Cowley Teenage Space

Young residents of a Brixton housing estate worked with Snug & Outdoor to create Cowley Teenage Space - a dedicated space where young people can spend time with friends.

Cowley Estate is managed by an Estate Management Board; when it was established the board were keen to tackle the run-down state of their neighbourhood. When residents started to complain that young people were loitering and behaving anti-socially, estate manager Ronke Ayoola realised that the estate’s teenagers needed a place to go that they could call their own. The estate management board decided to take action by opening up an old depot space and turning it into a space for teenagers.

One of the main factors behind the success of the project was the inclusion of young people in the planning and design process. Hattie Coppard from designers Snug & Outdoor observed young people on the estate for two weeks, gathering the information she needed to create a space to suit their needs.

Getting young people and local residents involved in the design process helped to develop strong relationships which have had a lasting effect on the community at large.