Bespoke Joinery Modifications for a Norman Foster Designed Building

Client: Imperial College London | Location: Faculty Building

Our Role: Furniture supplier & project collaborator

Faculty Building

Designed by renowned architect Norman Foster, Imperial College London’s Faculty Building is a 4,800 m² modern workspace housing many of the university’s key administrative teams. The building features four floors of open-plan areas wrapped around a central core, with traditional cellular offices positioned along the perimeter. Much of the original storage was built into the central core as wall-mounted cabinetry.

The challenge

Imperial College sought to modernise the working environment by introducing a more flexible, agile approach to space use. This required:

Replacing the original wall-mounted storage on all four floors
Introducing hot-desking across the building
Installing mechanical-lock lockers that require no keys, batteries, or electrical supply
Ensuring new installations matched the existing minimalist colour scheme
Preserving as much of the original high-quality joinery as possible in a heritage-level, architect-designed building

Given the sensitivity of working within a Norman Foster design and the need for precise aesthetic alignment, the client requested a trial installation before full-scale rollout.

Our solution

Whiteleys carefully surveyed the existing wall storage and determined that the structural carcasses could be retained. This allowed us to:

Reuse the original cabinet frames, minimising cost, waste, and disruption
Design and manufacture new locker internals and doors that fit perfectly within the existing carcasses
Colour-match the new components to the building’s original palette for a seamless finish
Install mechanical locks that support Imperial’s agile-working strategy without adding operational complexity

A pilot installation of six locker banks was completed on one floor. Imperial reviewed the workmanship, colour accuracy, lock functionality, and overall visual impact — and approved the design immediately.

Full building rollout

Following the successful trial, Whiteleys installed approximately 250 bespoke lockers across all four floors. The result is a refined, modernised workspace that fully aligns with the architectural integrity of the Foster-designed building, while providing the flexibility required for contemporary working practices.

The outcome

Aesthetically seamless integration with the original design

Significant reduction in waste by preserving existing carcasses
Enhanced functionality through secure, battery-free mechanical locks
A more flexible and modern working environment for Imperial staff
A highly satisfied client who praised both the quality of workmanship and the minimal disruption during installation