Located in Calgary’s Forest Lawn neighbourhood, the traditional territory of the Siksika, Kainai, Piikani, Iyarhe Nakoda, and Tsuut’ina Nations as well as the Metis Nation of Region 3, the USAY Youth Centre was co-designed and co-authored between Lemay and the Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth (USAY).
Designed as a much-needed place of belonging and personal development for the thousands of Indigenous youth USAY supports between the ages of 12 and 29, this 5,000 square foot building with an adjoining 6,400 square foot outdoor lot acts as a hub of accessibility, safety, cultural relevance, education, and skill-building.
The project measures nearly 5,000 square feet across two floors, encompassing a main floor composed of spaces for communal gathering, as well as a multipurpose Maker’s Space for USAY’s STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) programming, learning and cultural exchanges. The second floor, dedicated to staff and youth skill-building, opens to a rooftop with a garden for traditional medicines and teachings, looking down onto an outdoor lot adjacent to the building that can host activities ranging from employment fairs to drum circles, and more.
Designed for sustainability, the youth centre uses passive strategies like solar gain and holistic elements of biophilia and natural lighting to enhance its natural materials of wood and plant life, while the rooftop includes space for the future integration of solar panels for lowered costs and energy efficiency.
A place of welcoming, gathering, expression, and knowledge sharing for the community, the centre attunes to the community’s needs. Through strategic inward and outward connections, a hub is created of user experience-oriented space both intimate and collective.
