Gallery


Located a short walk from Homerton station in the heart of Hackney, Homerton Baptist Church has built a strong community over the past 200 years. But their 1960s building had become unfit for purpose and could no longer accommodate the growth of the church.

We worked closely with the pastor to unlock the full potential of the site and deliver a mixed-use scheme that truly serves and enhances the community.

24 apartments

1 cafe

1 church

1 community space


The spatial layout of the ground floor has been carefully designed to optimise community usage of the building, with the cafe positioned on the corner where it’s most visible to passers-by. The cafe then leads people through to the church, encouraging churchgoers to use the cafe. Activities such as weekly yoga take place in a multi-purpose community space positioned on the lower ground floor, helping to bring the community together.

24 beautifully crafted new apartments, consisting of 1,2 and 3 beds, sit above the church to respond to the growing need for housing in the area, one of which was gifted to the church for use by the pastor. The remaining 23 were sold to successfully fund the church and make the entire development self-sustainable. Each apartment also has a private balcony, in addition to access to a communal terrace, providing residents with easy access to outdoor space and the opportunity to socialise.

To help draw attention to the wide variety of shops and boutiques nearby on Chatsworth Road, we used them as a source to dress out the 2 bedroom show apartment – ceramics and house plants coming from Botany, sliding curtains made and installed by The Hackney Draper, a beautiful Danish chair from a wonderful vintage furniture store called Everything But The Dog, and hip clothes and bags from Triangle Store.

With residents’ consent, we’ve also installed sensors into some of the apartments. The data collected from these helps us to better understand how people use space, helping to inform future design decisions.


Location

Set in the heart of Hackney, from community to greenery, the neighbourhood has everything you need to live the way you want.

Chatsworth Road is just around the corner, dubbed London’s last real high street thanks to its rows of independent shops. Here, you’ll find your local free-range butcher, artisanal baker and scented-candlestick-maker. Equally nearby is the Grade-II-listed Victoria Park, with its 2 playgrounds, 3 expansive lakes, various music festivals…

No wonder it’s a ‘TimeOut Love London’ winner.