The City YMCA has provided housing and support to Islington’s young people for over 30 years to enable them to find security and build positive futures. Our brief was to replace the poor quality and out-moded hostel from the 1980s and create an aspirational living environment.
The scheme provides 146 bed spaces in cluster apartments with one to six bedrooms. Over 10% of the accommodation is designed to accessible standards and the needs of disabled people have been incorporated within the common areas and shared facilities. Two community enterprise units with shop frontages, meeting rooms for hire, ancillary offices and a public gym complete the mix of uses within this dynamic building. The design is informed by the nearby Victorian brewery and the surrounding Conservation Area. The mass of the proposed building is subtly subdivided vertically and horizontally to blend into this setting. A BREEAM 'Excellent’ rating and over 40% reduction in CO2 is achieved through passive environmental design, sustainable materials, green roofs/walls, gas CHP and PVs.
Replacing an outdated hostel to provide better facilities for Islington's young people.