Architects appointed to explore new ideas for homes, workspace and community spaces in Dalston and Hackney Central
Affordable homes, new workspaces and community spaces are among the priorities for architects appointed to explore how Council-owned land in Dalston and Hackney Central can be used to support thriving, greener and more sustainable town centres.
Dalston and Hackney Central are the two largest town centres in the borough. With Hackney facing a housing affordability crisis, Council-owned sites in Dalston and Hackney Central town centres will contribute to the Council's Cabinet ambitious plans to deliver 1000 new Council homes by 2026.
Hackney-based business Adam Khan Architects and muf architecture/art have been appointed to lead a team considering how nine the sites in Dalston and Hackney Central, most of which are allocated for redevelopment in the Council’s Local Plan, can be better used to help meet growing demand for affordable housing and workspaces, as well as community facilities and commercial space and bring about positive changes in our town centres.
The nine locations include opportunity sites around Dalston Lane and Ashwin Street in Dalston, and sites across Hackney Central which last week received £19m in levelling up funding to transform public spaces.
Despite more than a decade of Government imposed austerity, we have made sure that the Council is in a unique position having kept the ownership of publicly owned land in Dalston and Hackney Central town centres and not sold it all off. This means that the Council can work with the community to shape new development in the town centres to meet our collective needs.
Regeneration and new development can generate anxiety and uncertainty. But by taking more control of what is built in the town centres and what any new development can deliver for our communities, we can ensure it puts local needs first. The brief to the architects is to make sure that these Council owned sites can deliver new affordable homes, greener town centres and attractive and accessible places for residents and businesses.
Adam Khan architects know Hackney well and have a track record of delivering award-winning and inclusive development. I’m delighted that the Council is working with them to explore the possibilities for Dalston and Hackney Central as we continue conversations with communities to deliver thriving town centres.
Early technical work is underway by the architects to determine specific issues that any future designs would need to consider. Following this, the Council will begin community engagement and co-design on the sites, building on ongoing conversations with residents, community groups and businesses, including more than 7,000 contributions from local people gathered through the Dalston Conversation and the Hackney Central Conversation – the Council’s largest ever local engagement exercises.
The Council and Adam Khan Architects will engage with local residents and stakeholders later in 2023 on emerging design ideas for the sites. Find out more about the nine sites and about the Council's plans for Dalston and Hackney Central.
The full design team includes:
- Adam Khan Architects: architect
- muf architecture/art: public realm and landscape
- Apparata: collaborating architect
- Freehaus: collaborating architect
- JA Project: collaborating architect
- Landolt + Brown: rail specialist architect
- Daisy Froud: community engagement