YMCA James Court Reconnect Project
This £750,000 project for YMCA/Midland Heart is part of the Government Homes & Community Agency, ‘Places of Change’ programme who’s goal is to reconnect two diverse homeless groups back into society by providing a suite of support services.
These services include: IT, Training, GP surgery, kitchen/dining, admin and counselling, all encompassed in a new building which sits in-between the two existing accommodation blocks.
The design achieved this by serving those who are ‘Street Homeless’ from the main roundabout level at 1st floor and the ‘Young and Vulnerable’ from the James Court ground level which fills the sites wedge shaped space and offers a curved wall screen to the existing roundabout gateway into Burton in an effort to re-address the balance between housing and highway.
The project was officially opened in June 2011 by the Bishop of Lichfield.