Denizen Works were short-listed from 70 entries to develop designs for 17 new homes on Pedro Street in Clapton as part of the London Borough of Hackney's new housing programme.

The site is currently occupied by a defunct concrete-framed district heating facility which sits on the east end of Gilpin Square which is the local centre for the surrounding community. The existing chimney provides a landmark so our replacement housing looks to retain this civic presence while giving activity to the currently blank elevation to the square.

Our proposals focused on giving a flexible layout to the housing creating an easy mix of tenures and housing types. On the ground floor we proposed a commercial uses that would help bolster the local economy and provide activity to the eastern edge of the square which is extended to meet the base of our building.

The housing is shown as a mix of green glazed tiles and concrete frame construction with infill brick panels. These materials were chosen to reflect the industrial history of the site with the tiles used to delineate the public areas of the complex.