NEWS 5ADF AUGUST 2019 WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UKTasou Associates, the Islington-based
architectural practice, has announced the
completion of its latest residential project,
the full refurbishment of the Bishop Wood’s
Almshouses in Hackney.
Working with client Noble House
Properties, Tasou Associates has refurbished
and restored five historic almshouses on
Lower Clapton Road, the heart of one of
London’s ancient ‘villages’.
The collection of Grade II listed
buildings includes what has been referred
to as ‘Britain’s smallest chapel’ dating
back to the late 1600s, and the site has
been home to Hackney residents for over
400 years.
Guided by a philosophy that “celebrates
the special character of the site,” Tasou
Associates’ team focused on making as
little change to the historic fabric of the
buildings as possible. The design “works
harmoniously with the attractive redbrick
exteriors, high pitch tiled roofs an
the Gothic revival windows of the
chapel,” said the practice. As part of the
restoration, Tasou Associates reinstated
chimney stacks, repointed brickwork, and
landscaped the central courtyard.The result is a development of bright,
modern one and two-bedroom homes,
arranged in their original setting around a
shared courtyard. Each new home features
an additional bedroom or living space
within the loft area, filled with natural light
from conservation rooflights. The “fresh”
new layout included the addition of a
bathroom, kitchen and staircase to each
property, whilst the chapel space now
features a mezzanine level with a first-floor
reception room, overlooked by the stunning
19th century tracery window.
The successful renovation means
the almshouses, previously identified
as vulnerable, have now been removed
from the Historic England Heritage at
Risk register.
Commenting on the design, Tom
Tasou, director of Tasou Associates, said
“We’re proud to have played a role in
restoring such a special historic site,
which faced an uncertain future.” He
added: “The almshouses project is a great
example of our ability to sensitively incor-
porate modern design techniques whilst
respecting the traditional elements of
heritage buildings.”The Royal Institute of British
Architects (RIBA) has opened entries
for the third edition of the RIBA
International Awards, the body’s
awards made for architectural projects
outside of the UK.
The RIBA International Awards
celebrate buildings that “exemplify
design innovation, embrace
sustainable technologies and deliver
meaningful social impact”.
Architects across the globe who
enter will be considered for three
esteemed awards:- RIBA International Awards
for Excellence - RIBA International Prize
- RIBA International Emerging
Architect Prize
Previous RIBA International Prize
winners include Grafton Architects for
their university building, UTEC
(Universidad de Ingeniería y
Tecnología) in Lima, Peru, and
Aleph Zero and Rosenbaum, for their
new school complex on the edge of
the Amazon rainforest in northern
Brazil, Children Village.
The Grand Jury will be led by
Odile Decq (Founder of Studio Odile
Decq), who will be joined by a
diverse panel of international and
regional experts. The four shortlisted
projects for the prize are visited by
two expert panels, with the Grand
Jury visiting in person before select-
ing a winner. The winner will be
announced in November 2020.
Entries close on 31 October 2019.
To enter or find out more, visit
http://www.architecture.comRIBA launches
International
Awards 2020
AWARDNew life for Hackney
almshouses
REFURBISHMENT© Cristobal Palma, Estudio Palma