London,
16
November
2016
|
11:07
Europe/London

Bacton Low Rise rising high: estate named housing project of the year

The regeneration of Bacton Low Rise Estate in Gospel Oak has won Housing Project of the Year at this year’s Building awards.

The project, which forms part of Camden Council’s Community Investment Programme and is designed by Karakusevic Carson Architects, is notable for the close involvement the Tenants and Residents Association, the District Management Committee Chair and local residents have had in developing the scheme.

Sarah Robbins, Chair of the local TRA and Terry Wiggett, Chair of the Gospel Oak DMC have dedicated an enormous amount of time to the project, working to ensure that quality and design intent was maintained throughout the project.

The first blocks at Bacton were completed last year with residents moving in to 46 new council homes in time for Christmas. 21 private sale homes will be complete in the next few months, with the flats on the market early in 2017. The next phase of the project will see many more mixed-tenure homes built.

Councillor Phil Jones, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Transport and Planning at Camden Council, said: “This award is a great example of how closely involving residents in regeneration projects can help us deliver the mix of housing badly needed in Camden in the face of damaging Government housing policy. We aim to build on this success throughout our Community Investment Programme, our fifteen year plan to build over 3,000 new homes, including 1,400 affordable homes, and invest in schools and children’s centres.”

Paul Karakusevic, partner at Karakusevic Carson Architects, said: “Delivering the first phase of the Bacton Estate re-housing programme over the past three years has helped transform many residents’ lives. The first phase, which delivers 46 social rent properties and 21 market sale properties arranged around a courtyard garden and playground, has created the homes local residents had worked so hard with the council to deliver. It’s helped retain the strong community spirit in the area.”

Sarah Robbins, Chair of the TRA, said: “We've been involved from the onset of this project, which has now been near on seven years. We are delighted and overwhelmed with the delivery of the first phase of the project, the overall design and quality to finish is outstanding. We have now moved into our new homes whereby all residents both young and old are now proud to be residents of the new build Cherry Court."

Judges at the Building Awards described the Bacton project as ‘a great scheme' and 'a thoughtful transformation' for ‘modern day family living'.

The Bacton project was also highly commended for the Community Engagement Award at the British Construction Industry Awards in October. In total, the Bacton project has been shortlisted for seven awards in 2016.

Image credit Laura Cobb courtesy of Karakusevic Caron Architects.