide students with dedicated areas for hands-on experimentation. Two spaces will be created: a “clean” HackSpace and a “dirty” HackSpace. The clean HackSpace will be equipped with 3D printers, recirculating fume cupboards and chemical storage, while the dirty HackSpace will support mechanical and fabrication activities with equipment including pillar drills, laser cutters, assembly workbenches and downdraft tables. Both spaces will include fit-for-purpose benching designed for these activities.
Additionally, a new shutter between the goods lift lobby and the dirty HackSpace will allow large equipment to be delivered directly into the workshop area, avoiding the need to transport bulky items through shared corridors. Safety measures will include a CCTV system connected to the technicians’ office and an emergency stop system to shut down all equipment in the HackSpace if required.
A new shared office space will provide a dedicated workspace for teaching technicians, including height-adjustable desks, fit-for-purpose storage, a monitoring screen linked to the HackSpace CCTV system and an emergency stop control. The suite will also include a kitchenette, a shared sofa area and a separate private office for the Head of Technicians.
The project will also extend to the surrounding communal areas, including the Blackett Level 4 lift lobby, goods lift lobby and corridors. These areas will be refurbished to create a more cohesive and welcoming environment, incorporating new design elements that reflect the identity and branding of the Physics department.
"The project... [contributes] to a contemporary learning experience in line with Imperial’s ambitions."
These upgrades will relieve longstanding space constraints, modernise the teaching environment and complete a coherent, integrated lab suite across all undergraduate years.
"These upgrades will relieve longstanding space constraints, modernise the teaching environment and complete a coherent, integrated lab suite across all undergraduate years.
"The Phase 3 works in the Blackett Laboratories will bring our second-year undergraduate labs and ancillary spaces up to modern standards, with technical and spatial improvements that directly support how Physics is taught at Imperial.
"The project also creates a more cohesive environment, aligning these spaces with Years 1 and 3 and contributing to a contemporary learning experience in line with Imperial’s ambitions.
"I would also like to recognise the valuable contribution and ongoing support of the Teaching Laboratories Technicians throughout all phases of the project, particularly Graham Axtell, Teaching Laboratories Manager.”
- Ivan Carromero Manzano, Projects User Coordinator
For questions about the programme, please contact:
Kirsty Scallan, Project Manager (k.scallan@imperial.ac.uk)