Islington Masterplanning

If there’s one thing we’ve learned makes better buildings, it’s empathy. Architecture never happens in isolation—and simply by being interested and engaged, we’ve found it’s possible to open up the conversations that connect a scheme to its clients and community.

We believe that the more constraints there are, the better the architecture. If there aren’t any constraints, we create them. Challenging sites, existing buildings and complex briefs almost always present incredible opportunities for great design.

To limit our environmental impact, we start with what is already there. By manipulating the form and fabric of a building—whether new or existing—we can work with the existing conditions of topography, light and orientation, and harness the natural energy sources offered by air, ground and water.

If a site’s constraints guide the bigger design decisions, then it’s empathy that informs the smaller, social details. These details frame the human narratives that aren’t included in the brief, anticipating specific moments in the users’ lives.

Good architecture is as much about what happens on the building site as it is about what’s on the drawing board. By working alongside contractors as well as clients we can ring-fence the ideas and details that matter, championing quality and sustainability throughout construction.

Islington Masterplanning

Work Studio Activity News Contact

Work

 Islington Social Housing
Islington, London

Client

City of London Corporation

Download

> Housing brochure

A feasibility and masterplanning study for the redevelopment of a postwar housing estate, removing existing buildings in disrepair and adding new-build accommodation in a complex series of phases. The proposals have to the potential to add over 200 new homes, along with improvements to the existing public realm, and provide a range of housing types included an option for new almshouses.

The study tackled a series of challenging constraints: the site was very tight, sitting next to a Conservation Area and a local park, and the project had to be delivered within strict budgetary guidelines.

Our design recognised the park setting, adding balconies and bays which helped extend the park into the new buildings. Materials pick up on the characteristic red brick of the estate to establish a visual continuity with the context, while allowing a range of heights and massing treatments within the proposals.