Reference visit to UCL PEARL and CAVE

14 November 2024

“A building to house the world” and “a giant box of tricks” were the enticing two introductions to the UCL’s Pearl laboratory by Professor Nick Tyler the Director of
UCL Centre for Transport Studies and Ian Goodfellow Director at the architects Perkins & Will.

This was a fully immersive visit covering not only the design but also the activities it enables in a spectacle for the senses. A significant group of University Design Forum members made the journey to Barking & Dagenham where we were informed and entertained as we were led through the design’s narrative and its extraordinary capabilities. These include creating conditions as close to real life scenarios as possible to test the impact of environmental conditions such as space, colour, lighting and sound on people’s behaviour and perception.

Pearl stands for the Person Environment Activity Research Laboratory and is housed in a volume of 44,000 cubic metres, formed by an industrial carcass of portal frames
on piles, a very flat concrete floor levelled by three hovercrafts to have a minimal 1 degree deflection, black profiled metal cladding all round the outside with the
entrance end dressed in a Corten scalloped panel layer that echoes the sinusoidal concrete roof of the lovely listed building opposite.

This is a research and testing facility for the UCL that draws in academic experts and students, as well as members of the public who participate in the experiments and analysis. An innovative learning and teaching operation that benefits and enhances both the university’s educational processes and wider society environments.

The volume is articulated into three main zones, firstly the ‘Space’ being the main internal area which is a highly flexible sensorial laboratory with height adjustable modules supported by scientific and theatrical lighting, retractable seating, 3D dynamic ambient sound, odours and visibility controls. Secondly is the ‘Groove’, a freestanding timber box in a box assembly housing the public and community facilities, academic workspace, workshop and maker space. Thirdly is the forecourt along the side for larger experiments including decommissioned train and tube carriages and an aircraft fuselage connected into the building.

The unique aspect for the University Design Forum members on this tour was the immersive experience, so we were not only treated to Nick and Ian’s illuminating talks on the experimental highlights to date, but we also stood in absolute darkness for a short time, were made aware of the near anechoic chamber acoustic deadness, heard and felt the sonic energy of a plane moving towards, above and past us through the very powerful audio set up. We were also enveloped in the intense sounds of an African savanna, home to an artist who wished to explore their sculptures in other settings such as the Tate Modern turbine hall, their London studio and even outer space, a building therefore to house even beyond this world.

Closer to home, Oxford University booked the facility for a study on neurodiversity, building a Supermarket setting for autistic people to test responses to the senses of smell, noise, colour and how the mixing of these can be uncomfortable.

The ‘Groove’ is a self-finished cross laminated timber structure bringing a contrasting warmth to the blackness of the Space lab. Its off-site manufacture assisted speed of construction, minimal site waste, and reduced embodied carbon. The entrance area is sun-veiled by the Corten which has abstract perforations blending ideas of people’s movement, starling murmuration’s and the flow of ideas across time.

In terms of sustainability, Net Zero Carbon and an EPC A+ rating is achieved through a combination of highly energy efficient building fabric and services, and a roof-wide array of solar Photovoltaic panels. The highly versatile servicing strategy delivers low energy heat and ventilation where it is needed for experiments. The acoustics of the building are also very finely controlled. Throughout the design and construction of this BREEAM Outstanding building there was also a keen focus on low impact, responsibly sourced, modular construction materials and waste minimisation as part of a 'circular economy' approach.

The main Pearl building is further complemented by the adjacent Cave building, a smaller highly sensitive laboratory being set up for further detailed environment’s observation and analysis.

To house the world this building is indeed a Tardis, having to create the illusion of spaces on the inside that are actually bigger than the volume itself, achieved with
theatrical and scientific combinations. Pearl needs to convince the participants they are in a real Iive environment, the opposite to a staged play in which the participants,
the actors, are trying to convince the audience they are in a real environment.

The University Design Forum members became those participants for the morning and would like to thank the teams at UCL and Perkins&Will for their hosting and sharing.

Written by and images credited to Tom Alexander, University Design Forum, Trustee + Membership Secretary and Aukett Swanke, Director.