the swannery: youth led design celebrates its community
Barefoot Architects and Wellspring Settlement have transformed a problem pub in Bristol into a much-needed community youth club...
When the pub on the corner of Wellspring Settlement site in Bristol’s Barton Hill closed during the pandemic, the community asked them to take it on, and to use it as an opportunity to reinstate youth services as part of their offer. Barton Hill has been a landing post for refugees and migrants since the 1990s. 38% of the population were born outside the UK, and the number of people claiming unemployment benefits is more than double the Bristol average. Wellspring Settlement is a community anchor organisation which is multi-purpose, community-led and based and aims to build community capacity through a wide range of activities. It is located in a collection of buildings that occupy the area between Bright Street and Ducie Road – with The Swan pub completing the estate. Barefoot Architects worked in partnership with Wellspring Settlement and a cohort of young people to design and deliver a functional, but characterful, space that could accommodate everything from sewing, table football and video games to making youtube shorts and having water fights. The building was also to have a secondary use – first floor offices allow the Youth Club to be self-sustaining through rental income. Sam Goss Founding Director at Barefoot Architects said: “The Swannery needed to be a flexible space that would welcome a diverse group of young people and let them make it their own. When we first visited the site, it was in an appalling state; a smelly, rat infested mouldy space, with a history of drug abuse and fighting. It was our job to completely reimagine and transform it into something for the whole community, and particularly young people, to be proud of.“ Reopened as The Swannery, the retrofitted pub now has strong bones – highly insulated fabric, open plan spaces, with acoustic baffles and robust, healthy finishes all made from natural ecological materials, and a striking new skin. Outside it boldly shares its personality through a bespoke mural by Bristol artist collective Graft, which draws on local history – rats from local legend, strawberries from the area’s agricultural history and doves for peace and living together in harmony. It is symbolic of change and represents hope and joy for the community here. Youth influence Throughout the project, a group of young people from nearby schools were involved in the design and procurement of the project – guided by a team of youth workers who would later run the youth club. These ‘Youth Influencer’ sessions were designed to ensure the building would be fit
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