Client : City of Rockingham
The Project is currently under construction.
As a result of the closure of the youth drop-in centre 12 months ago, the City of Rockingham identified a need for a new youth centre that provides services for young people.
In order to best understand and address the needs of the Rockingham youth SITE engaged in stakeholder workshops with aim of forming a vision for the space. SITE through a series of activities worked collaboratively with the City and representatives from facility managers and youth groups to establish a hierarchy of spaces that informed the final design brief.
Site Planning
The new facility is located over 2 levels of an existing commercial building within the suburb of Rockingham. The main entrance is located of MacKinnon Street.
Welcoming Entrance
A new improved street presence will be created at the front of the building with a recessed entrance opening into the double-height entry court. New painted cladding on all sides of the recess will define the building entrance and assist in wayfinding for visitors.
Full height glass on the front facade will allow for transparency into the building and passive surveillance of passing traffic from inside. A new awning and signage will provide weather protection over the entrance and assist in wayfinding and building identity.
The new entry court will act as a foyer, presenting a welcoming space for visitors and will allow for counseling spaces, toilets and first floor level to be accessed independently out of hours. A secondary point of entry will remain to the rear of the building, through the new external active space.
Spatial Planning
The new facility is made up the following key areas, arranged to provide a functional and efficient layout that encourages interaction between staff and users, provides spaces for group and individual activities while maintaining surveillance and security for all users.
- Entry Court – A formal ‘street’ entry into a 2 storey volume, with landscaping / greenery, paving, casual seating chairs, and tables. Space can be used for some small group or one on one activities of a passive nature.
- Counselling – accessed off the entry court and direct from the reception area allowing multi use and discretion. Secure egress from both rooms into reception passage for staff security.
- Active Space – at the rear of the facility, it has a kitchen at the heart and can be suitably zoned for a range of activities, linking to external spaces and workshops when required.
- Outdoor Active Space – lets natural light into the flexible active space and connects through to workshop. This is an informal entry for ‘walkin’s and also can be used for out of hours access, separated/locked off from the remainder of the ground floor and first floor.
- Amenities – refurbished to meet current requirements and codes and located in their current position on both floors to minimise costs. Fully contained individual unisex facilities are provided to cater for all users, with frosted glass panels located at a high level to allow for borrowed light from other areas. UAT’s are located on both levels, with the ground floor also containing shower facilities.
- Offices – Service provider workstations located within the ground floor reception area, with all Youth Workers and City staff workstations located on the first floor with hot desks for additional space for other service providers. Glazing to the ground floor void allows for visual connection and security between levels.
- Group and Multi-purpose activity rooms are clustered at the rear to be independently accessed from main street entry (lift and stair) or from ground floor rear stairs. A shared common area/breakout space with kitchenette facilities links these spaces for added flexibility/amenity.
Visualisations by James Rietveld
