Purcell and Creative Land Trust to transform Alice Billings House into creative hub

24 October 2023

Alice Billings House in Newham, East London, has secured funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to progress to its next stage of development.  Purcell, working with client the Creative Land Trust, are working as architects to give the former firefighter’s accommodation a new lease of life as artist and maker spaces.

The Grade II-listed building, one of Newham’s oldest, has been unoccupied for many years and was placed on the Heritage at Risk Register after falling into a state of disrepair. 

Our transformative design proposals for the buildings will sensitively create artist and maker spaces within the Grade-II listed site. A new building will provide a permanent community activity space as home for the new heritage and arts education programme, complemented by a fully accessible café and exhibition gallery. 

We are thrilled to celebrate this important funding grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, marking a pivotal moment in the transformation of Alice Billings House into a vibrant creative hub for Stratford. The grant allows us to take a giant leap forward in realising our vision for this historic site and has been achieved through our close partnerships with the talented and committed Purcell team, our friends from London Borough of Newham and the Architectural Heritage Fund. Together, we are breathing new life into a piece of Newham's heritage while creating much needed space where artists and creative communities can thrive.

— Gordon Seabright, Creative Land Trust CEO