HTA's combined team are working collaboratively to design the redevelopment proposals at the former Queen Elizabeth Children's Hospital in a conservation area adjacent to Haggerston Park on the border of Tower Hamlets and Hackney in London. The scheme successfully restores an important but hitherto abandoned site, turning its dark, unloved backstreet character into vibrant, active, great streets; returning it to valuable use as much needed residential accommodation for London.

The design retains the buildings of significant heritage value and successfully integrates the old with the new. The development provides a new pedestrian link from the east of the site to Haggerston Park, connecting new residents to the existing neighbourhood.

The Hackney Road building facade has been retained and refurbished into new apartments, with other new build residential forming the rest of the project. In total, 188 new homes will be created on this abandoned hospital site, with additional space for community enterprise or start-up business spaces.

The development provides a new pedestrian link from the east of the site to Haggerston Park connecting residents to the park from the proposed development and existing residents to the east via two new streets: Muffin Lane and Northern Lane. The improved connection to the Park has created an opportunity for the provision of community enterprise units on Goldsmith’s Row.

A newly created route through the centre of the site helps open up pedestrian access, and materials reminiscent of the area compliment the buildings considered design and form.

The scheme has recently been submitted for planning following an extensive period of involved community engagement. We consulted with all local stakeholder and resident groups as well as with statutory authorities, using interesting inclusive methods of engagement, such as a robot drawing machine, stories workshop and a public art commission documenting local history on the exterior building elevation.