Send in the architects!

“Unfit for purpose,” declared the architect of London’s Kings Cross station project. He was looking at the gloomy, cramped premises in which the project I chair nearby is housed.

John McAslan is an inspiring force who couples Kings Cross with a project to rebuild the Iron Market in Port-au-Prince, Haiti (devastated by the earthquake six months ago). He was looking at the New Horizon Youth centre, a day centre where I used to work before I became a hack. I have been either on, or chairing its management committee ever since.

Mr McAslan was concerned about the increasing numbers of homeless and vulnerable teenagers who were being attracted to the emerging Kings Cross project. We were talking about the possibility of moving our project even nearer to the station.

We provide security, accommodation, mental health support, football, art, performance, music, showers, laundry, and much else for vulnerable and uprooted young people. Wrestling with the human consequences of sex working, drugs, alcohol, petty criminality, is our stock in trade.

In the end we didn’t move our project. Instead McAslan funded a competition organised by the Royal Institute of Architects. 70 architects entered amazingly creative plans. We chose one, and designs were drawn for the complete refurbishment and expansion of our work space.

We were more than fortunate to secure funding from the then government’s My Place funding stream – the best part of £2m.

Three months ago, Sarah Brown reopened our state-of-the-art building. Last month it won a prestigious RIBA award. Our work with young people has been transformed. So have the lives of those who both work in and make use of New Horizon.

So why do I blog about this today?  Because this week sees the climax of London Architecture Week, and this morning I’m speaking at one of the events about how architecture has transformed the work of one small charity.

I’ll throw in something about our need for urban trees, plugging the fantastic Southwark “urban forest project” – oh, and I’ll be talking bikes and cities too.

Tonight I’ll be chairing a debate at Grimshaw Architects in Clerkenwell, taking urban themes still further. Got to get on my bike right now if I’m to make that Smithfield breakfast in time to give my talk.