Cordwainer House, Mare Street, Hackney
The site
Cordwainer House is located on vibrant Mare Street, an arterial road in the London Borough of Hackney.
In the 19th Century, the site was occupied by large residential properties with gardens, a time when Hackney was considered to be a 'healthy and agreeable place'. Throughout the 20th Century, following construction of the Great Eastern Railway and the industrialisation of the area, all of the residential properties were demolished, and demolished again. The site became an industrial wasteland.
Cordwainer House provides 106 affordable homes (68 shared ownership and 38 rent), ranging from one bed flats to large family homes, plus 1100sqm of commercial floor space.
The scheme
A substantial part 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 storey building of traditional construction with a brick façade creates an elegant terrace on to a busy street.
MHP purchased the site, instructed the design, achieved the planning permission, managed the build, marketed the units and now manage the completed properties.
Using a partnering contract, the scheme was delivered on time and to budget.
The deal
MHP achieved planning permission for this substantial building following a revised application in March 2006, and completed a complex land deal with the purchase of the site in July 2006.
The difficult location of the site was acknowledged and the construction contract was tendered before planning was secured, in order to manage the risks imposed by the adjacent railway line and ensure deliverability of the scheme.
