High Dependency Accommodation Unit

New Ministry of Justice Concept in Secure Accommodation for Under 18’s

THE PROJECT: To develop a new concept for secure accommodation in conjunction with the Youth Justice Board.

Pick Everard’s approach to designing a new concept in secure accommodation for under eighteen’s was to use colour, texture and finishes to create a calm, relaxing and naturally lit environment, with external spaces for leisure activities, rest and contemplation. To reduce the institutional feel, building height was limited to two storeys with a vernacular pitched roof and the visual impact of grille gates lessened. To reduce bullying, there are no corridors or recessed areas. Bedrooms are designed to ligature free standards yet have en-suite shower rooms and secure, timber-faced doors. An innovative, high specification, pre-cast construction method, uses prefabricated concrete, allowing brickwork and insulation panels to be created off site and the panels simply put together in situ.

To allow the concept to be reproduced to suit different prison site shapes, orientation and capacities, the overall layout is designed to be infinitely flexible with bedroom wings located around a central hub for classrooms, dining, office and social spaces. The first project at HMYOI Wetherby is now completed.

PICK EVERARD’S ROLE: Architectural Design
VALUE: £12.5 million