Luxury student halls in Hoxton, Homerton’s City Academy and the newly refurbished Stoke Newington Town Hall are among the nominees in Hackney Design Awards 2010.

Luxury student halls in Hoxton, Homerton’s City Academy and the newly refurbished Stoke Newington Town Hall are among the nominees in Hackney Design Awards 2010.

Twenty buildings and spaces have been shortlisted for the awards.

And for the first time ever, residents can vote for their favourite scheme in the new People’s Choice category.

This year’s nominees were chosen by top judges including architecture journalist Kieran Long and Hackney Society project officer Lisa Rigg. Leading urban designer Sir Terry Farrell will speak at the awards ceremony in November.

Other schemes in the running are the improvements at Clapton Girls’ Technology College in Laura Place, which was officially opened this week by poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, Clapton Library in Northwold Road, Upper Clapton, and Dalston Eastern Curve Garden in Dalston Lane.

Hackney Mayor Jules Pipe said: “The Design Awards are a celebration of the great design and architecture in Hackney. The council continues to encourage excellence in all development as we know that high quality buildings and public spaces make a real difference to our neighbourhoods.”

For the full list of nominees or to vote for the People’s Choice Award, go to www.hackney.gov.uk/designawards, email designawards2010@hackney.gov.uk or call 020 8356 8141.