Queensbridge Quarter Phase One

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Case Study Details

• Client: Queensbridge Quarter Developments Ltd
• Contract Duration: November 2006 - September 2009
• Contract Value: £9,000,000
• Contract Location: Queensbridge Quarter, Hackney, London, E8

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Description

Queensbridge Quarter is an exciting and architecturally stunning development designed by awardwinning architects Levitt Bernstein, that forms part of the groundbreaking regeneration of the Holly Street Estate in the London Fields area of Hackney.
Developed in partnership with the London Borough of Hackney, Queensbridge Quarter phase one comprises a total of 30 private apartments and 5 private houses. Phase two started on site in March 2010.
Environmental issues and energy efficiency was an integral part of the design at Queensbridge Quarter. Areas such as CO2 emissions, material specification and infrastructure were all addressed. As such, all homes have been designed to meet an Eco-Homes rating of Good. This was achieved by a number of sustainable features such as extra thick walls and roofs to allow for increased U-values in excess of current regulations, draught lobbies to dwellings to reduce heat loss, full height windows of south facing glazing to minimise the need for daytime lighting, recycling collection facilitites, 100% bike parking and storage and new trees were planted.

Challenges

The estate had been the subject of regeneration activity through combined developer and RSL partners for a number of years. Hackney’s brief was to achieve a minimum of 40 new rented homes to be handed back to the Council plus a capital receipt for the land. The tender invitation anticipated a start date of August 2003.
United House Developments responded with a design-led tender that met the requirements and won the bid. However the period of negotiation lengthened as the Council was unable to secure leasehold re-purchases. Eventually, vacant possession was achieved and the project finally started on site in November 2006.
United House Developments worked closley with the Council and its advisors to amend proposals and cope with the inevitable effect of inflation over the three year period. One of the pressures on costs came from the requirement for 10% renewable energy. This was met by a combination of reduced energy consumption with very high levels of insulation and innovative energy sources, provided by photo voltaic cells and ground source heat pumps. All units are heated and controlled individually and the requirement for 10% has been proven.

Awards

Queensbridge Quarter has won numerous awards including ‘Project Winner’ at the 2007 RIBA Housing Design Awards, ‘Best Partnership Development’ at the 2008 What House Awards and most recently ‘Apartment Building of the Year’ at The Mail on Sunday Awards, ‘Best Development’ at the Daily Mail Awards and Gold Standard at the Building for Life Awards. 

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