University launches new name at iconic tropical garden venue
Posted on: 20 June, 2025
Hundreds gathered at the Barbican Centre’s tropical garden Conservatory on Thursday 19 June to celebrate the momentous renaming of our institution to the University of the Built Environment.
Guests from the University’s vast and global community – including those from the industry and education sectors as well as staff, students and our honorary members – joined Vice Chancellor Ashley Wheaton in raising a toast to mark the history-making step of becoming a full University.
Who helped us celebrate? Scroll down below to see a photo gallery
During his speech, Ashley outlined why we decided to change the name after 106 years as the College and then University College of Estate Management:
“Whilst many people in the room will perfectly understand the term ‘estate management’, for many people outside of this room, it’s not quite so clear-cut.
“If we are to fulfil our strategic ambition to be the centre of excellence for Built Environment education, we need an identity which is easily understood, which resonates with our growing and diverse group of stakeholders and is better aligned with our Royal Charter.”
He added: “The ‘University of the Built Environment’ is more reflective both of who we are today and, importantly, of what we aim to become.”
Thursday’s celebration, set within the award-winning iconic Conservatory (home to over 1,500 species of temperate plants and trees), marked a historic milestone in the evolution of the institution.
“If we are to fulfil our strategic ambition to be the centre of excellence for Built Environment education, we need an identity which is easily understood, which resonates with our growing and diverse group of stakeholders and is better aligned with our Royal Charter.”
He added: “The ‘University of the Built Environment’ is more reflective both of who we are today and, importantly, of what we aim to become.”
The Thursday rebrand celebration, set within the award-winning iconic Conservatory (home to over 1,500 species of temperate plants and trees), marked a historic milestone in the evolution of the institution.
Beginning life as the College Estate Management in 1919, it had the bold remit to help rebuild Britain after World War I. The vision of founder Sir William Wells was to provide an education for the skilled professionals needed to fulfil that agenda – something Ashley said was parallel to the current Government’s pledge invest £600 million into construction skills to build 1.5 million new homes:
“If the government is to get anywhere near delivering what it has promised and at the level of quality required, then our sector needs to find a way to attract, recruit, and educate hundreds of thousands more skilled professionals.”
The 200-plus guests were equally thrilled with the new identity. “I absolutely love the university’s new name,” said Becky Rimmington, Head of Portfolio, Entain Group. “I think that the new name really emulates what the university wants to be going forwards”. Quantity Surveyor graduate Donna Modeste said: “I think that the new name is so reflective of what we do as a university, and I am really proud of the evolution of the University College of Estate Management into the University of the Built Environment.”
Along with the added milestone of the recent merger with the London School of Architecture (LSA), our “new identity”, in the words of Chair of the Board of Trustees Peter McCrea, “represents so much to so many”.
During his speech he added: “For our students and staff, the University of the Built Environment signifies how far we have come since we were a small, specialist College with an almost singular focus on surveying.
“Now, as a University, we provide higher education programmes to meet the growing needs of the whole built environment sector, including sustainability, planning, building control and architecture.”
In the words of Ashley: “This name change is 106 years in the making.”
Watch a video from our well-wishers
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