BUCCLEUCH HOUSE.
Hackney, London
AREA landscape architects were part of the construction design team for Hill Residential, in partnership with Hanover and Agudas Israel Housing Associations for the redevelopment of the former Buccleuch House site.
Housing Design Awards 2013 HAPPI Winner
Housing Design Awards 2013 Project Winner
Architect: Levitt Bernstein
Contractor: Hill Partnerships
Completed 2013
The Project
The project to create a contemporary building housing 107 new apartments, including elderly care facilities, required special sensitivity to understand and reflect the cultural backgrounds of the future residents, as well as to integrate the new building into its historic setting. Our brief was to provide detailed design for a new landscape setting for the new housing, which replaced an early 20th Century block in a poor state of repair.
The landscape design proposed that all residents share a green space to the front of the building, including a small play area for children. All ground floor dwellings have direct access to private defensible space. Boundaries of defensible space harmonise with the architecture and centrally located refuse stores allows space to be maximised.
Hard surface areas to front and rear are treated as shared surface with provided car parking space without dominating the street scene.
A continuous footpath linking both ends of the shared square allows unencumbered use of the green space. Improved access to each of the buildings cores area provided by the addition of new gates at either end of the space. The simplicity of this plan form respects the restrained historic layout of the square. A doorstep play area occupies the north west of the shared square whilst extra care courtyards to the rear provide access to therapeutic and calming garden spaces that provide outdoor seating, growing opportunities for residents own fruit and vegetable and shady garden space with plenty of dynamic seasonal change.
