Hackney (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Hackney Council has unveiled architects’ designs for five new infill council housing projects across the borough, aiming to boost local affordable housing.
Haworth Tompkins, Al-Jawad Pike, NOOMA Studio, Archio, and Citizens Design Bureau created the projects. A year ago, the local government selected them and Sergison Bates to construct 400 new residences on the properties.
A new five-story block with 19 social rent apartments by Archio at Morris Blitz Court and nine three-bedroom homes by Citizens Design Bureau that aspire for Passivhaus standards at Nye Bevan Estate garages are among the five projects that are now underway.
Blackwell Close garages will be replaced by 18 social rent flats in a five-story building designed by Al-Jawad Pike, who was shortlisted for the 2024 Stirling Prize for its Chowdhury Walk council housing for the same client.
A high-density construction of 28 social rent family dwellings at Fellows Court garages has been developed by NOOMA Studio, and Haworth Tompkins and Balaam Murphy have created plans for a new deck-access block across from the Grade II-listed Haggerston School.
All five locations are 100% council homes available for social rent and will soon be submitted for planning.
The Citizens Design Bureau’s new terraced homes at the garages in Nye Bevan Estate are meant to be scalable to other small locations within the borough.
“We’re committed to building the next generation of much-needed council homes, despite the challenges caused by Brexit, the cost-of-living crisis, and a historical lack of government funding for social housing,”
Stated Caroline Woodley, mayor of Hackney.
“I’m glad to see that these proposals for five sites are about to be submitted to planning, which, if approved, will provide nearly 100 council homes, all for social rent.
We have long been recognised for our innovative approach to building design, having recently won the RIBA Neave Brown Award 2024 for our brand new homes on Chowdhury Walk, designed by one of our architect teams, Al-Jawad Pike.
These new proposals for much-needed council homes demonstrate we are continuing to put the community’s voice, design excellence and sustainability at their heart.“
The project is part of the borough’s larger ambition to begin building 1,000 new council homes for social rent by 2026, and the hunt for architects started in May 2023.
In March 2024, the five architecture firms were selected to create dwellings for 14 underutilized plots in the borough of north-east London that are currently occupied by superfluous buildings, garages, and parking lots.
Architects NOOMA Studio and Balaam Murphy, along with landscape designers LDA, Periscope, and Farrer Huxley, were part of the winning design team.
Additionally, the council hired HTA Design as a planning consultant and XCO2 Energy as its environmental engineer.
In order to “ensure that the developments are locally focused, fair, and sustainable,” two of the design contracts were ring-fenced for proposals from various microbusinesses headquartered in Hackney.
The local government established individual resident steering groups, a group of committed people, to “help shape the projects, involve the wider community, and inform the design development,” in order to get the most recent work underway. These steering group members have received London Living Wage compensation for the time they spent in meetings.
The council anticipates that building will start the following year after approval.
The council began, finished, or obtained planning permission for 1,984 new dwellings between May 2018 and May 2022.
Along with Northolt and London Riverside, Hackney is one of three London locations participating in a three-year GLA trial program to receive part-time design support from the GLA’s cohort of 42 Design Advocates.
According to the GLA, Design Advocates will “offer independent expertise and support to local councils to help them unlock long-term benefits for diverse communities, develop visions across areas, promote quality and inclusion, and overcome challenges in the built environment.” The pilot programme has been given an annual budget of £70,000.
Hackney Council has collaborated with a number of well-known architectural firms since 2011, such as Adam Khan Architects, Henley Halebrown, Al-Jawad Pike, and Karakusevic Carson Architects.
Court of Morris Blitz
19 social rent apartments in a new five-story building with a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units; “repairing the street” along Farleigh Road; and establishing a new common courtyard for both new and current occupants
To connect the courtyard to the current podium construction, new steps, a slide, and a climbing frame are needed.
Enhancements to the public realm, such as more tree planting, wildflower meadows, and new play places
Low-energy design aiming for accreditation as a Passivhaus Classic.
Project group:
Studio ONB is the landscape architect.
Planning consultant: HTA Design
Cost consultant: Bristow
Structure and civils: Simple Works
M&E, sustainability, and technical consultant: XCO2
Nine three-bedroom homes in the Nye Bevan Estate that are all for social rent and aim to meet Passivhaus energy standards; a new pocket park area for the estate; communal planters along the street; a replica design that we intend to apply to other small sites in the borough.
£20,000 in funding from the GLA’s Small Sites Small Builders program
Project team: Citizens Design Bureau for the architect; Mark Lemanski Studio for the landscape; Bristow Consulting for the cost consultant; HTA Design for the planning consultant; and XCO2 for the multidisciplinary engineering consultant
The Weymouth Court Garages project has been thoughtfully planned to respect the needs of current inhabitants while making the most of a limited site, which is across from the Grade II-listed Haggerston School and on the edge of a conservation area.
A courtyard garden for both new and existing inhabitants, as well as a deck structure that enlarges the amenity spaces for each new home and livens up the street, are two new amenity spaces defined by the idea, which emphasizes liveability.
Simple materiality, which is both sturdy and economical, guarantees that the scheme can be delivered.
The development aims for a net zero carbon standard, prioritizes fabric, and has a low Form Heat Loss Factor. Photovoltaic panels supply sustainable energy for the roof-level communal air source heat pumps.
As part of Hackney Council’s New units Programme, NOOMA Studio is the plot architect for a high-density building of twenty-eight social rent family units.
The plan emphasizes sustainable living and community well-being, and it adheres to social threshold design concepts that maintain privacy while fostering connections.
Fellows Court is fundamentally about being a good neighbor. Two-meter-deep balconies that are spaced apart promote peaceful cross-floor conversations and provide chances for interaction without being intrusive.
By lowering sill heights in living rooms, the “Table to the City” window design encourages wheelchair users, seated residents, and kids to interact with the outside world, increasing their sense of visibility and belonging.
Weymouth Court and Fellows Court project team:
Architects: Balaam Murphy, NOOMA Studio, and Haworth Tompkins
LDA Design for the Landscape
Exigere is the cost consultant.
HTA Design is the planning consultant.
Consultant for multidisciplinary engineering: XCO2
What are the key features of the new infill council housing designs?
In order to ensure that infill enhances rather than overpowers the surrounding urban fabric, new dwellings are intended to blend in harmoniously with existing communities by honoring dominant building lines, massing, setbacks, and architectural character.
In order to accommodate a range of household needs and foster inclusive communities, developments usually incorporate a mix of market-sale, shared ownership, and social rent units in a range of unit sizes (e.g., one, two, and three bedroom homes).
integrating energy-efficient building techniques, solar panels, and triple-glazed windows as sustainable elements to lessen the impact on the environment and residents’ operating expenses.
Gardens, courtyards, shared outdoor amenity areas, and elements like porches or balconies are all used in designs to encourage social interaction and community cohesion. Low landscaping and fence create hospitable, functional areas that promote neighborly relationships.