UK: Architect Morris + Company has released details of plans to replace warehouses in Hackney Wick, east London, with an eight-storey coliving scheme that also includes workspace.
Proposals submitted to the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) last month for developer Halcyon involve demolishing warehouse buildings on the site at 115-199 Wallis Road.
The scheme comprises two eight-storey buildings with 339 coliving units as well as an internal courtyard and new public realm. This would face the nearby Lee Navigation, which separates the 0.9 hectare site from the Queen Elizabeth Park.
One standalone eight-storey building would front the canal while the other, with a two-storey basement, would stand at the back of the site.
The proposal contains 1,020 square metres of flexible workspace, 1,280 square metres of resident amenity space, and 1,760 square metres of new public realm. Both buildings would have roof gardens connected by a bridge.
The site had previously been earmarked for a 49-home residential scheme with 2,050 square metres of commercial floorspace, designed by Pollard Thomas Edwards Architects. The scheme was submitted in 2019 but fell through following s106 negotiations.
A separate application in 2029 for 33 homes by Lyndon Goode Architects, was refused by the LLDC’s planning committee.
The site was acquired by Mitheridge Capital Management which has teamed up with London co-living developer Halcyon Development Partners to develop the scheme.
Daniel Rastegar, investment director at Mitheridge, said: “Wallis Road is a fantastically positioned site and a great opportunity to deliver much-needed housing within one of London’s most exciting communities. We’re excited to embark on this project with Halcyon, who have an excellent track record in the co-living sector.”
Neil MacLeod, partner at Halcyon, said: “Following closely on the back of the successful opening of Florence Dock in Battersea, we look forward to once again being able to demonstrate our commitment to delivering sustainable and impactful co-living developments.”
Between the 1890s and 1940s, the site was home to the Clarnico Works Confectionery Factory, which produced Mint Cream biscuits. It has since been used by artists and as light industrial storage space. One of the three warehouses has a mural by French artist Thierry Noir, one of the first artists to paint on the Berlin Wall, which will be lost as part of the development.
The LLDC, which will decide on the scheme, is due to return planning powers to Hackney Council later this year.
