Kings Crescent

The full masterplan will see up to 492 new homes built, including:

• 107 Council homes for social rent
• 111 homes for shared ownership

The remainder for outright sale to help pay for them with little government funding for affordable housing

We’ve also been pressing on with our plans to improve existing blocks including new walkways and balconies for the majority of the homes.

Phase 1 and 2

Phases 1 and 2 of the project were completed in 2017 and included 273 new homes and 101 refurbished homes.

Phase 3 and 4

We expect work to start on Phases 3 and 4 in spring/summer 2025.

These phases include:

• refurbishment of existing blocks including new balconies
• 219 much-needed new homes
• new workspace and commercial units such as shops or cafes
• new community centre
• new and improved planting, landscaping and play space

The social rent homes will be allocated to families on our housing waiting list, with priority going to local residents who are in housing need.

The shared ownership homes are prioritised for people living and working in Hackney who are unable to buy outright but won’t be prioritised for social housing, with the remainder sold outright to help pay for the project in the absence of sufficient government funding for affordable housing.

The shared ownership homes and the outright sale homes in Phases 3 and 4 of the project will be sold by our in-house sales team, Hackney Sales, in accordance with our sales and marketing principles.

As well as the new homes, 275 current homes are receiving improvement works, including the installation of winter gardens and balconies on homes that previously have had no private outdoor space of their own.

Our other improvements include landscaping and planting throughout the estate, walkway improvements and new work spaces.

We’ve also rethought the layout of the estate to make it feel safer and well lit.

In June 2021 we began a fit-out of the space to provide a temporary community centre during the construction of Phases 3 and 4 of the regeneration.

This is now home to Hackney Showroom‘s collaboration with Kings Crescent’s Tenants and Residents Association (TRA), to provide a range of activities and services to the estate.

The space has been split into two performance spaces, a lobby and a small office. The award-winning arts organisation are using the opportunity to connect to the local community and host a range of activities, events and learning opportunities.

Across Hackney we are creating improved public spaces, better amenities for existing residents and a fair recovery from the pandemic – including three new schools and a state of the art new leisure centre, and providing training and employment opportunities for Hackney residents.

Phases 1 and 2

• architects: Karakusevic Carson Architects, Henley Halebrown and muf architecture/art.
• construction: Higgins Construction.

Phases 3 and 4

• architects: Henley Halebrown, Levitt Bernstein, Stephen Taylor and Muf architects
• construction: Mullaley

Since the approval of the plans, the cost of building has risen significantly. This is due to the:

• increasing price of labour and materials – caused by multiple factors such as Brexit
• COVID-19
• rising energy costs

There have also been some significant changes introduced to building safety regulations. These include enhanced fire safety requirements. We will work on updating the designs to ensure they meet the new regulations without reducing design quality.

Due to the number of steps that we must complete, we expect that the earliest main works can begin in spring 2025. In the meantime, we will begin a number of site enabling works. These include:

• gas, electric and water service diversions
• moving the community centre
• site investigations to get ready for construction

The homes have been designed to make the most of views over Clissold Park without having a negative impact on the existing homes, and the first phase won the prestigious New London Architecture Mayor’s Prize and a RIBA National Award.

Other awards include:

• Hackney Design Awards 2019
• RIBA London Award 2018
• RIBA National Award 2018
• AJ Architecture Awards 2018 – Housing Project of the Year (over £10 million)
• AJ Architecture Awards 2018 – Editor’s Choice Award
• Civic Trust Awards 2020 regional finalists (Phase 1 and 2)