Bluebird
Bluebird provides 50 bed spaces for individuals recovering from homelessness through Passivhaus Certified gas-free mews-style housing to the rear of the site and a renovated terrace of properties fronting the street.
“Every visit to Bluebird fills my heart with joy.
The attention to detail and quality of design reflects the value we put on our residents to know that they are cared for.
SKArchitects worked their magic for us, and Bluebird offers everything we had hoped for and more”
– Nicky Bowling, HARP, November 2023
Bluebird sought to substantially increase and improve accommodation provisions available for people experiencing homelessness in Southend-on-Sea.
Our Client, HARP, embraced the eco-credentials of Bluebird with a passion for reducing their carbon footprint alongside creating a high quality, safe and comfortable environment for their residents.
The architecture is intimate in scale with a terrace of six small scale shared houses clad in clay tiles which utilise a subtle variation of colour to create a sense of rhythm, identity and ownership to each of the houses, with large scale colourful feature dormers.
The facade features 500 bespoke debossed clay tiles which create an opportunity for the residents of Bluebird and other members of the community to explore their creativity and question, “what does home mean to you?” by creating a clay ‘roundel’ which will be permanently affixed to the façade.
The Hive provides on-site meaningful activities including coffee mornings, craft, dance, yoga and meditation. The Hive has focused on natural materials and a soft colour palette to create a calm and reflective environment, including yellow timber which is referential of its roof which is planned to be home to a hive of bees.