Orangebox Young Peoples Centre
Orangebox Young People’s Centre in Halifax was commissioned by Square Chapel Centre for the Arts and funded through the Myplace BIG Scheme. Located adjacent to the Grade I listed Piece Hall, the project involved the conversion and extension of two Victorian buildings originally used for fruit and vegetable storage.
The completed scheme provides a wide range of facilities for young people, including a dance studio, recording studio, climbing wall, rehearsal rooms, advice and counselling spaces, a rooftop skate park, and a roof garden. The design carefully responds to the site’s challenging topography and the varied levels of the existing buildings, creating new routes and connections that help reinforce the Piece Hall as a catalyst for regeneration in Halifax.
From early involvement in 2008, the team worked closely with the wider client group and a core panel of young people, supporting the project through multiple funding rounds and approvals. Completed in 2014, the centre received a Civic Trust Award and has since become a valued and successful community resource, continuing to serve young people despite funding cuts in recent years.
Awards
Services on this project
Defining the project’s purpose, business case, and initial advice.
Developing the project brief, assembling the project team, and conducting site surveys
Creating initial design concepts, sketch plans, 3D models, and early cost estimates.
Refining the design, including structural, MEP, and architectural details to achieve consents, such as planning permission.
Preparing detailed technical drawings, specifications, and building regulations information.
Building the project, including off-site manufacturing and on-site construction.
Finalising construction, testing, commissioning, and handing over the building to the client.
Post-occupancy evaluation, ongoing maintenance, and monitoring of building performance.
Director. Square Chapel Centre for the Arts.“We worked with Steve on Orangebox, a £4m young people’s centre. He led me and a large group of young people, trustees, councillors and other stakeholders on a journey to transform our ideas into an award winning and inspiring place for young people. I use place rather than building as he didn’t just design a building but helped us shape an ethos, an organisation and a community. Though the building itself is simply stunning, a testament to Steve’s consultative and imaginative approach. It inspires and delights our young people – we couldn’t have asked for more.”
