New live-work concept announced for east London entrepreneurs
Affordable housing provider Peabody and workspace provider The Trampery have announced a new live-work development in Hackney Wick, designed to support the capital’s creative and technology entrepreneurs.
Addressing the affordability issue which challenges many young creative people looking for somewhere to live and somewhere to base their business in London, Fish Island Village integrates both issues, providing a range of new build homes alongside commercial space which can be utilised and shared by budding new businesspeople.
The six-acre site is in Hackney Wick, East London, and will deliver 580 new homes to buy and rent as well as 5,300 sqm of commercial premises, most of which will be operated by The Trampery as workspaces together with a workshop area, theatre and bar-restaurant. Some £7.3m has been provided by the Mayor of London’s fund to help support the scheme.
With work on the project die to start this summer, Fish Village Island is expected to support around 500 jobs in the creative and technology sectors.
Stephen Howlett, chief executive of the Peabody Group, says: “We recognise the importance of culture and creativity in successful placemaking and building balanced thriving communities. We are very excited about the potential for this unique partnership with The Trampery, to engage the local creative community, whilst providing much needed affordable housing.”
Charles Armstrong, founder of The Trampery, adds: “It’s fitting that London should lead the world in pioneering a completely new kind of integrated development designed to support the needs of this community. As one of London’s most creatively vibrant neighbourhoods Hackney Wick is a perfect location. We’re taking everything we’ve learned over six years building workspace communities and evolving it into an environment where people live as well as work. Peabody is a dream partner with their commitment to a social mission and their concern for high quality architecture and environments.”
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, says: “This exciting partnership between Peabody and The Trampery is a shining example of what can be done to support the needs of our creative and tech talent. However, there is little point in creating new workspace unless we provide the homes for our budding entrepreneurs to live in so I am delighted that this project includes 580 new homes on-site. This scheme truly rethinks the concept of how people live and work and could be replicated both in London, in other major cities across the UK and beyond.”