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Liverpool architects meeting September 2006

by chrisames — last modified 2006-12-21 11:57 AM

This meeting was held in Liverpool on 26 September for invited architects working on, and interested in, designs for hostel accommodation. The meeting heard presentations from Maff Potts at the DCLG, Tom Biddlecombe from CRASH and Ian Heald, the architect working on the Liverpool Hostel Capital Improvement Programme (HCIP). The following notes summarise the main points of the meeting and an attendee and contacts list is provided at the end.

Details of projects

Details of individual projects that attended the meeting

Liverpool City Council – Architects – Gerald Eve

Dave Moran, Ian Millington, Dave Mobbs, Ian Heald - Contact details: - Gerald Eve; dave.moran@liverpool.gov.uk; ian.millington@enterprise-liverpool.co.uk; dave.mobbs@enterprise-liverpool.co.uk

Plans: Design from front of building; Design from side of building; street scene; ground floor; first floor

  • £3.7m redevelopment of two direct access centres
  • Issues surrounding planning especially the public’s perception of homeless people
  • Main problem has been with decant venues, which has delayed the planning process and the building work
  • The political nature of the delays has meant that issues which did not directly relate to planning were put through the process putting the project back further
  • This project would have benefited from a strategy of how to deal with the negative public perception of homelessness and would ideally spend more time on this at the start

Sheffield - Places for People – Architects – Axis

Chris Cooney - Contact details: Christofer@axis-architecture.com; 0114 2490944; Axis Architecture

  • Housing Corporation funded project – not wanting to fund ‘extras’
  • This project will re-provide for a current hostel in the centre of Sheffield and will be built on land that has been owned for several years by the Housing Association Places for People. However, residents objected at an early stage
  • The project has benefited from having the contractors on board from the beginning.

Blackburn & Darwen James Street Project - Architects - Nicol Thomas

Nick Warwick - Contact details: nick.warwick@nicolthomas.com

  • New HCIP funded 30 bed hostel in Darwen
  • There has been no problems with planning or negative public perception
  • Issues with running over cost and the project team are currently looking at cutting costs value engineering

Liverpool YMCA

Paul Malone - Contact details: pmalone76@yahoo.co.uk

  • This hostel is moving to new premises after being in its current building for over 100 years
  • Housing Corporation funded
  • There has been over 12 months service development prior to the move to the new building
  • 48 potential sites were looked at, none of which were secured for reasons such as too big, too small or too expensive
  • Once they had secured a site they had over 250 objections and it took a further 12 months to go through planning
  • The new site is a prominent one
  • Hard work has been done with the local community to develop positive relations with them

Newcastle University Department of Architecture Planning & Landscape

Rick Price - Contact details: R.J.Price@newcastle.ac.uk

  • Rick is doing is a thesis on accommodation for homeless people and would welcome any assistance or developing links with the projects here today

North East - Churches Action Together - Catalyst

Jane Premtaj - Contact details: 01912536161; jane.premtaj@catalyst-ne.org.uk

  • This is a North Tyneside project for 8 young people
  • The current building is not fit for purpose and they plan to knock two houses into one to help consolidate the services and developing move on possibilities.
  • Difficulties with the publics perception of homelessness and a lot of work is currently going into work around this. Do not use the name ‘Compass’ for your project – google searches reveal a hostel named compass for high category offenders in another part of the country

Newcastle City Council & Tyneside Cyrenians - Architect - City Design

Peter Wesolowski - Contact details: 0191 2328520 ext.25715; Peter.wesolowski@newcastle.gov.uk

Plans Plans for ground floor; plans for first floor

  • The current building is a 19th century Victorian building and is inappropriate for use.
  • The site is hidden which has meant there have been no negative perceptions from the local community
  • The project aims to keep the best features of the building and use the lay out to the advantage of the scheme.
  • It is important to work on what the service users want, what would work and what the building can offer. All of which is a difficult process.
  • The new plans are intended to make the building more inclusive and less institutionalised.
  • New building will have recording studio, gym, on suite rooms and will overall have fewer rooms.

Preston – Recycling Lives

Simon Thorrington - Contact details: sthorrington@stalmine.net

  • This is a new proposed scheme, which is similar to the Emmaus model in that there will be facilities and an emphasis on workshops, training and employment.
  • Currently working with Preston University to look at developing incubator units, which will offer small businesses a start as well the opportunity for service users to work in them.
  • They have got the design through planning and will start to look at developing the project in January 2007.

York - WS Atkins (Work with York CC)

Mark Queenan - Contact details: 0113 306 6000; mark.queenan@atkinsglobal.com

  • Mark works in this area, but does not have any current hostel design projects

Middlesbrough and Leeds Browne Smith Baker LLP with English Churches

Derek Hoad - Contact details: dhoad@brownesmithbaker.com; 01482329276; Browne Smith Baker

  • This project has looked at a dual diagnosis centre in Hull as example of good practice
  • Before this project has got off the ground a lot of preparatory work has been done with all interested parties, 26 sites were looked at
  • Lots of support from the local paper which has enabled community relations to remain positive
  • They have visited Ozone in Hull which is a drug free accommodation project for 9 people. It is an example of good practice which has had a minimal impact on the local community.

York City Council & William Saunders Partnership

Richard Stephenson and Adam Hirst - Contact details: Richard.Stephenson@york.gov.uk; adam.hirst@wm-saunders.co.uk; William Saunders Partnership

  • Working on a 22 bed relocation of a project in York which is called a Resettlement Centre (not a hostel) and focuses on skills and learning in the main downstairs area although it does have accommodation upstairs.
  • They have site on the ring road and are planning to demolish the current building.
  • They are moving as the council planned a new office on the site which is a larger regeneration area
  • They have consulted with service users to help them develop the project

Presentations & further discussions

Details of presentations from Tom Bildecombe & Maff Potts followed by a group discussion on the issues raised during the day and next steps.

Tom Biddlecombe – Crash

http://www.crash.org.uk/

  • A construction & property industry charity for homeless organisations
  • Respond to requests for help to improve current buildings.
  • Contacts throughout the construction industry and a network of suppliers which helps make materials cost free and ensures that only reputable firms are taken on
  • There is no standard project as each organisation is different
  • Crash will assist organisations to find architects and with the planning issues.
  • Their patrons help cover core costs of the company so that all fundraised money can go to projects
  • Can buy discounted goods and services
  • In Mansfield Crash were able to organise ASDA to refurbish a day centre. Everybody benefits from this
  • He believes that a good building does half the work for a homeless organisation. The better the building the better people feel in using it, which improves outcomes.
  • Architecture for humanity – worldwide organisation founded to seek architectural and design solutions to humanitarian crises and to provide design services to communities in need. http://www.architectureforhumanity.org/

Maff Potts – Specialist advisor for the DCLG

  • The Liverpool DAC’s project shows how far a project can come within HCIP. They are now building something that could stand the test of time and change peoples lives.
  • HCIP currently has 153 projects in 47 Local Authorities
  • Projects have failed when there has been a lack of political will
  • There have been delays with a wide range of issues including: - badgers, bats, £1m shortfall, issues with reducing units
  • Any new HCIP plans to develop partnerships with Housing Corporation
  • Including service users from the beginning is a key component of HCIP. At Grimsby Women’s Aid the plans involved a canopy to the front door but it was taken out when the service users pointed out that this would make access easier for men. They also asked for a peace garden to offer them a calming space. Nobody had thought of this before
  • There have been many issues with the community. To difuse this it is important to build links within the community and to offer resources from the project such as activities that can be accessed by all the community. E.g. gym, incubator units
  • It is more effective to engage the community through resident’s representatives as big public meeting are usually negative
  • It is important to listen to local residents as it is their home.
  • There have been issues within projects about the overall culture change. It is not about fixtures and fittings but about moving people on.
  • Recent issues with the open reception desk. There needs to be an element of safety for the staff but it is important that it remains welcoming (secure by design). For example the front desk can be raised to make access harder. It is also important that staff are fully trained and motivated to deal with incidents

Issues and further discussion

  • There was a discussion over whether to have just en suite or self contained. Liverpool DAC’s have gone for en suite as they felt this best suited their service users who mainly presented from the street. The staff believed that service users would become isolated if they remained in their rooms so shared kitchen facilities would help bring them out and would also provide further opportunities for staff to engage with them.
  • Others believed that self contained was more appropriate for helping people learn independent living skills. Self contained flats had been a health and safety issue for some projects as each room needed to be tested.
  • Projects have found it a challenge to discover what service users want and then to deliver this.
  • Too many organisations were stuck in an outdated ethos that could not provide places of change but architects had an important role to play in challenging this and providing buildings that could assist service delivery.
  • It is vital that projects deliver a high standard of building. This will not only assist service users to make changes to their lives but the buildings can then go onto provide other functions in the future. This is an opportunity to break the stigma of temporary accommodation.
  • Architects, organisations and LA’s need to think outside the box and not play safe with what they know.
  • All agreed that a network for architects and project planners would provide a good opportunity to share ideas and views. Homeless Link has agreed to use their website to do this.
  • It was agreed to make this an accessible resource to all people connected to development projects.
  • The idea for future meetings was agreed with an emphasis on moving around the country and visiting different schemes and projects e.g. Grimsby Women’s Aid.
  • There was also a discussion about having bigger meetings with hostel staff, developers and architects who could each bring their expertise and perspectives.
  • It was agreed to look at developing a toolkit for providers on the potential pitfalls and also how to deal with local opposition

Better services by design & project plans

Please see Homeless Links better services by design page for the DCLG's example of a poor and excellent hostel as well as up to date building plans for new schemes.

This event was also attended by four of Homeless Links Regional Managers Joe Kent; Paul Connery; Ben Dickenson; Neelam Sunder.

 
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