Athena Phase 1, part of the University of Cambridge’ ambitious new Eddington city quarter, a benchmark in urban sustainability, has been nominated for the Best Sustainable Development at the British Homes Awards. We have designed this project with Pollard Thomas Edwards and Aecom for Hill Group.

https://www.britishhomesawards.co.uk/shortlist/

Unique measures are integrated into every aspect of our developments at Athena to encourage residents and visitors to lead more sustainable lives. This means using resources in a safe and efficient way, minimising carbon emissions and pollution to help the environment now and in the future. In addition, the design process ensures wildlife and biodiversity are encouraged across the development, as well as extensive travel planning and advice to minimise the use of personal motor vehicles. We have engaged thirteen sustainable design principles, based on the internationally recognised “One Planet Living” criteria, which have been used to guide the design and development of the scheme, which prioritises passive energy, as well as the social and cultural implications of collective sustainable living.

Cadence, our pivotal building at the North of Lewis Cubit Park, has been officially launched at a press event today. New graphic hoardings have appeared across London promoting the residential sales.

Cadence, an architecturally striking urban landmark in London’s re-energised King’s Cross neighbourhood, will bring 103 private residential homes to the London housing market. 51 different spatial configurations for the apartments have been carefully crafted to provide flexible living to suit every individual with interior design led by Conran and Partners. In addition, 60 units will be managed by Pocket Living, offering design-led rental homes for middle-earning local workers who positively contribute to their community.

Please refer to the Cadence project page for more information

Alison has had the great honour of being invited to the Jury to decide the recipients of the prestigious Governor General’s Medals in Architecture 2020. Organised by The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) and the Canada Council for the Arts, these Biennial Awards recognise and celebrate outstanding design in recently built projects – big or small – by Canadian Architects.

The Governor General’s Medals in Architecture are among this country’s most prestigious and coveted architectural awards. The medals recognise excellence in the art of architecture. The jury will assess the architectural and artistic merit of the design, taking into consideration factors such: conceptual clarity; innovation and uniqueness; compatibility with the site; sustainable design; and detailing.

The 2020 jury members are:

• Alison Brooks, Principal and Creative Director, Alison Brooks Architects, London, UK
• Johanna Hurme, FRAIC, Architect and Co-founder, 5468796 Architecture, Winnipeg, MB
• Renée Mailhot, MIRAC, Architect and Co-founder, La SHED architecture, Montreal, QC
• David Theodore, MRAIC, Canada Research Chair in Architecture, Health, and Computation at the Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture, McGill University, Montreal, QC
• Isay Weinfeld, Head Architect, Isay Weinfeld Arquitetura, Sao Paulo, Brazil

After a highly competitive design competition with some of London’s most prolific housing practices, Alison Brooks Architects have been appointed by the London Borough of Hackney for the regeneration and extension of Lincoln Court, a 1960s council estate in the north of the borough currently comprising three towers.

The commission is the result of a two-stage competitive tender resulting in a design competition. The stellar shortlist included Karakusevic Carson, Metropolitan Workshop, Haworth Tompkins and Bell Phillips.

ABA’s scheme for Lincoln Court is about reanimating the street, introducing a new urban grain and integrating mixed tenure housing into the existing built fabric. Their proposal introduces four mid-rise, street-facing residential buildings to mediate between the towers and the surrounding neighbourhood, reinstating the domestic character of Bethune Road before its post war redevelopment. The new linear block will embrace the towers at their bases and together will frame three west-facing garden courtyards. Two large new flexible community spaces opening to the communal gardens will support a range of daytime and evening uses.

Alison Brooks Architects have successfully topped an international competition to design two new residential buildings within the International Quarter London (IQL) development in Stratford, East London.

Lendlease and LCR announced today that Alison Brooks Architects was selected from five practices invited to submit initial designs for two new residential and mixed-use buildings within the 22-acre development.

The buildings will include commercial space, a creche, and over 330 homes; increasing the number of properties available at IQL via affordability schemes such as Shared Ownership and Help to Buy.

Public consultation on a final set of designs is expected to begin in January, and the proposals will be consulted on and exhibited locally. They will demonstrate the very highest standards of architecture, while also melding seamlessly into the existing mix of residential, commercial and retail property at IQL. Plans for the public spaces around the buildings will refine the original masterplan and provide a continued focus on outside space, accessibility and nature.

Justin Davies, Head of Residential at Lendlease, Europe said: “Alison Brooks Architects have a wealth of experience in designing high quality residential buildings, and they have been hugely collaborative throughout this process. We are keen for that approach to continue as we take forward a project that will see us double the amount of housing on offer at IQL.

Adrian Lee, Development Director at LCR, said: “These designs will play a crucial role in delivering much-needed new homes for London and contributing to the Government’s housing targets, while bolstering IQL’s reputation as one of the capital’s top destinations to live and work. The area has leading cultural institutions and outstanding leisure and sporting facilities on its doorstep, which help it stand out as a great place to locate. We look forward to welcoming Alison Brooks Architects to the IQL team to bring new flair and design excellence to Stratford and to ensure that the new buildings will have sustainability at their core.”

Alison Brooks said “We’re honoured to have been selected to work amongst the exceptional architects working in the IQL and the wider Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park context. Our intention is to bring new character and urbanity to this park-side site, evoking the spirit of early 20th Century residential towers of New York and Chicago. Our proposal is conceived as a series of nested hexagonal columns that form ‘park ledges’ rising above a colonnaded base. We look forward to developing this concept with Lendlease and the wider Stratford and QEOP communities.”

IQL stands at the gateway to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The joint venture development between Lendlease and LCR is creating a vibrant new neighbourhood within the heart of Stratford, which brings together new homes, offices, and a diverse range of shops.

Image: Makower Architects’ masterplan for the International Quarter London.

Along with 16 other UK winners of the RIBA Stirling Prize, we have signed an open letter declaring a climate and biodiversity emergency, making a commitment to positive action in response.

The twin crises of climate breakdown and biodiversity loss are the most serious issue of our time. Buildings and construction play a major part, accounting for nearly 40% of energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions whilst also having a significant impact on our natural habitats.

For everyone working in the construction industry, meeting the needs of our society without breaching the earth’s ecological boundaries will demand a paradigm shift in our behaviour. Together with our clients, we will need to commission and design buildings, cities and infrastructures as indivisible components of a larger, constantly regenerating and self-sustaining system.

The research and technology exist for us to begin that transformation now, but what has been lacking is collective will. Recognising this, we are committing to strengthen our working practices to create architecture and urbanism that has a more positive impact on the world around us.

www.architectsdeclare.com

We are delighted to announce that our design for a Maggie’s Centre in Taunton has been granted planning permission.

Maggie’s have stated “We’re really excited to be bringing a Maggie’s to Taunton which will help thousands of people with cancer in the area and beyond. We’re incredibly grateful that we’ve been awarded planning permission, and we look forward to creating a very special place that people with cancer, their family and friends can benefit from.

We’re looking forward to working in partnership with the Beacon Cancer Centre at Musgrove Park Hospital and Alison Brooks Architects, and are committed to working with the council to create a brand new playground as part of the project for local residents and their families to enjoy.

We welcome more discussions with local residents and are keen to work with them so they feel part of the project and are happy with the outcome so that everyone can enjoy the space.”

Source

Maggie's

We’re delighted to announce our appointment as Lead Architect & Masterplanner for the York Castle Museum Redevelopment.

Our scheme with Richard Griffiths Architects, Todd Longstaffe-Gowan Landscape Design & Purcell will offer an inspiring new Museum Quarter for York.

The RIBA stage one phase of the project will see the creation of masterplan and concept designs for the re-imagined museum in preparation for the Heritage Lottery Funding Campaign. The development will be a significant part of the City of York Council’s plans for the regeneration of the Castle Gateway area.

“The number of applicants for the project has been phenomenal; this was a very competitive appointment.” Paul Lambert, York Museums Trust