Description

A place for teenagers

The materials and colours used throughout Cowley Teenage Space indicate that it’s a place for teenagers and not for young children. There are no primary colours used as these tend to be associated with children’s playgrounds.

Design features such as terraced seating and an inside/outside sculpture lend structure to informal activities that the teenagers use the space for. Automatic lighting enables young people to use the area in winter and during the evenings. The fact that the lights stay on until 10.00pm reflects the support the project has from estate residents.

Many of the teenagers told the designers that during school breaks they have to keep an eye on their younger siblings, so it was important for the space to be child-friendly. The inside/outside sculpture provides play opportunities for all ages; younger children like to climb on the sculpture and make dens underneath it, while teenagers like to use it as seating and just watch what is going on.

Sporting facilities

Sports facilities including a five-a-side football pitch and a basketball hoop are included within Cowley Teenage Space and the Vassall youth club uses the site for a football coaching project, with football teams for two age ranges.

Although the space is open access, the estate management board finds that offering some structured activities helps to maintain interest in the space and encourages young people to use it without supervision as well. Young people on the estate plan and fundraise for activities to take place in the space and some of the older teenagers have completed football coaching training courses.