BBC Children in Need
provides grants to projects in the UK with a focus on empowering disadvantaged
children.
The charity makes a
real difference to the lives of children and young people by changing the
environment they live in. The grant programme believes every child in the UK
should have a safe, happy and secure environment to live in as a foundation for
them to reach their full potential.
DIY SOS: The Big Build
worked alongside Children in Need on a project to create a better living
environment for teenagers in a foster care home in Swansea.
BBC Photography
Having dilapidated
over time, the project involved the transformation of an old fashioned and
uninviting foster home into a pleasant and welcoming environment. With only 12
days to demolish and rebuild the premises, Formica Group offered its support by
providing much needed surfacing for the building’s exterior.
Careful consideration
was given to the design of the new build so that its aesthetic integrated into
the surrounding residential environment. From the front, the timber frame of
the 364m2 premises is
inconspicuous among its neighbouring homes, however, architect Tom Russell,
from the Emmett Russell Foundation, did reserve a special feature for the
children in the back of the building.
Gordon Whistance,
Production Designer for DIY SOS comments: “We added something a little special
to the project by creating a colourful terrace with a 2m overhang where only
the children can go – their secret place if you will. It’s like nothing we’ve
done before.”
To establish the
tranquil space, two shades of blue from the VIVIX
by Formica Group exterior cladding range were used, Grotto and Maui.
The wide range of
colours, ease of application, large sheet sizes, durability and stain resistant
qualities of VIVIX panels made it ideal
for the project. Gordon continues: “The care home needed to feature
contemporary but cool colours. With the compact laminate being applied to the
care home exterior surrounded by a timber frame, aesthetic was carefully
considered more than may be apparent on the first viewing of the final build.
“The timber, painted
in yellow, will turn to a silver hue overtime so we intentionally juxtaposed
the blue tones against the frame to complement the eventual transition. For
visual consistency we even matched the colour of the screw fixings to the
compact laminate sheets.”
The close attention to
detail by the DIY SOS team on the foster care home, with its area designated
specifically for the teenagers it houses, is a contributing step to the
groundwork necessary to providing them with a brighter future.
