Bancroft and Wickford Street

: Tower Hamlets, London

FBM were appointed by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets to redevelop two sites on the southwestern edge of Globe Town, near Bethnal Green Tube Station. The Bancroft site was home to the Bancroft Estate Tenants’ Management Cooperative (Bancroft TMC) and the Women’s Inclusive Team (WIT), a female-led charity supporting Black and ethnic minority communities. The Wickford Street site included 16 garages and a neglected parking area behind shops on Cambridge Heath Road.

The redevelopment delivers 33 new homes across two buildings. One rises five storeys, acting as a ‘marker’ that draws pedestrians toward the new neighbourhood park and community facilities. The second, alongside the railway, rises six storeys and houses 18 apartments, office space for Bancroft TMC and WIT, and community rooms available for local hire. The scheme brings wider benefits to the estate, transforming the rear of the shops into a new neighbourhood park with improved landscaping and lighting. Security is enhanced through active frontages and carefully placed windows providing natural surveillance. FBM engaged extensively with the diverse local community, end-users, and stakeholders, recognising the importance of the community spaces within the Bancroft Building and the park as vital local assets. The material palette, window proportions, and detailing were thoughtfully developed to respond to the surrounding context, including nearby conservation areas. The articulated façades add depth and visual interest, avoiding flat, monotonous elevations while contributing to the area’s character.