Living in an Ordinary Street
In line with the philosophy of Transferium Youth Care, the center is designed as a street with houses, a school, a playground, and a sports field, all within the safe enclosure of the building itself. This street, symbolically extending through the transparent high entrance hall to the outside, meanders between the front doors of the ten living groups. Through doorways, the street also provides access to the facilities on the upper floor: education, therapy, sports, and staff spaces.
Spreading Their Wings
The approach to working with the youth requires a great deal of flexibility from the building. Each young person gradually gains more freedoms without having to move from a closed to a more open group. The variety of outdoor spaces reflects these degrees of freedom: from the enclosed group patio, to the street, the playground, the sports field in the inner courtyard, and finally to the sports island beyond the garden wall.
Blowing Off Steam
One of our clients in youth care once said: “a pressure vessel needs a valve.” The small street and other outdoor spaces fulfill that important therapeutic role: when one of the sometimes volatile young people needs to cool down, they can take a short walk, accompanied by a group leader of their choice.
You’re Worth It!
We wanted to design a building for young people that reflects care and attention in every detail, but never in a patronizing way. A building that can withstand particularly intensive use, both inside and out, while maintaining a homely atmosphere. To achieve this, the architect and interior designer engaged in in-depth discussions with future users.
The interior of the living groups was designed with a focus on homeliness, without compromising on safety. Both the client and the architect wanted to avoid the usual image of bolted-down stools and glass control stations commonly seen in secure facilities. As a result, a sturdy, solid wooden element in the bedrooms serves multiple functions in a seamless design: bed, table, seating, convector cover, and TV unit. In the living rooms, a modest workstation was created for the group leaders, discreetly positioned behind a wooden cabinet with strategically placed openings for visibility.
