Nominations open for this year’s Hackney Design Awards – with two new categories added

The Fisheries won the People’s Choice Award in 2020. Photograph: Hackney Council

Nominations for this year’s Hackney Design Awards are now open – as the borough prepares to celebrate its best buildings and public spaces.

The biennial awards began in 2004 with a vision of showcasing Hackney’s newest architecture and design.

Prizes are handed out to buildings, extensions, restorations, public spaces and even landscaping projects.

Any building or project completed and brought into use in the last two years can be nominated across a series of categories, including two new ones – the Climate Change & Sustainability Award and the Heritage & Restoration Award.

Deputy Mayor and regeneration boss Cllr Guy Nicholson said: “The long-running Hackney Design Awards celebrate the very best of design in Hackney’s built environment.

“This year we are proud to launch a special award category which promotes Hackney’s ambitious aim of becoming a net-zero council by 2040.

“The Climate Change & Sustainability Award will showcase innovative and low-carbon designs demonstrating a direct contribution to Hackney’s climate pledge.

“The Design Awards are open to all so I encourage everyone to get involved and nominate their favourite projects in their local area.”

Longer-standing categories include the People’s Choice Award, which was launched in 2010 to give residents an opportunity to vote for their favourite project from all of the nominations. The last winner was the Fisheries Building close to London Fields.

Other winners in 2020 included Aikin Villas, one of Hackney Council’s first new social houses since the 1980s; the Floating Church, a narrowboat with an innovative pop-up roof; and the Hackney School of Food, a disused caretaker’s house converted into a specialist teaching kitchen.

To make a nomination, visit hackney.gov.uk/designawards, email designawards@hackney.gov.uk, or call 020 8356 8106. Nominations close on 26 August.