FLOYDS ROW homeless shelter
Floyds Row Homeless Shelter is located in Oxford City Centre.
The project was won with a joint bid design competition to refurbish an existing 1930s employment center and provide a center for homelessness services in conjunction with Transition by Design. Design stages involved substantial consultation with service providers and people who have lived experience of homelessness.
Psychologically informed design principles guided the scheme, aiming to make people feel calm and safe through a combination of openness and privacy alongside other safeguarding features. This involves natural surveillance, informal separation of spaces and homely features such as lampshades, soft furnishings and warm colors. A welcoming entrance features a series of new vibrant teal timber arches and external lighting. These aim to give a more inviting feel to the project alongside the internal finishes. During phase one of the works on site it was uncovered a wonderful large, original roof light that brings natural light into the impressive vaulted space alongside the original windows. Other improvements have helped bring the building performance up to date while honoring its historic features.
To date the project has been a very rewarding experience and Jessop & Cook truly hopes that the new facilities help people in difficult circumstances.