Building a Bairns Hoose

" Please remember I was a child, the court system is not right for children, it is very scary, so please make it more child-friendly, make the process easier, brighter and less scary. "
Lydia’s poem, age 12

Introduction

The architectural practice, Lee Boyd was appointed at stage one of the North Strathclyde Bairns Hoose Project. They were chosen because they had demonstrated ability to design across a range of different briefs and to elevate a simple project to something quite special by careful detailing in previous work for community, residential, café and nursery projects.

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Recovery room at the Bairns Hoose

" We were aware that the design of the Bairns Hoose would draw on our architecture and interior design skills but that the specialist nature of the project would require the design to be a collaborative process. It would need time to listen carefully to those who had experienced trauma or had worked within the judicial system in Scotland and would be the better for it, with much to learn for designers and client alike. "
Nicola Hall, Lee Boyd.

Relationships and Participation

Building strong and trusted relationships with the design team was a very important first step; this allowed open and honest discussions about project aspirations and challenges. Over time this developed into the brief, which set out key requirements for the building and was informed by research and visits to the original Scandinavian Barnahus projects by Children First.

The brief was developed in collaboration with Children First's partner organisations and by engaging with a group of young people, the Children First Changemakers, who had agreed to share their experiences of the Scottish judicial system to help develop the Bairns Hoose. Creative workshops enabled wider participation by children, young people and families beyond the Changemakers in shaping the brief. The brief broadly followed the principles set out in the European PROMISE Barnahus Quality Standards – Standard 4 Child Friendly Environment. It also reflected the requirements and aspirations of  the North Strathclyde partners, specifically the Child Interview Team, which comprises of police officers and social workers and the Children First recovery team.

The design team for the North Strathclyde Bairns Hoose included a range of professionals, who were all appointed in the early stages of the project. They included: 

" We were lucky to be able to work with a trusted design team we had collaborated with before. We could support each other to coordinate different aspects of the project for Children First and ensure that the cost of the project remained affordable. "
Lee Boyd Architects

A RIBA plan of work

The Bairns Hoose project followed the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) plan of work, a structured method for managing building projects. This method breaks down the process into eight stages, from initial planning to final operation. Each stage has specific goals and tasks and details the information that needs to be shared at each point.  

The remainder of this section of the practical guide sets out the key design requirements for each stage of the RIBA plan of work for the Bairns Hoose, which multi-agency partnerships can use to help establish a brief for the development of a new Bairns Hoose, with a realistic and affordable project budget.