Newly designed with construction underway, the Indigenous-led, not-for-profit organization of the Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth’s USAY Youth Centre will establish a place of accessibility, safety, and cultural relevance for the thousands of Indigenous youth between the ages of 12 and 29 it supports.
Located in Calgary’s Forest Lawn neighbourhood—the traditional territory of the Siksika, Kainai, Piikani, Iyarhe Nakoda, and Tsuut’ina Nations as well as the Metis Nation of Region 3—and projected to be completed by March 2024, the youth centre was designed through a collaborative process with our Calgary studio.
A place long in the making since the organization first began in 1999 and meaningfully co-authored to serve the organization’s needs, the building interior design and architecture will represent a hub of permanence and gathering that can give a strong foundation to their activities.
“Lemay’s practice model is set up to create open dialogues and take time to create space for understanding, and USAY’s youth centre demonstrates the weight we place on meaningful, participatory approaches to co-designing space for communities,” explains Grace Coulter Sherlock, Design Director for the project.
“That’s how we could best create a place that’s as safe as it is essential.”
In designing for USAY’s daily and long-term needs, as each of the youth centre’s spaces are made to be both distinct and permeable between one another with barrier-free entries and hallways mediated by wood and translucent polycarbonate panels to create a sense of both togetherness and privacy.
Measuring nearly 5,000 square feet across two floors, the structure encompasses a main floor composed of spaces for communal gathering, as well as a multipurpose Maker’s Space for USAY’s STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) programming, learning and cultural exchanges. The second floor, dedicated to staff and youth skill-building, opens to a rooftop with a garden for traditional medicines and teachings, looking down onto an outdoor lot adjacent to the building that can host activities ranging from employment fairs to drum circles, and more.
Designed for sustainability, the youth centre uses passive strategies like solar gain and holistic elements of biophilia and natural lighting to enhance its natural materials of wood and plant life, while the rooftop includes space for the future integration of solar panels for lowered costs and energy efficiency.
“USAY is thrilled to announce the construction of our new building, which will serve as a safe and supportive space in Calgary where we can empower Indigenous youth with the resources and support they need to succeed,” says LeeAnne Ireland, Executive Director of USAY. “With this new building, we will be able to expand our programming and reach even more young people in the community. We believe that this project will have a significant and positive impact on the lives of Indigenous youth in Calgary, and we are excited to see the difference it will make.”
Learn more about the USAY Youth Centre , watch the story of the process behind the project with the video below, and donate to USAY to directly support Indigenous youth.
