Press Release

Islington’s new council homes transform a derelict space and win national housing design award.

23 July 2010

Homes for Islington (HFI) working with Islington Council have won a prestigious National Housing Design award for their new council housing in Armour Close. The homes were nominated alongside some of the best design projects in the country.

The four new family homes, designed by HFI’s in-house architects, were built on the site of old garages beside a Victorian prison officers’ block. One of the tenants who moved in their new home in October 2009 said:
“We are thrilled to move into our new house, the space has been so well designed for our family and we are looking forward to our future here”.

The homes with large skylights and large open spaces within the buildings to keep the homes bright and they are constructed to a high environmental specification with eco-friendly, energy saving features including:

• highly efficient double glazing
• rain water flush toilets
• ground source heat pumps to provide sustainable heating and hot water
• green flowering roofs to add insulation
  

These ‘green’ features reduce residents’ energy bills and the negative environmental impacts made on the local area.

Theresa Coyle MBE, Chair of the HFI Board said:
"These new homes are looking great - I am so proud our residents are getting the very best housing.

The development of the first new council housing in over 20 years is a big step. The recognition of the quality and design of Armour Close is a great bonus.

It is testament to the high quality of work and commitment of the architects’ team at HFI. It also shows the benefits that the close and effective partnership between HFI and the Council can bring. We are looking forward to developing and managing further new housing over the coming years.”

Cllr James Murray, Islington Council's Executive Member for Housing said:
"These awards recognise the clever use of space and design to create brand new family homes for overcrowded Islington families.

"Giving every Islington resident a decent home is one of our main priorities.
"So we'll continue to work with HFI, local housing associations and others to increase the supply of family homes through new builds, deconversions and tackling under occupation."

This is the second set of awards that the first new council build projects in Islington for a generation have been praised for, after the Boleyn Road development was short listed for a Sustainable Housing award.

The annual Housing Design Awards promote excellence and sustainability in home design and are sponsored by the Department for Communities and Local Government. This year’s Housing Design Awards are supported by RICS, the housing industry’s largest professional body. The awards are officially partnered by the industry's three key professional institutions, architects through RIBA, planners through RTPI and surveyors through the RICS.

ENDS

For media enquiries please contact Mary Switzer in the HFI communications team on 020 7527 4342 or email mary.switzer@homesforislington.org.uk

Notes to editors:

1. Homes for Islington, one of the UK’s largest arms length management organisations (ALMO), which began operations in April 2004, is charged with managing council housing stock throughout the borough. It is owned by Islington Council and managed by a Board of Directors, made up of Islington tenants and leaseholders, council representatives and independent members.
2. Armour Close was one of two ‘new build’ developments to be built in Islington. These two developments represent the first new council housing to be constructed in the borough for over 20 years. Click here for more information.
3. Click on the link for more information on the housing design awards
4. Image 1. left to right: Fiona Monkman, HFI architect, Theresa Coyle MBE, Chair of the HFI Board and Sean McLaughlin, LBI Corporate Director of Housing and Social Services, collecting The Housing Design Award. July 2010
5. Image 2. Armour Close, new build houses