"Modest and pioneering" Hackney council housing wins 2024 Neave Brown Award

British architecture studio Al-Jawad Pike has won this year's Neave Brown Award for Housing for Chowdury Walk, a council housing development in Hackney, London.

Comprised of 11 terraced houses, seven of which are available for social rent, the development was built between two existing terraces on a plot that previously used as garages.

The houses, which sit on granite plinths and were constructed from cross-laminated timber, have a staggered design to create more privacy for residents and aid passive solar gain.

The Neave Brown Award for Housing is given in honour of Neave Brown, a modernist architect who was a pioneer in social housing, and recognises the best new affordable housing in the UK.

This year's jury applauded Chowdhury Walk's attention to detail, calling the development by Al-Jawad Pike "uplifting".

"Chowdhury Walk is part of Hackney Council’s programme to build new council homes on small sites, providing eleven two-storey terraced houses on a former garage site," said Astrid Smitham, jury chair and 2023 Neave Brown Award for Housing winner.

"A new public mews provides both informal space to play and a well-used new public route. The homes feel uplifting upon entering, with the simple intuitive floor plan making efficient use of space while supporting the busyness of family life," she added.

"Attention to detailing and quality of materials and finishes runs through every aspect of the project both internally and externally."

To help minimise energy use, Chowdhury Walk – named after doctor Abdul Chowdhury who campaigned for additional PPE for frontline workers during the coronavirus pandemic – features built-in solar panels on the homes' mono-pitched roofs and triple-glazed windows.

The 11 houses are divided into two-, three- and four-bedroom homes that sit next to a new public route for pedestrians and cyclists.

"Chowdhury Walk, an infill housing scheme in Hackney, London is both modest and pioneering," Al-Jawad Pike founding partner Jessam Al-Jawad said.

"It demonstrates what is possible when a local authority elects to develop its own brownfield sites to address housing need and enhance the local neighbourhood," he added.

"The design shows that even with a limited budget, creative solutions can produce social housing that offers moments of joy. It's a clear commitment to tackling the housing crisis by employing young local architects to deliver innovative solutions for the community."

Previous winners of the Neave Brown Award, which is sponsored by UK company VM Zinc, include architect Peter Barber's McGrath Road. In 2017, Brown was awarded the RIBA Royal Gold Medal.

The photography is by Rory Gardiner. The film was produced by the Royal Institute of British Architects.

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