Developed Design

The images on these pages are credited to Lee Boyd Architects and Will Scott Photography. Click on the dots below the images to see additional pictures of each room in the Children First North Strathclyde Bairns Hoose.

The welcome kitchen is the first space that the child and their parent or carer enter in the Children First North Strathclyde Bairns Hoose. A staff member will greet them and offer them a drink or something to eat. Large wooden Muuto ‘dots’ are dotted randomly at different heights on the wall that faces everyone who comes in to the building. Originally intended as coat hooks, they were left as decorative elements to create lightness and add colour to the space. The kitchen has views through the house to the garden and has direct access to most rooms, so it feels like the heart of the house and helps to orientate visitors. The round kitchen table can be extended to provide a table large enough to sit six people for meetings or activities. The light oak table and chairs were carefully chosen to evoke a sense of home and add a warmth to the space and are available for use by visitors or colleagues. The child and their family can stay in the kitchen, if they wish, or move into one of the welcome rooms which are situated nearby. It felt important to have typical domestic items on the countertops and windowsills to make the Bairns Hoose feel like a home. The pale green kitchen, the natural timber table and the warm rug make the kitchen a fresh and very welcoming space. A new rooflight was incorporated into the design to bring more natural light into the room.

There are two welcome rooms in the Bairns Hoose. Both welcome rooms are accessed from the kitchen and serve as waiting and support spaces for children, young people and their parents or carers. The spaces have been designed to feel like cosy lounge spaces, somewhere children and young people can feel calm before an interview or court session. Soft, uplifting colours have been used to create a sense of peace. A rocker, comfortable sofa with sheepskin throws and patterned blankets add layers of warmth. Welcome room one has been set up with older children and teenagers in mind, although would still be suitable for younger children if needed.

Fidget accessories and a music speaker were added to the room to give distractions for the older children. Both welcome rooms were positioned at the front of the house looking on to the street, so sheers were fitted over the windows for privacy with soft woollen curtains providing sound dampening and allowing for total privacy if required. The curtain fabric was supplied by the Scottish woollen mill Bute Fabrics.

This welcome room was planned as a space for the younger children visiting the Bairns Hoose. Soft and uplifting colours were used with the addition of yellow and blue as pops of colour. Bean bags and soft stools were introduced to give somewhere for the children to sit or play on the floor. Underfloor heating was installed below a luxury vinyl flooring to create a warm floor on which children can play and which also improves acoustics in the space.

A bespoke storage along one of the walls allows toys and items to be tidied away,  reducing the visual noise in the room. A small seating nook in the storage unit allows children to cocoon and feel protected. Pull-out baskets below the seat encourage children to explore the space and pull out any toys to distract them while they wait. The colourful rug can be rolled up and put away if it is too distracting for visitors. Soft toys have been scattered through the space which can be hidden away when required. Sheers and wave curtains are also provided for privacy in this room.

The ceiling lighting in all the rooms is dimmable and supplemented by standard and table lights, some of which are centrally controlled and dimmable.

The interview room is used to hold and record a legally sound interview to secure the best possible evidence to prevent a child or young person being retraumatised by having to re-tell their story over and over. The room has been designed to minimise any sound disruption during the interview and to ensure  quiet voices are picked up clearly. Timber acoustic panelling has been installed on two of the walls, with an acoustic curtain on the third wall. These materials also provide a softness and warmth to the room.

Two large comfortable lounge chairs are provided for the interviewer and the child or young person. The chairs are large enough for a child to curl up into the chair with throws and cushions to create extra softness. The position of the cameras and microphone was considered to ensure these were not intrusive in the space. Cushions and some accessories were added as distractions; importantly it was ensured that these would not generate any noise. 

A colourful spotty rug on the floor is intended to make the space feel more child friendly, which is small enough to be rolled away, if it  is distracting.

The recovery room is the final stage in the journey through the Bairns Hoose and has been designed for children and young people to receive the support and therapeutic services they need to help them heal. Children may visit the recovery room after interview but are more likely return to for therapy and care. The recovery room  is a neutral, bright and calming space with a comfortable armchair, rocking chair and sofa for children and young people to sink into and relax. Cosy blankets and soft throws are draped over chairs and tucked in baskets, creating soft layers of comfort and texture. A modular storage unit dressed with activity pieces and a central modular table to gather round have been included in the room. A large soft floor rug creates warmth and a place to sit. Bi-fold doors span one wall of the  room framing the garden as a backdrop. The views of the outdoor space boost the connection to nature, aiming to help improve mood and wellbeing. The doors open on to a decking terrace with steps down to the main garden and summerhouse, which provides an additional space for children and young people when needed.

A typical Barnahus health room is a space that can be used by medical practitioners to  evaluate a child or young person’s physical or mental wellbeing. In some cases the health room  this is linked with a healthcare provider (such as the NHS) who can undertake forensic services. At the Children First Bairn’s Hoose in North Strathclyde, the health room was not designed for forensic services but rather to serve as a consultation room for health and wellbeing support. This decision was influenced by a range of factors, including availability of specialist NHS paediatricians but more specifically because the strict criteria required for forensic examinations precludes the use of soft furnishings within the property (because of the risk of contamination) and would require the use of powerful cleaning products which were likely to dominate the house and could be triggering to some children and young people. Finishes have been selected to create an airy, bright and welcoming space which also feels hygienic. The vinyl floor finish and Trevira window blind meet NHS guidelines for a standard medical room. A handwash sink (to NHS specifications) allows for clinical use if needed.

In the Children First North Strathclyde Bairns Hoose the court room facility sits alongside the main building in an adjoining but separate building. It has two independent points of access, one at the front of the house through a timber courtyard and another entrance separate from the main house. Live links to court room hearings can be made from the room allowing children to give their evidence live from this safe space.

Children First worked closely with the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service (SCTS) to ensure the space meets the relevant requirements. A built-in secure storage unit allows for any equipment and documentation to be stored neatly away. Timber panelling and curtains were introduced for acoustic purposes and additional sheer curtains give an additional level of privacy. This room has direct access to the garden and courtyard spaces for breaks during the court session and so that children and young people have spaces for relaxing after hearings. Access is provided to the main house for carers and children and young people to make use of the facilities there.

An office space was created for colleagues who are working in the Bairns Hoose. The space has a desk, task chair and a small storage unit and is designed so that it can be used as a secondary interview room if required . It is almost an exact copy of the adjacent interview room with acoustic timber panelling on two walls and an acoustic door, with additional sound-proofing and privacy measures to ensure that any sensitive casework can be carried-out by colleagues. The room is cabled to allow future retrofit of static cameras but it is envisaged that when it is used as a temporary second interview room this will be done using mobile AV technology, supplied by the interview team.

Access to a second interview room has the potential to allow two children from the same family to be interviewed simultaneously, which can help ensure that any evidence is not corroborated and limits the number of times a family might have to attend the house. Muuto wall hooks are provided here for staff coats and bags and simple wall decorations add softness to the room. There is direct access and a view from this room to the kitchen so that colleagues are readily available to offer support when needed.