Satish Jassal Architects adds red-brick social housing blocks to London estate

London studio Satish Jassal Architects has completed Rowan Court, a cluster of brick-clad social housing blocks in Seven Sisters that "repairs the frayed edges" of an existing 1970s estate.

Commissioned by Haringey Council, the development provides 46 apartments on a left-over strip of land between an existing housing estate and a railway line in north London.

Intended to diversify the available housing types at the estate with a focus on larger families, Rowan Court includes four wheelchair-accessible apartments and four multi-generational maisonettes.

Satish Jassal Architects' design mirrors the zigzagging plan of the existing housing blocks and is organised around an L-shaped apartment block, flanked on either side by a series of lower terrace blocks. This creates a new courtyard and mews-style street.

"The core concept revolves around repairing the frayed edges of the urban fabric," founder Satish Jassal told Dezeen.

"This involves enhancing the public space and developing sustainable and inclusive housing for the community," he continued.

"The most significant gesture is the creation of a new public square and mews street, which transforms a neglected, unsafe area into a gentle, secure, and community-oriented space for all residents, both new and existing," he added.

The central block of Rowan Court is six storeys in height and contains 31 apartments. Each one has access to an external terrace cut out of the brick facade that overlooks communal outdoor areas.

To the east, two blocks of maisonettes and townhouses create the mews-style street, while to the west a single block of townhouses completes the partial enclosure of a small green square by the existing estate.

All of the blocks have been finished in hand-laid red brick, contrasted with semi-glazed white bricks used to highlight pillars framing the windows and create narrow horizontal bands that bring scale to the facades.

These bricks cloak the concrete structure of the main block and steel framework used for the smaller buildings.

"The primary material, brick, was selected for its local resonance, durability, and design flexibility," explained Jassal. "Semi-glazed bricks introduce rhythm and depth, reflecting architectural facade patterns in the area while maintaining budget constraints."

In line with the council's sustainability goals, the homes are predominantly car-free and have access to 96 cycle spaces. There are also onsite solar panels and air-source heat pumps.

Jassal founded his eponymous London-based studio in 2014. Its previous projects include a skylit bungalow that was squeezed into a small site in Haringey and the addition of an oak-framed conservatory to a Victorian townhouse.

The photography is by Richard Chivers. 

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