Co-location and mixed use scheme which has provided 175 homes and 2250 square metre of commercial space in the heart of Hackney Wick for Taylor Wimpey London

Wick Lane is a truly mixed-use project which takes the distinct character of Hackney Wick as its starting point. Light industrial units, retail and workspace are co-located with 175 homes.

415 Wick Lane is a co-location scheme providing 175 homes and 2250 sqm of commercial space (84% and 16% respectively). The design rejects the concept of ‘beds above sheds’ and instead creates a more varied and integrated solution of homes blended with commercial activity while upholding the unique character of the area.

The homes are a mixture of affordable (10%), shared ownership (30%) and private sale (60%) while the workspace accommodates a range of businesses and services from hairdressers and a tattoo studio to branded workwear providers and a rug making workshop.

The commercial spaces act as a buffer between the residential uses and the Strategic Industrial Land to the south while a variety of employment spaces enliven the street frontage, and doubleheight industrial units provide large scale maker spaces. Podium gardens cushion the boundaries between employment and residential homes. Previously impassable, a new pedestrian and cycle connection route flows through the site and up on to the Greenway.

A simple graphic approach has been used, with each element of massing having one primary material and colour, applied rigorously to roofs, walls and soffits. This design move helps with legibility and wayfinding across the site as each building has its own distinct façade material using a mixture of textures: standing seam, rough brick, smooth brick, articulated brick and sinusoidal cladding.

Tradestars, themselves a new enterprise, fitted out and operate the ground floor workspace. They provide a campus offering small businesses flexible facilities and communal amenities such as podcast studios and meeting rooms with an onsite café open to the public.

415 Wick Lane considers the sustainability of cities at large as places to live and work, with a view to supporting greater economic and social resilience. It successfully co-locates functions that at face value may seem to be at odds – industry with housing.

Jaymond – Owner of Cheeky Studio
“I wanted a workspace here as Hackney Wick is such a vibrant area, and I was one of the first tenants to move in. There are so many opportunities to meet creative people in this community, we help each other out, and I’ve found people I’m now collaborating with. This space is helping me run my business.”

Seb Michalski – Owner of MerchHub
“This is the first time I’ve had an office outside my flat, and it’s been good to be part of the growing community. There are new businesses moving in all the time - we learn from each other and help each other out. It also makes me work harder, seeing other people’s businesses grow. Our street frontage has helped with getting clients too, as people walk past and pop in to see what we’re doing.”