The design for the My Place Youth Centre proposes a new inspiring vision for the Youth of Pakenham.

Designed under Trauma-Informed Design Principles at its heart, first and foremost this building needed to be friendly and welcoming.

A key feature of the design is the centralised social stair (and seating area), that links all 3 levels visually together to create a harmonious and safe series of spaces.

The ground level features a number of small meeting, consultation and educational spaces. An IT café and casual hang-out area complete the level. Staff resources are grouped in a team environment on level 1 together with a further series of flexible learning areas and adjacent specialised training room.

This project is a highly complex building for youth that represents our skills to tailor design requirements to very specific client requirements. Whilst offering a range of educational
spaces, each acoustically treated and flexibly arranged, specific spaces for consultation, meeting, gathering, and hang out create a building specifically geared to the younger generation to whom it serves.

The upper-level roof deck is activated as an activity space, complete with basketball hoop, bat courts, square courts, lounging areas, BBQ zone and even a golf putting green. This is the casual open knock about area that makes the building responsive to youth.

The design intent is to create a building that is a seamless part of its community; a building that the youth wish to interact with and be at, and in doing so promotes connection and well-being of the community.