Islington Square, New Islington is a 23-home social housing scheme in New Islington, Manchester, developed as part of the regeneration of the former Cardroom Estate. The project was designed by FAT (Fashion Architecture Taste) for Manchester Methodist Housing Association (MMHA), with Urban Splash serving as lead developer of the wider New Islington regeneration. 2
FAT was selected unanimously by future residents and the client group through a RIBA competition in 2003. The homes were intended for tenants rehoused from the Cardroom Estate, and residents helped shape the design through workshops and consultation with the architectural team. 24
The completed scheme comprises eight two-bedroom houses, fourteen three-bedroom houses and one four-bedroom house. The design sought to reconcile residents’ preference for traditional housing with the brief’s demand for innovative architecture. The houses include balconies, garages and gardens, and the project description records an EcoHomes “excellent” rating. 24
Islington Square was completed in 2006 and was the first realised housing scheme at New Islington. 25 The wider neighbourhood plan, commissioned by Urban Splash and shaped by Will Alsop’s vision, covered a 29-acre site east of Manchester city centre; Islington Square formed one part of that broader regeneration effort. 2