Fabrika
The project was initially conceived in 2002, when Circle 33 launched a competition in association with the Architecture Foundation called “Accommodating Change”, which called for architects to design an innovative scheme. There were two aspects of the competition, one for a new development in Bow for architects and another on an ideas based competition for students.
The initiative came from Circle 33’s desire to raise awareness and improve the quality of affordable housing. Its aim was to encourage architects to consider the importance of good housing design and the impact it has on improving the quality of life for the residents. They were tasked with designing a scheme for urban life in Tower Hamlets, a scheme that would eventually be built with completion in January 2006.
The competition-winning design presents a very clear statement about inner city housing: it should be compact, car-free, and formed of streets and squares which foster public interaction. So the 35 flats, maisonettes and houses for rent or sale rise to no more than three storeys, and the pedestrian routes which link them to neighbouring areas are no more than 7.5 metres wide: a dense, close-knit development of intimate scale. There is no shared access, everyone has their own front door and the streets to which they give are overlooked by balconies and roof gardens at first floor level.
The scheme, also known as Donnybrook Quarter, is a mixed tenure development comprising private sale, rent and shared ownership.
05/01/09 17:08
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Awards
Old Ford Housing Association has won a prestigious national Gold Award for Excellence. Old Ford won the Building Cohesive Communities category of the awards which recognise achievements and excellence in the social housing sector.
