We won 2 design competitions to deliver housing on 3 sites as part of Hackney Council’s Housing Supply Programme. At Wimbourne Street we have provided 59 homes and 1 commercial unit on 2 separate sites across the street – 62% of which are affordable. The site is next to the popular and memorable Wimbourne House, a 19th century warehouse left stranded by bombing during World War II. We proposed stepping the building line back from the edge of pavement, allowing us to maintain the view of Wimbourne House when looking south along New North Road. This move also allows us to retain the excellent large specimen trees, which serve as a buffer between the accommodation and the relatively noisy traffic. This is an important corner; enhanced and emphasised with a landscaped entrance courtyard, serving as a prelude to the double-height main entrance.

We were inspired by Wimbourne House; its large glazed openings and brick pilasters, its cornicing every two storeys, how the façade onto the park is made special with a white render finish, and how the ground and first floors are painted white to form a ‘base’. All of these themes are seen in our scheme, with the 2 storey base and façade onto the park given a grander treatment, using a palette of white brick and precast concrete. Every second floor has a linear ‘string course’, emulating the two storey pilasters of Wimbourne House. Secondary to this, there is a language of anodised aluminium frames, panels of brickwork or glass, as well as finer substructure for the balconies. The majority of flats enjoy 6 metre wide kitchen/living rooms, with many having 6 metre wide terraces.