UWL Students Design Massive ReActon Mural in South Acton 2026

Key Points

• Three University of West London (UWL) graphic design students designed a 42-metre-long mural for the ReActon community reuse and recycling hub in South Acton.
• The design team comprised BA (Hons) Graphic Design (Visual Communication and Illustration) students Gabija Butaite, Andrada-Liana Hanganu, and Souad Hakim.
• The artwork illustrates community activities hosted at the hub, including bike repairs, clothing workshops, book and toy swaps, compost giveaways, and a pre-loved school uniform service.
• Primary school pupils from Our Lady of the Visitation Primary School in Greenford contributed specific toy concepts that were integrated into the finished mural.
• Professional mural company Paint Your Planet assisted with execution, using virtual reality technology to scale the digital design and recycled paint for the base coat.
• ReActon operates as a collaborative initiative alongside Ealing Council and the West London Waste Authority.

Acton (West London News) August 19, 2026 – Three University of West London (UWL) students have designed and completed a 42-metre public mural for the ReActon community reuse and recycling hub located in South Acton. Graphic design undergraduates Gabija Butaite, Andrada-Liana Hanganu, and Souad Hakim developed the visual concept for the site, which operates through a joint partnership with Ealing Council and the West London Waste Authority. The finished artwork spans a two-metre-high by 42-metre-long wall, depicting the array of circular economy services and community events provided by the local facility.

Who was involved in the creation of the ReActon mural project?

The initiative originated as an academic project brief set for more than a dozen students enrolled on the BA (Hons) Graphic Design (Visual Communication and Illustration) course at the UWL London School of Film, Media and Design.

Following a selection process, the proposal submitted by Gabija Butaite, Andrada-Liana Hanganu, and Souad Hakim was chosen to be transformed into the permanent installation.

The project also incorporated contributions from primary education pupils within the borough. Five pupils from Our Lady of the Visitation Primary School in Greenford—identified as Carter, Kaja, Mary, Mia, and Zosia—submitted visual illustrations of toys they wished to see included in a community toy exchange.

These pupil-created concepts were subsequently integrated directly into the final artwork layout designed by the university students.

To translate the digital submission onto the physical structure, specialist organisation Paint Your Planet collaborated with the design team. The execution process utilised eco-friendly materials, including recycled paint for the foundational base coat.

Additionally, virtual reality (VR) projection technology was deployed to assist the artists and technicians in precisely transferring the intricate digital vector artwork onto the 42-metre by two-metre concrete surface.

How do the academic leads and student designers describe the experience?

Academic staff highlighted the practical career skills gained by the undergraduates during the live brief. As stated by Dr Isil Onol, senior lecturer in Design Communication at UWL’s London School of Film, Media and Design:

“This was such an exciting project that gave students valuable experience of professional presentation, collaboration, client communication and public-facing design practice. The students worked hard to make it a reality.”

The participating student designers similarly noted the educational value of operating within real-world commercial and municipal constraints. As stated by UWL student designer Souad Hakim:

“This project gave me valuable real-life experience of working with a client, collaborating with a team, managing feedback and understanding what it takes to deliver a public artwork.”

What specific services and activities are depicted in the artwork?

The visual narrative of the mural directly reflects the operational scope of the ReActon hub. The 42-metre visual representation showcases several core environmental and civic services hosted at the location, including:

• A pre-loved school uniform exchange service aimed at reducing textile waste.
• Community book and toy swap initiatives designed to promote item reuse.
• Hands-on bicycle repair stations and maintenance instruction.
• Textile and clothing repair workshops aimed at extending garment lifespans.
• Public compost giveaway points supporting urban gardening and organic waste recycling.

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Background of the development

The ReActon community hub represents a structural effort by Ealing Council and the West London Waste Authority to expand localized circular economy infrastructure within the London Borough of Ealing.

Municipal waste authorities across West London have increasingly shifted focus toward upstream waste prevention, encouraging residents to repair, re-use, and share consumer goods rather than sending them to municipal incinerators or landfill streams.

Collaborative public art commissions between local government bodies and higher education institutions like the University of West London serve a dual purpose within this framework.

For municipal bodies, visible public installations help raise local awareness of civic services located at waste management sites, which are frequently situated in industrial or low-footfall areas.

For higher education institutions, embedding live client briefs into the graphic design curriculum provides students with verified portfolio work, client management experience, and exposure to large-scale fabrication technologies prior to graduation.

Prediction: How this development can affect local residents, students, and municipal stakeholders

For Local South Acton Residents: The installation of a highly visible 42-metre visual landmark is anticipated to increase public awareness and footfall at the ReActon facility. By visually depicting practical services—such as free compost distribution, uniform swaps, and bike repairs—the mural lowers information barriers for residents facing rising living costs, encouraging greater usage of non-monetary community resources.

For UWL Students and the Academic Community: The successful completion of a public-facing infrastructure project provides the participating student designers with a substantial professional milestone.

Demonstrating competency in handling client feedback, co-designing with primary school pupils, and utilizing advanced scaling technologies like VR visual mapping enhances graduate employability within design, illustration, and urban planning sectors.

For Ealing Council and Environmental Policy: If the visual integration of public hubs proves effective in driving resident participation in reuse programmes, municipal authorities across Greater London may increasingly replicate this model. Partnering local universities with council waste infrastructure offers a cost-effective blueprint for civic engagement, urban regeneration, and public waste-reduction campaigns.