news → HAT Projects

May 16, 2025

Sunspot wins RIBA East Award!

"The project is very much 'of Essex', of this place, and it delivers with confidence something quirky, tough and bold."

We're really happy to reveal that Sunspot has been awarded a RIBA East award, with Tendring District Council also awarded the 'Client of the Year' award by the judges. "Together with the architects they have produced a model regeneration project that should be an exemplar for local authorities trying to bring communities together while fostering new businesses - especially those by the seaside."

A huge thank you to the other members of our design team; Momentum, Ingleton Wood and Potter Raper, and contractor TJ Evers.

The project is now being considered for a RIBA National Award, the winners of which are due to be announced in July.

May 1, 2025

Lowestoft Town Hall has started on site

We’re excited that work to restore and extend Lowestoft Town Hall has begun on site. We’re carefully removing the ad hoc extensions to the Grade II listed building, whilst making the most of the good weather and repairing the historic roofs and facades. The buildings should be completed in 2026, and will be the administrative and civic home of our client, Lowestoft Town Council, with a restored Council Chamber, a Register Office, exhibition spaces, coworking and event hall. We have already found lots of exciting things to put back on display, as well as accommodating the extensive collection currently in the council’s archives.

Barnes Construction are the contractor and the design team includes Max Fordham, Momentum Engineering, RGA, Cahill and Daniel Connal Partnership. The Lowestoft Town Hall Project is a Lowestoft Town Council initiative supported National Lottery Players via the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Funding support is also provided by Historic England, The Architectural Heritage Fund, Towns Fund, and East Suffolk Council.

March 3, 2025

Rebecca Kalbfell shortlisted for MJ Long Prize

We are thrilled to reveal that Rebecca Kalbfell has been shortlisted for the MJ Long Prize for Excellence in Practice, for her work on Sunspot in Jaywick Sands. The prize forms part of the W Awards programme, in partnership with the Architect's Journal and Architectural Review, and seeks to celebrate exemplary work by women and non-binary people in architecture. The prize is named after the architect MJ Long, whose dedicated work on the British Museum is an inspirational example of contributions by women architects that have historically been overlooked.

We’re really proud that Rebecca has been recognised in this way - having been with the practice for over 10 years, we’ve seen her develop into a thoughtful and committed architect and core member of our team.

The winner of the prize will be revealed at the W Awards ceremony on the 9th of May.

February 13, 2025

Sunspot shortlisted for RIBA East Awards

We are delighted that Sunspot has been shortlisted for this year's RIBA East Awards. It's a very special project that is continuing to have a real impact in the community.

One of 23 projects on the RIBA East shortlist, the building will be visited by a regional jury, with winning projects announced later in the Spring.

"The sheer volume and quality of the projects that now come forward in the region highlight not only the talented architectural community, but the vision and collaboration of clients, stakeholders and contractors who make these projects possible." Matt Blakeley, RIBA.

January 20, 2025

St Botolph's Quarter

We have been appointed as part of the team developing proposals for a new public square, including a new connection to Colchester Town station, on part of the existing Britannia car park. Led by Haworth Tompkins with LDA Design, the square forms part of a new walking route incorporating improvements to the grounds of St Botolph's Priory and leading up over the Roman Wall and towards the galleries and museums beyond.

HAT are leading on the public engagement aspects of the £7.2m project, helping achieve a well-informed final design. This builds on our work on the Colchester City Centre Masterplan, adopted by the Council in early 2024, and is part of our commitment to helping Colchester make the most of its new city status.

The plans are being presented for public consultation from 20th January to 14th February 2025, where you can find out more and comment on the proposals.

September 26, 2024

Jaywick Sands Place Plan adopted

We are really pleased that the Jaywick Sands Place Plan has now been formally adopted by Tendring District Council. A challenging, absorbing and rewarding piece of work over the last six years, HAT worked with a range of partners and collaborators (including the Environment Agency, Essex County Council, Homes England and DLUHC), undertaking a lot of research and design work in order to develop a regeneration vision this is grounded in practicality and tested through extensive consultation with the community.

Flood risk and housing quality; retaining the many qualities that make Jaywick Sands so special; addressing the real problems in ways that are supported by the local community - all this has made for a fascinating process and we are excited to see how this helps Jaywick become more resilient over the coming years.

"This is an ambitious but clear long-term vision for Jaywick Sands to improve the area for the good of all. Jaywick Sands is a unique place with an incredible community spirit." Andy Baker, TDC Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning.

June 14, 2024

Sunspot wins Best Use of Brownfield Land in Placemaking

We are delighted that Sunspot won Best Use of Brownfield Land in Placemaking in the 2024 Planning Awards. A real testament to our client at Tendring District Council, for their commitment to use the brownfield land they own for real impactful change in the heart of Jaywick Sands. This is part of a long-term strategy for the revitalisation of Jaywick - the Jaywick Sands Place Plan - which we have been working on for some time.

May 20, 2024

HAT appointed to Kirkley Waterfront masterplan

We are delighted to have been appointed by East Suffolk Council to masterplan two substantial brownfield sites within the regeneration area of Kirkley Waterfront in Lowestoft. We are leading a team that includes Haworth Tompkins and Archio.

The Sanyo and Survitec sites were part of a major industrial area near Lake Lothing and have considerable challenges of contamination and flood risk, but the potential to create a new neighbourhood of much-needed homes close to rail links and the regenerating town centre of Lowestoft (where we are also working on the Town Hall development). We are working to develop a landscape-led neighbourhood masterplan for around 300 homes on the sites, which have been awarded substantial funding from the Brownfield Land Release Fund.

May 1, 2024

Planning Awards shortlists

We are thrilled that both Sunspot and the Jaywick Sands Place Plan have been shortlisted for the Planning Awards 2024. Sunspot in the category for best use of brownfield land in placemaking and the Place Plan for the award for planning to address climate change.

The awards highlight exceptional contributions across varied planning and placemaking sectors, acknowledging excellence in a range of disciplines - so we are delighted to have had our two projects for Tendring District Council selected, both of which designed to bring real benefits to the community of Jaywick Sands.

The winners are due to be announced in June.

April 8, 2024

St Nicholas Square has started on site!

Our project at St Nicholas Square in central Colchester has started on site! City centre neighbours will know it has been a long process to get to this point…so we are very excited to see the work progress.

The revamped square is scheduled to be completed in late 2024, and create space for seating, markets and events, with new trees (in big new tree pits using the Stockholm system for the first time in Colchester – see photo!). The headstones from the former churchyard will be re-used as part of new benches.

Brooks and Wood are the contractor and the design team includes Ingleton Wood, Ringway Jacobs, Paige Solutions, Hayden’s Arboricultural Consultants, Daniel Connal Partnership.