We Made That co-founder appointed as Hackney council town architect

The Mayor of London has appointed Holly Lewis as town architect for the London Borough of Hackney. 

The co-founder of urban design, research and architecture practice We Made That will focus on reshaping Hackney Central as part of a two-year pilot programme funded by the Greater London Authority. 

Lewis will oversee the implementation of Hackney’s town centre strategy, developed by We Made That, which sets out a ten-year vision and delivery plan for the area, informed by local people. 

She will coordinate efforts across the area between stakeholders and the area’s diverse community while working alongside the borough’s regeneration, urban design and conservation teams. 

Lewis said: “Hackney Central is such an exciting place, so it’s a real privilege to be appointed as its town architect. By being more embedded within the council and having a place-wide remit, I hope to be able to push for better outcomes for the local community by realising the vision they defined in the Town Centre Strategy. 

“I commend the GLA for undertaking this initiative – at a time when local authority resources are more stretched than ever, the private sector needs to share its expertise and support however it can. This is central to We Made That’s ethos, and we’re delighted to be able to continue to work with the London Borough of Hackney through this appointment.” 

The council received £19.1m in levelling up funding to deliver schemes laid out in the strategy over the next two years. These include improvements to key transport routes, the public realm, and Hackney Central Library. 

Working in collaboration with partners, the council aims to create 1,000 new jobs and 3000 new homes in the area. 

Lewis is currently a High Streets Task Force and Design Council expert and has previously worked with local authorities across the country. 

The role of new town architect has been awarded in nine other London locations, with appointees selected from the mayor’s design advocates cohort for his local growth capacity support programme. The initiative has received £1.25m of government funding, with £108k dedicated to the town architect scheme.