Highbury Fields Community hub, London

Client: London Borough of Islington
Role: RIBA Client Adviser

Sarah Williams was appointed by the London Borough of Islington to support the selection of a design team for a pivotal project within Highbury Fields. With the existing buildings at the end of their life, previous feasibility studies had explored refurbishment, demolition, and new build options for several structures on the site.

Set within a Conservation Area in Highbury East Ward, Highbury Fields is one of Islington’s most valued green spaces—offering a vital hub for the community to gather, play, and relax. Stretching from Highbury Corner in the south to Highbury Barn in the north, the Fields are surrounded by elegant Victorian villas and Georgian terraces, and are central to the borough’s civic and cultural identity.

The development site, currently home to tennis courts and adjacent community facilities, serves as a well-loved space for families, with a café and childcare centre nearby. The project needed to sensitively address a range of constraints including listed buildings, Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs), the Conservation Area status, and its designation as Metropolitan Open Land.

Sarah led the competitive selection process in close partnership with Islington, helping to define the brief, run the procurement, and appoint the winning architectural team from a strong shortlist. She also played a key role in assembling the broader project team and continues to support the client in the development of this important community initiative.

As part of the scheme, new facilities for a café and childcare centre will be designed, ensuring the site continues to meet the needs of local residents. Recognising the site's popularity and its many stakeholders, a comprehensive consultation process is planned. This will include community events and engagement opportunities to ensure the final design reflects the aspirations and values of those who use and love Highbury Fields.

“We appointed Sarah to oversee a particularly tricky procurement process and ended up asking her to stay on in an advisory role for the rest of the scheme. Her knowledge and expertise proved invaluable and the fact that she is so reliable and friendly meant that she was an asset to the design team. If you’re looking for a safe pair of hands, an impartial viewpoint and a RIBA seal of approval you’ll get all three with Sarah”

Lara Ellington Brown, London Borough of Islington