An innovative interpretation of
an urban terrace, this mixed development enlivens a run down area
of East London, incorporating flats, a house, workshops and studios.
The front facade forms a striking and secure entrance with offices,
flats and roof terraces overlooking the public zone of the street,
while the rear elevation is softer, facing into private gardens.
The scheme won a Civic Trust Award in 2004.
The development is the opposite of a gated community, addressing
the street and urban environment in an inclusive and enlivening
manner whilst creating secure and open environments for living and
working.
Clarence Mews is a small alley in Hackney, London E5 sandwiched
between Georgian listed houses on Clapton Square (1820's) and the
Pembury Estate (1950's-70's).
The Mews had become neglected and run down; fear of crime and persistence
of drug dealing had forced small businesses and workshops to close
down, and most of the properties down the Mews were empty and derelict.
In the late 1990's the planners, recognising the inherent problems
facing Zoned Employment Areas in inner cities, gave planning permission
for several mixed use developments integrating workshops and offices
with residential units.
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