Phoenix Youth Centre Case Study
Designing a Youth Centre Young People Could See Themselves In
Commissioned:
Sandra Barnett and Phil Ryan,
Surrey County Council
Collaborative Partners:
Playle & Partners, Pellikaan, Kinnarps.
A newly built youth and community centre in Surrey County Council presented a rare opportunity: to shape an environment from the ground up before young people even stepped inside.
Unlike many youth centres adapted from older buildings, this was a new-build space. That meant clean walls, planned surfaces, and direct involvement during final construction stages, allowing design decisions to be embedded early, including power locations, wall treatments, and installation points.
That level of early involvement changed everything.
Starting With A Blank Canvas And Young People's Ideas
Before any design decisions were fixed, a full site survey was carried out across every room.
The centre included:
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Large open social space for pool and table tennis
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Café seating and informal gathering zones
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Meeting room
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One-to-one support room
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Art room
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Computer room
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Music room
Consultation with the young people who would actually use it
Rather than asking generic questions, mood boards were used to trigger reactions, opinions and unexpected ideas. That is when the centre stopped being a building and started becoming theirs.
The Phoenix
As soon as you entered the building, they wanted the name to dominate the main wall. Not just as signage, but as an identity.
A bold graphic installation was developed using vibrant colour bring instant energy. The same fonts, colours and styling ran through the centre, creating consistency and pride.
Meeting Room With Meaning
A young person suggested an elephant for the meeting room.
Why? Because difficult conversations with adults often felt like “the elephant in the room.”
That idea became symbolic design, a visual cue for honesty, openness and making difficult conversations easier.
It was emotion built into space.
Turning Motivation Into Physical Design
One football-loving young person suggested a quote, “Work hard until your idols become your rivals”
The group instantly connected with it, but wanted more than words on a wall: “Can we make it 3D?”
Even the worn finish reflected the message.
Waiting Areas That Don’t Feel Like Waiting Areas
The space outside the one-to-one room and art room could easily have become dead space.
The young people wanted a chill-out area with positive messages. This led to an art installation based on traffic lights, walls that felt more like objects than posters.
A Room Built From
Music Culture
The music room became a celebration of music culture beyond trends.
It included:
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A CD wall installation
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Old-school devices used as type
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Famous lyrics turned into visual art.
Building Legacy
Into The Walls
One of the most meaningful pieces became No.15.
It carried the names of every young person involved in shaping the project.
Turning Ideas Into Delivery
Behind the finished space sits a full working process, from consultation notes and wall plans through to installation schedules and fitting programmes.
