Fleet and Y O U & M E win HatHouse commission

The team led by Fleet Architects including Y O U & M E have been selected to work with Luton Culture to refurbish the HatHouse building within Luton’s Historic Hat District.  The Trust has developed a strong relationship with contemporary creative arts including locally born Turner nominee Mark Titchener’s Beacon which launched in December 2016.

The property is a five-story building comprising 12,500 sqft forming part of a major redevelopment of three historic hat factories in the Hat District for creative, design, tech and digital businesses.

HatHouse will be part of the Hat District’s cultural community of bars, live music, venues and events at the neighbouring Hat Factory Arts Centre.

Located in the heart of the Hat District in Luton’s cultural quarter, the upper three floors will consist of individual studios ranging in size and scope. There will also be a ground floor retail offer and a basement area providing a contemporary food and beverage destination.

The team will be working to a fast track programme to meet the demands of the funding cycle and will be working closely with Project Managers Hewitt Freeborn.

Planning Permission for Listed Islington Home

Fleet are pleased to announce the planning approval of the redesign and extension of the lower ground floor and garden of a Grade II listed home sited within the Duncan Terrace/Colebrook Row conservation area, Islington.

The existing house having suffered flood damage was in need of renovation.  Our green-fingered client wanted to take the opportunity to create new living spaces at lower ground floor and improve the links to the rear garden via a stepping terrace of cascading planters.  Constructive negotiation with LBI planners, and tree and conservation officers have enabled us to realise our client’s vision of unifying garden and home.

The whole design process with the client has been a pleasure.  Relying primarily upon 1:20 physical modelling has resulted in a rich sequence of proposals that were easily understood by the client and enabled them to truly engage with the design process and feed in their ideas with confidence.

CASS School Crit Sessions with Mae Architects

Fleet were delighted to be involved in CASS Unit 5 (tutored by Mae) final crits for their first studio brief – ‘The Porch’.

An intriguing brief which focused on:

‘…investigating, defining and constructing that threshold moment that both separates and attaches the dwelling to the street.’

led to an impressive array of photography, drawn studies and modelling through different scales.  The work was well presented, unexpected and enjoyable and will act as a positive springboard for the chunkier briefs to come.

Fleet Talk at Mae Architects

Jaime and Richard of Fleet presented the practice approach to Healthcare deisgn on the invitation of Mae Architects as part of Mae’s programme of Friday evening talks.

If your organisation would like to host a Feet talk please get in touch.

Stakeholder Engagement in Peckham Library

Fleet hosted a brief development workshop with for the Peckham Platform Arts Organisation and Charity with Peckham locals, artists, collaborators, staff and volunteers to explore the wider and sometimes less pragmatic needs of the new Platform Gallery space being designed.

The workshop took place in one of Will Alsop’s delightful and acoustically playful pods it the Library, the winner of the Stirling Prize for Architecture in 2000.

The workshop meandering through various scenarios covering the grazing of animals and skipping to musing on urban crusts and the value (or not) of a white walls and the perception of a threshold.

The project is currently at RIBA stage 2, opening is currently planned for late 2018.

Successful Appeal Overturns Planning Decision

Fleet have successfully appealed and overturned a decision to refuse a residential planning permission in the Telegraph Hill conservation area in South-East London.

Although the scheme was not criticised by the conservation or local historic society the local planning authority had originally rejected the proposals based on concerns over enclosure and loss of outlook by occupants of neighbouring properties.

On the Client’s instruction Fleet undertook an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate resulting in the successful reversal of the original decision.  The design team provided additional evidence focussing on the principal issue of enclosure and outlook with the argument prepared assisting the inspectorate to decide in favour of the proposals.

DEZEEN: Fleet creates timber “nest” and zigzagging bar for east London brewery

Fleet Architects creates timber “nest” and zigzagging bar for east London brewery

Shifting Spirit – Opening of Matthew Raw Installation at Fleet

Fleet are delighted to collaborate with ceramic artist Matthew Raw with the installation of his Shifting Spirit piece in the Canteen space at 61 Mare Street Hackney.

The installation was marked with an opening and presentation.  If you would like to arrange a viewing please get in touch.

Fleet Move into New Premises with The Five Points Brewing Company

Fleet have moved into new premises on Mare Street, sharing a warehouse building with The FIve Points Brewing HQ.

The redundent warehouse near Broadway market formerly served as a tool hire centre for the Olympic construction work.

Now as the home of Fleet and Five points the bulding of over 20,000 sqft will house the London offices of Fleet, the Five Points Back Office, Brewery Warehousing and up to 50 additional flexible workspaces.

The canteen space will become a shared meeting and event space available for local group use.

The large yard will be put to good use, the plan is to host 6 yard parties a year.

Transpontine Market House at LSBU

The end of year show for the Transpontine Studio at the LSBU school of architecture included a timber ‘Market House’ instalation.

The unit, which focuses on public, civic and social function within the areas surrounding the University,  was established jointly by Fleet Architects working with ZODA Architecture in September 2013.