Dover Court Estate in Islington has been shortlisted in the RIBA North London Awards 2024.

As anyone experienced with urban regen will tell you, infill housing on council estates is controversial. If you live in a garden-less flat in a dense urban centre, you could reasonably argue that it’s wrong to reconfigure open spaces for the sake of a few homes.

At Dover Court in Islington, however, local residents backed our plans – because we developed them together. We asked what kind of homes were needed and established trust by ensuring residents would be re-housed on the estate. In the end, we delivered 70 new homes – covering a wide range of house types and sizes - along with a community centre at the base of an existing tower, as well as a consolidated and revitalised public realm - improving the open spaces, pedestrian routes and lighting to fashion a safe and welcoming journey home for all residents. And a brand new ball court too.