UK: The City of London has approved plans for Assemblies, a coliving development at 150 Minories.
Developer HUB and investor Bridges Fund Management will convert the existing office building, delivering 277 coliving homes alongside amenities and improved public realm with new pedestrian links. It follows a recent planning approval for Cornerstone, a coliving scheme next to the Barbican Estate.
Damien Sharkey, managing director at HUB, said: “To have our plans for Assemblies approved, closely following the approval of our Cornerstone development, is testament to the benefits that shared living homes can bring to the City of London.
“We believe that well-located, professionally managed next generation co-living homes with exceptional public-facing amenity will appeal to those already working in the area while delivering added benefits to the local community. We are excited to build on our strategy of repurposing a building in an ultra-urban location, and turn it into something of value for everyone that spends time in the area and calls it home. We look forward to continuing to work with local stakeholders on delivering Assemblies and are committed to ensuring it is a catalyst for long-term positive regeneration.”
Assemblies has been designed by architects Morris+Company. Shared amenity spaces on the ground floor will include a pocket park, health hub, coworking space and café. They will be accessible to both residents and the wider public, and there is also a new public pedestrian route through the building as well as a rooftop and rear extension.
HUB and Bridges acquired the site at the end of 2023. Celia Harrison, director at Bridges Fund Management, said: “Assemblies, like Cornerstone, is a great example of how we can transform under-utilised, inefficient office buildings into attractive co-living developments that meet the huge demand for high-quality living space in urban areas. As always, our goal is to minimise carbon emissions through the life of the building – and by re-using the existing core, we can significantly reduce embodied carbon while also introducing sustainability features that will reduce operating costs and make the homes more attractive to residents. We believe Assemblies will have a really positive impact on the local area.”
