Paterson’s works do not deal with the specific. Rather, they strive for a general approach to representing urban space by employing abstraction and the lack of detail. Depicted on a white background, floating within a perspex frame University Pavilion is stripped of context and function; it becomes a basic architectural sign without claims to any specific reality. Paterson noted that his work is 'inspired by specific places, but the site is only the beginning. The references are pulled together and blurred so that nothing is made explicit.' University Pavilion was exhibited in Paterson’s first major solo show, After the Rain in 2005, which comprised of work relating to his ongoing interest in what shapes cities.