221005 MArys D&AStatement - Flipbook - Page 12
3. CLIENT’S REQUIREMENTS
3.1 Mary’s: Brief
Ambitions
–– Identity
–– Professionalism
–– Sense of pride
–– To feel established
–– To have a public face
–– To be welcoming to all.
Quality
–– The scheme should be of a very high design quality
that sits well alongside the church and within the
wider streetscape.
–– The new building should meet high environmental
standards in terms of embodied energy and
operational energy consumption.
–– The building should be physically and culturally
accessible to the greatest possible extent.
Facilities
–– A welcoming and generous entrance, visible from
the street.
–– A multi-purpose room with a large screen, kitchen
facilities and storage. Typically, the young people
spend 4 hours or so in the multi-use space at a time.
Activities include using sports equipment, watching
sport or a film, and cooking sessions.
–– An comfortable and welcoming office with a fixed
desk, space for up to five people to work flexibly
from laptops, and space for young people to sit.
–– A dedicated counselling room for regular one to one
mentoring sessions.
–– Storage for gym equipment (table tennis table if
possible, boxing equipment, gym mats), kitchen
cookery equipment, paper documents, coats,
electronic equipment.
–– Disabled access to all spaces.
–– Disabled toilet with shower.
–– The church hall, which will continue to be rented out
by the church, needs to be able to operate
independently.
Who is the new extension for?
The new building will provide spaces dedicated to
Mary’s work, with an office for youthworkers, a flexible
room for group work, a counselling room, and a
disabled wc.
Why dedicated space?
This project creates for the first time a dedicated home
to this crucial service, putting young people first. It will
provide safe, welcoming spaces and appropriate
facilities for the young people it serves.
Providing dedicated space for youthwork will also allow
other parish activities to develop in the church,
removing pressure from the nave and office, allowing
both to flourish.
Why its own identity?
Providing dedicated space for Mary’s, with its own
identity, will allow it to focus on its work, instead of
being fitted in around other activities. Having its own
clearly identifiable entrance will allow people to find
and access this important service, under the umbrella
of the church.
What services does Mary’s provide?
The centre offers advice sessions, counselling,
mediation between gangs and young people at risk,
and offers other services such as football sessions. It
also works in schools and pupil referral units. The
charity employs 10 caseworkers and offers a 24/7 level
of care and advice to young people up to the age of 24.
Supporting the work of Mary’s has become a priority
for the parish. Its work has expanded over fifteen years
to reach a growing number of vulnerable young people
and children. Their needs are becoming increasingly
urgent as the long-lasting impacts of the pandemic
become clear.
Why should Mary’s stay in the church?
Mary’s thrives on its connection to the church, which
operates as a neutral space for gang mediation. This is
central to the work of the organisation. The young
people Mary’s serve feel safe using the church
Mary’s, Primrose Hill
building, and this is a primary reason not to move the
organisation away from the church.
However, Mary’s has no dedicated space in the church.
St Mary’s is a busy parish, and the church building is
much-used. On a daily basis, Mary’s uses whatever
space is available, with only a small desk as its only
permanent working area. Private conversations and
counselling take place in the church pews, within
earshot of others. Group activities are relocated around
the building according to whatever other parish events
are taking place. These are often re-arranged or
cancelled at the last minute.
Mary’s staff also benefit from being in the church. Staff
enjoy the support of being part of the parish and based
in the church.
Keeping Mary’s in the church building is important for
the local community as a whole. Parish members
support Mary’s through volunteering, rasing money
through the undercroft brewery, and joint activities.
Keeping a physical connection on both sides will allow
the choir and liturgical teams to use the new space in a
flexible way.
How will the spaces be used?
At the core of Mary’s brief is the desire that spaces
should be uplifting and welcoming, with high-quality
but durable finishes, and lots of natural light.
The new spaces will accommodate large group
activities as well as private counselling, and an office
for the youth-work team. Group activities will include
cooking, gymnastics and weights, watching films and
sport. There will be a kitchen for cooking together.
The counselling rooms will be used for one-to-one
mentoring. There will be a day bed in case someone
needs to rest. Mary’s youth-workers provide vital
connection to young people who are in prison, so this
might be the first place someone comes to on release.
The office will provide space for the team to work. It will
also provide a friendly environment for young people to
be welcomed.
Dow Jones Architects