As part of a borough wide commitment to keep children and young people safe and remove barriers to their success, RSS has been appointed to design a new youth centre in a disadvantaged part of Newham.
The new Shipman Youth Zone will be a car free, zero carbon, high-quality, co-produced youth offer that provides a varied and inclusive range of activities for young people aged between 9 and 19. The cross laminated timber building will feature music production, cooking, fitness, film and art specialisms; all centred around a double-height multi-functional hub.
A separate multi-purpose sports hall creates an intimate south-facing courtyard for spill out and chill out.
Crinkly brickwork and standing seam cladding will provide a colourful and robust presence onto Prince Regent Lane. Large windows at first floor in canted reveals will flood the building with natural light. An LED panel will broadcast the Shipman Instagram feed.
To achieve zero carbon in use, the building will have an extensive photo-voltaic array on the roof and a battery bank together with a highly performing airtight envelope.