Hat Projects founder Hana Loftus has been announced as one of the first people to be appointed to Public Practice, a new programme that places talented architects and planners with local authorities.

She will spend two days a week as a planning and special projects officer at South Cambridgeshire District Council, while carrying on in her YAYA-shortlisted practice the rest of the time.

The 17 successful “associates”, named today, include architects who have worked at Herzog & de Meuron, Stanton Williams, Maccreanor Lavington, AHMM and Burd Haward.