Haworth Tompkins has won the opportunity to work with the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) on an ambitious masterplan at the Mid-Wales eco centre, supported by funding from the UK Community Renewal Fund. CAT is an internationally renowned environmental charity, eco centre and UK-leading provider of postgraduate environmental education, the proposed project will see the creation of new spaces for education in sustainable solutions; areas to deliver green skills for the future; and an immersive world-class tourism experience to inspire many more people to take action on environmental solutions. As co-founders of Architects Declare we are acutely aware of the climate and biodiversity emergency the planet faces and the urgent need to take radical positive action. As a team, regenerative design sits at the root of our work. We are especially excited to be working with CAT on this project, as it builds upon our own experience and interest to go further, adopting regenerative principles to achieve long-term positive (rather than neutral) impacts, for both the community and environment. We will be leading a team which includes Metaphor, Momentum, Max Fordham, Exploration Architecture, JCLA and Rural Office on plans which will be shaped by public consultation and research over the coming months. To get involved, please click here.
Associate Director Ken Okonkwo has been selected as one of the Mayor’s Design Advocates (MDAs); independent, built environment experts helping to deliver a safe, fairer, greener and more prosperous city for all Londoners. The group of 42 MDAs have experience in both the public and private sector, include practitioners, academics, policymakers and those from community-led initiatives. The new cohort will be supporting the Good Growth by Design programme, working on the three main objectives of quality, recovery and representation. Click here for further details.
This year the London Festival of Architecture (LFA) is celebrating some of London’s most architecturally significant areas under the banner of LFA Destinations, including Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as it marks ten years since the 2012 Olympic Games. We will be discussing some of our work in the area, firstly on an architect-led walking tour of Fish Island Village on Saturday 11 June. Then on 21 June, Associate Director Ken Okonkwo will be on the panel for 'Ten years of Design Review in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park' - an event using two case studies, Here East and Fish Island Village. Click here for further information.
This week is National Mental Health Awareness Week, and our team of Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) have organised a series of sessions concentrated on this year's theme, which is Loneliness. These include mindfulness meditation, office walks at lunchtime, social tea breaks, and a CPD from the Architects Benevolent Society on the support they can offer.
To celebrate Deaf Awareness Week we have a programme of face-to-face and virtual events in the office, designed as an opportunity for us to gain a greater understanding of the Deaf community within both architectural practice, and in wider society. Organised in conjunction with Part II Christopher Laing, we will be holding CPDs on British Sign Language (BSL) terms, a session on Deaf Awareness in the workplace and learning about future plans including the BSL act.
Commissioned by the award-winning theatre company Punchdrunk, Haworth Tompkins have completed a temporary entrance pavilion for the company’s new base in south-east London, forming part of the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s new creative district, Woolwich Works. The scheme includes show infrastructure for their opening immersive production “The Burnt City”, technical plans, assistance making the building fully accessible for the first time, and support with their initial office space planning. To read more, click here.
We have been shortlisted for the AJ100 Practice of the Year award, two years after last winning the prize. The criteria is based on business and quality of design output and takes into account both key business data from the main AJ100 research including approach to sustainability and diversity and findings from the employee satisfaction survey. The judges commented after our 2020 win ‘Haworth Tompkins is setting the standard for architectural practice in today’s world.’ The awards will be announced at the ceremony in June.
Wood Street Families and Homes Hub, our project for Waltham Forest Council, has now started on site. The Hill Group have been appointed to build the 67 tenure blind homes and new Hub, which will provide a range of customer facing council services. The 50% affordable housing scheme, also a LETI pioneer project, is due to complete in Spring 2024.
Fish Island Village and Gardner Close have both been shortlisted for the Housing Design Awards. The awards, originally created in 1948, are judged by a cross-disciplinary panel from key industry stakeholders, including the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Homes England, the GLA and the RIBA. Shortlisted schemes will be visited over the next few months with the winners announced in July.