WR-AP, an architect firm based in Teddington who designed the new facilities at Ham Close, have won the award of 'One Off Youth Activity' at the Inspire Future Generations Awards 2023.  

The firm were awarded for their engagement work with the young people at Ham Youth Centre. WR-AP and the Council worked together to deliver a period of engagement with young people, from November 2022 to April 2023, as part of the detailed design process. 

The judges commented: "The power of this project was that it was based on a responsiveness by the council and the architects to feedback from the community and end-user group. This resulted in a more intensive and meaningful engagement journey for the internal design of the building, that more closely reflected the requirements of the cohort." 

WR-AP works collaboratively with partners who share its passion for architecture's role in creating a balanced relationship between society and the planet. 

WR-AP said: "The purpose of our work for the proposed Ham Close Community Centre was to involve young local people in the design, layout and internal appearance of the new Youth and Community building on the Ham Close Estate[…] which forms part of a larger residential regeneration project.  

"A prime objective was the fact that youth workers at the club from Achieving for Children (AfC) had raised the issue that young people and young residents of the existing estate had little involvement in the initial design of the regeneration project." 

Find out more about the awards and WR-AP.