Precast brick components, facing brick and cast stone from Taylor Maxwell form key components of a major residential regeneration scheme in east London by Karakusevic Carson Architects
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Kings Crescent is a £100m estate regeneration scheme in Hackney, east London, by Karakusevic Carson Architects. The ambitious five-year project forms part of a borough-wide programme to deliver nearly 3000 new homes across 18 sites, with more than half for social rent and low-cost ownership. Central to the external design are precast brick components, facing brick and cast stone from Taylor Maxwell.
Kings Crescent was recently awarded the RIBA London Award 2018 and a RIBA National Award 2018
Located in Stoke Newington, the dilapidated Kings Crescent Estate is disconnected from the surrounding townscape. The intention is to reintegrate it with the surrounding community by means of high-quality design and masonry. The first phase, which was recently completed by main contractor Higgins, comprises 273 new-build properties and external refurbishment works to 101 dwellings. It is part of a five-year masterplan, totalling 490 new-build and 275 refurbished properties. The project also employs courtyards, a central ‘playstreet’ and community garden to form new urban connections and permeable spaces. Large balconies, winter gardens and garage conversions are being used to upgrade the existing housing.
Reconstituted cast stone and around 1million long-format facing bricks from Taylor Maxwell have been supplied to meet the high-quality design specification. The former create distinct banding between floors, as well as lintels above the windows. Ranging in height from five to 12-storeys, the new residential blocks combine traditional brickwork with offsite manufacture. The latter include ‘floating’ precast brick soffits that were delivered to site ready for installation. Items such as these are ideal where access is restricted, or the project programme demands fast on-site construction.
Offsite manufactured masonry is often used to create complex cladding features, such as arches, lintels and deep brickwork soffits. These types of detail are timely or challenging to achieve using traditional brickwork. Precast units are formed by making a dovetail cut into the rear of each brick. The bricks are then laid face down in the mould, before concrete is poured over the rear face to form a mechanical key.
