Tower Court
Clapton Common, London
132 mixed tenure homes and ambulance depot, designed through extensive collaboration with Hackney Council, local and returning residents, and several architecture practices
1/2A synthesis of landscape and architecture
A set of mansion blocks face Clapton Common
1/5Learning From, Designing With
Front and backs
"In the particular is contained the universal"
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- Tower Court, Clapton Common, London
- Project: 132 mixed tenure homes and ambulance depot
- Client: Hackney Council
- Duration: 2015 – 2023
- Status: Completed
- Civic Trust Award 2025, Winner
- NLA Award: Overall Winner 2024, Winner
- NLA Award: Housing 2024, Winner
- NLA Award: Mayor's Prize 2018, Shortlisted
- Housing Design Awards 2017, Project Winner
Tower Court sits within a diverse neighbourhood, home to Europe’s largest Haredi community. It is a Hackney Council owned scheme providing 132 high-quality, modern, mixed tenure homes, for this community and others. Rigorous site analysis and deep community engagement, led to innovate best practice across the design process, and a design that has grown from, and is highly specific to, people and place.
In a synthesis of architecture and landscape, buildings flex around retained mature trees and open out onto Clapton Common. The inflected geometry of the buildings improves internal qualities of daylight, views and aspect but also shapes the courtyards as comfortable, spatially interesting, outdoor rooms. The public realm, intensively shaped as a place of play and social encounter, extends into the entrance lobbies, and sets the foundations for an integrated community. It is a model for high-density family living, suitable for the changing, diverse needs of contemporary London.
A collaboration between Adam Khan Architects and muf architecture/art
AKA Design Team: Muf architecture/art, Daisy Froud, J&L Gibbons, Cathy Hawley, Tom Stebbing, Bernd Schmutz, Tibbalds, Ellis & Moore, MLM
Client Design Team: Potter Raper
Executive Architect: Child Graddon Lewis
Contractor: Countryside
Photography: Alex Solomon, Alan Williams, David Grandorge, Hackney Council, Ioana Marinescu
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1/2Carefully composed bands of texture in brickwork define the hierarchy of facade elements
1/3A soft adjustment of the grid gives a geological quality
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1/4Courtyards as social condensers
Robust and dignified entrances act as public rooms
1/2Achieving bespoke craft - signage and artworks made by a local mosaic charity
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Highly flexible family homes
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“Adam Khan Architects were appointed by Hackney Council in 2015 as main consultant and lead architect for Tower Court – a 132 unit scheme in Stamford Hill. They completed the design work to RIBA Stage 3+ and were subsequently appointed by the Council as a client-side design guardian for the scheme. They developed a sophisticated and thoughtful response to a demanding brief – successfully designing exemplary family housing at high density whilst being sympathetic to the heritage context of the site. They have proved to be dedicated, capable and talented architects.”
