USAY Youth Centre

Tasked with designing a place of belonging, gathering, and self-expression for the Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth (USAY) and its devoted support of thousands of Indigenous youth through programming and services in Calgary, Alberta, these central headquarters achieve a welcoming centre for its community both inside and out by attuning it to the Indigenous community and its needs.

Through a close, participatory relationship with USAY, this co-designed and co-authored space is a two-floor, nearly 5,000 square foot building and adjoining 6,400 square foot outdoor lot.  Prioritizing natural materials of wood and plant life, form and function come together to support the organization’s activities that have made it an essential presence in Calgary. With landscape and site placement achieving a balance with environmentally forward thinking, the USAY centre uses passive strategies such as solar gain and holistic elements of biophilia to enhance its use.

On a naturally lit main floor for collaborating, socializing, and nourishment, a frontmost gathering space leads to a versatile communal kitchen and educational area aligned with USAY’s hope to create a place of community. Beyond that, a multipurpose Maker’s Space for skill-building and creative arts. Each of these spaces are both distinct and permeable, with barrier-free entries and hallways mediated by wood and translucent polycarbonate panels for togetherness and privacy.

With connectivity at the heart of its design—between both users and the indoors and outdoors—a second floor dedicated to staff leads out onto a cultivated rooftop space. Canopied by a pergola, a garden grows for traditional medicines and teachings while communal seating allows for smudging, constellation teachings with Elders, lounging, and self-care. In the centre’s large adjacent lot with a landscaped frame of natural grass, anything from sports to converging moments of markets, food handouts, employment fairs, and drum circles can be hosted.

Situated in Calgary’s Forest Lawn neighbourhood and on the traditional territory of the Siksika, Kainai, Piikani, Iyarhe Nakoda, and Tsuut’ina Nations as well as the Metis Nation of Region 3, USAY’s headquarters can provide a safe and accessible place for Indigenous youth, reclaiming space for belonging and security that strengthens its community’s connection to culture and wellness.

Watch the video about the story behind the project.