Haggerston West & Kingsland Estate, Hackney

Client: London & Quadrant Housing Trust

Role: Architecture, Urban Design, Masterplanning and Town Planning

A significant London estate creating high density living. Emphasis has been given in designing an individual feeling estate with a safe and secure environment for residents including improved car parking and open spaces for community living.

The development comprises 761 new homes, a multi storey community centre and a few retail units. The residential units include 418 (55%) affordable dwellings (social rent and intermediate), 248 of which are social rent. The remaining 343 dwellings are for private for sale to generate cross subsidy for the regeneration. The proposal also provides 255 family accommodations across the tenures which 95 of those are 3 to 4 storey town houses. The masterplan focuses on improving safety and security, family dwellings with open spaces, improved car parking facilities. A core principle is to enhance the area increasing its appeal and individuality to the current and prospective communities. The project includes providing new pedestrian streets, a new public square and communal gardens.

The scheme was granted conditional planning approval in July 2008 following the submission of a Design Code to support the outline planning application. The purpose of the Design Code is to establish a set of criteria for assessing future detailed proposals and maintain the overall vision and residents’ expectations by establishing the quality of the proposed elevations and the public realm treatment.