As we approach the year end, we’ve produced a round-up of this year’s activities for Works Post. Conversations about how we design, inhabit and care for our shared spaces have defined this year. Throughout the Perseverance Works community, questions of sustainability, creativity and inclusivity have stood out. Here are some of this year’s highlights.

HHB Hosted a Mentoring Event to Improve Diversity in Architecture 

In partnership with The Architectural Review and Architects’ Journal, the W Programme promotes gender equality, diversity and inclusivity through the built environment. This membership network runs a series of social events, lectures, celebrations and mentoring sessions – one of which is took place in May at Perseverance Works, hosted by Henley Halebrown.

‘Architecture, constructions and the built environment are male-dominated industries – even within architectural practice,’ Jennifer Pirie, associate at HHB, told Works Post. ‘There’s a high majority of white men in architecture and the impact of that is that cities are historically designed by men.’

According to the Fawcett Society, as of September 2023, just 31% of architects were women, with a gender pay gap of 16%. But women make up 44% of the accountancy profession, 45% of medicine, and 47% of law.

The mentoring evening brought together mentors and mentees for confidential, honest and open conversations. Three HHB mentors took part -including Jennifer, alongside a Part 1 and Part 2 colleague – and gave career development advice to mentees from outside their practice.

Feel the Frame Created a Space for Self-Expression

 In September, we caught up with Feel the Frame, a self-portrait studio at Perseverance Works that offers something refreshingly simple but powerful: a private, beautifully lit photographic studio without a photographer.

Founder Anna Arfen wanted to bridge the gap between the intimacy of a selfie and the polish of a professional portrait. The result is a space where people can relax, experiment and truly see themselves. In a world saturated with images, the studio responds to a desire for authenticity and freedom.

Feel the Frame immediately felt at home at Perseverance Works. “The exposed London yellow brick walls, high ceilings, natural light, and Crittall windows gave the space a true loft feel — I fell in love straight away,” Anna told Works Post. But it’s the people that make our community unique: “It’s the wonderful creatives I’ve met here in such a short time that make being part of Perseverance Works creative hub truly special.”

Creating a More Sustainable Workplace

This year also brought practical changes for our community. Simpler Recycling legislation came into force from March 2025, changing how businesses across the UK manage waste. These changes were designed to remove inconsistencies in recycling schemes and help the UK reach its 65% recycling target by 2035.

For businesses in multi-tenanted buildings like Perseverance Works, the message was clear: sustainability is a shared responsibility. From separating food waste and glass to preparing for flexible plastics recycling, the new framework is an opportunity to simplify systems while making meaningful environmental progress.

Eastside Celebrated 20 Years at Perseverance Works with 2,100 Workshops and a Major Refurb

In July 2025, Eastside, a youth arts charity, celebrated 20 years at Perseverance Works! It was a busy year, with more than 2,100 inclusive workshops delivered young people who don’t usually have access to the arts. This year, more than 56,000 young people enjoyed the opportunity to engage with spoken word poetry, filmmaking, animation, drama, creative writing and performance.

Eastside also took important steps to reduce its carbon footprint, working closely with Hackney Council. Significant refurbishments took place, including new lift openings to make the whole building more accessible, new ventilation systems, new colour schemes, and new signage and lettering illuminated with LED lights. Eastside will soon replace old gas boilers with air source heatpumps, too – a project for 2026!

Wishing all PW tenants a merry Christmas and all the best for 2026!