Tower Court is at the head of Clapton Common, amongst a busy and culturally diverse residential neighbourhood. A model for higher-density urban family living, our client’s brief called for particular attention to be paid to the needs of returning residents and the housing requirements of the Haredi community. Through extensive consultation and design research, common ground was found and this translated into a set of principles for highly adaptable large family homes in a dense neighbourhood. The scheme includes 132 mixed tenure dwellings, a new ambulance depot, and a comprehensive landscape strategy and is self-financing, with private units cross-subsidising intermediate and social rent tenures. The buildings are shaped by a sensitive response to the site. A collaborative approach has led to a scheme where outdoor spaces are treated with as much thought, care and integrity as inside spaces. The shared courtyards and communal entrances form the threshold between the public realm of the street and the private realm of the home, and have been designed to be welcoming and accessible to all. By rejecting generic housing solutions and instead building up the project from the specifics of place and people, a new piece of city can be made, with homes that are dignified, comfortable, adaptable and socially sustainable.