Harbour of Opportunities: Designing an inclusive waterfront Youth centre through sustainable and climate-resilient adaptive reuse.

<p><strong>A major ongoing issue for young people is the inequality and negative perception they can face when occupying the public realm (Loebach et al., 2020). Continually being excluded from the design of public urban spaces, young people can feel undervalued, unsafe and are left to cluster in spaces that aren’t designed to cater for their needs. My Thesis explores the design of an inclusive youth-focused facility, which is an adaptive reuse of an existing building located on the Miramar waterfront. With rapidly changing climates, and increasing environmental challenges in New Zealand (Royal Society NZ, 2017) the architecture will explore sustainability and climate resilience to ensure the longevity of the new waterfront facility. Climate-resilient and sustainable architecture must also be designed to enhance the social and cultural atmosphere (Ministry for the Environment, 2022). Therefore, the youth centre will simultaneously foster an inclusive and versatile space for the young people of Wellington alongside sustainability and climate resilience.</strong></p><p>This Thesis aims to address the need for inclusive spaces dedicated to the well-being, social and cognitive development of young people aged 10-18. And investigates the integration of sustainability and climate resilience into the architecture. This will be the design of a waterfront facility and enhanced site development, providing interior and exterior spaces for young people. Therefore, strengthening their connection to the natural environment, cultural history and surrounding community, providing them with a greater sense of place. The outcome of this Thesis is the design of The Shelly Bay Youth Centre located on 9 Shelly Bay Road, in Miramar, Wellington. The final design is an adaptable, inclusive, and sustainable facility tailored to increase the wellbeing of young people while addressing the challenges of climate resilience and adaptive reuse. Internally, the design features spaces for counselling and mental health services, a welcoming cafe, workshare spaces for study, a gym, creative workshops, a quiet zone, a music and art studio, and a Pasifika and Māori space to highlight cultural wellbeing. Externally, it the site has an amphitheatre, outdoor sports courts, landscaped green spaces, skating zones, and safe harbour access for water-based activities. The large range of programme accommodates spaces that afford both interaction and reflection while enhancing social, cognitive, physical and emotional wellbeing. The use of low-carbon materials, passive design strategies, and renewable energy systems like solar panels and wind turbines are incorporated to reduce environmental impact. Climate resilience is explored by investigating Wellington coastal climate challenges and mitigating them through the use of durable materials elevated foundations, green buffer zones and rain gardens. By addressing the needs of young people while responding to environmental challenges, this project demonstrates that architecture can be both socially conscientious and environmentally conscious, leaving a lasting impact on both the community, young people and the environment.</p>