King John Court Mixed Use/Apartments
Ellis-Miller + Partners demonstrated exemplary architecturalcontextual skill in the design of the King John Court Apartments and retail, a part of the Ellis-Miller + Partners Shoreditch Village masterplan. Their masterplan required a south facing block to address the corner condition at the northern end of the site, firm up the King John Court street frontage and create an active ground floor frontage. The bull-nosed block has a retail unit on the ground floor and eight upscale units above, the brick detailing refers to the site industrial past. The design deals with formidable planning and construction challenges with sensitivity and style.
Ellis-Miller + Partner devised a series south-facing courtyards and hand-made brick exteriors that resonate with the conservation area’s ethos, while addressing the viaduct’s overshadowing presence. Planning demands included Hackney Council negotiations for heritage-sensitive approvals, incorporating rights-of-way reinstatements and archaeological mitigations to avert delays. Construction trials featured vibration-dampening foundations, sequenced builds to safeguard Victorian arches, and adjustments for unforeseen site contaminants, compounded by early pandemic disruptions.
Collaborative synergies were crucial: Gustafson, Porter + Bowman engineered biodiverse landscapes, creating tranquil green enclaves amid urban intensity. Stakeholders such as Hackney Council and local residents shaped inclusive features through iterative consultations, prioritising community cohesion.
The apartment are twoand three-bedroom apartmentswith en-suitebathrooms, open-plan kitchens boasting premium appliances, private balconies, air-conditioning, and underfloor heating designed in accordance with London Housing Design Guide standards as a minimum. The design optimised natural light despite viaduct adjacency. The designs incorporating energy-efficient glazing for sustainability, complied with evolving regulations. Ellis-Miller + Partner skillful intervention has completed a part of the jigsaw of their overall masterplan and has yielded a 2017 British Homes Award for an exceptional project in Shoreditch’s creative heart.
