Salford Youth Zone

Set for completion in 2025, Salford Youth Zone will provide the young people of Salford with a state-of-the-art space that provides a raft of new opportunities and extracurricular activities.

The project is a result of a partnership between Salford-born businessman Fred Done, Salford City Council, and HideOut Youth Zone, with support from the national youth charity OnSide.

Renaissance, as the structural and civil engineers, played a crucial role in designing a structure that not only meets the functional and aesthetic requirements but also aligns with the project’s social goals.

Designing for social value

One of the primary goals of the Salford Youth Zone is to create a safe, inclusive environment for young people aged 12 to 18. The design championed this mission, prioritising open spaces to enhance safety and foster a welcoming atmosphere.

Through our structural design, we looked to support this design philosophy by eliminating long, isolated corridors, ensuring that every area of the building was visible and accessible. The thinking behind some of these design choices came down to safeguarding young people, reducing the risk of antisocial behaviour and creating a space where they can feel secure.

From a facilities perspective, Salford Youth Zone offers a large array of facilities, including areas for learning cooking, beauty treatments, music, podcasts and sports. These facilities will be vital in offering young people positive extracurricular activities that build wellbeing and new skills.

At its heart, the project is about addressing the needs of the local community by providing a positive outlet for young people in deprived areas, reducing anti-social behaviour and improving wellbeing.

The challenge of sustainable building

Before planning, we worked with the client to incorporate sustainable practices into the structural design, including the use of reused steel. This would lead to significant carbon savings and would make use of perfectly good steel that had been removed from a now-demolished building.

Despite the initial interest and commitment from our socially-minded client, several practical challenges emerged.

The primary issue was the project’s build schedule. With the main contractor coming on relatively late into the process, there was immense pressure to get on site as soon as the green light was given from the planning authority.

Reused steel, while environmentally beneficial, requires a longer lead time compared to new steel. This is down to the product’s more complex supply chain. Obviously, when smelting new steel, it can be made to order and exactly to your specifications. With reused steel, you may have to wait for the right steel to become available, casting a certain amount of uncertainty on the build schedule itself.

Renaissance aimed to incorporate sustainable practices into the structural design, including the use of reused steel to reduce the project’s carbon footprint. However, despite the initial interest and commitment from the socially-minded client, several practical challenges emerged.

The reused steel we required would need to be sourced from various suppliers, and the availability was not guaranteed, making it difficult to meet the tight deadline we had in front of us.

The process ended up being a learnable moment in working with reused elements like steel. The environmental benefits are clear for all to see but current construction practices and timelines can make it challenging to incorporate such materials without significant advance planning.

Critically, early deadlines and proactive procurement are vital to getting the use of reused steel right. What’s more, stronger monetary incentives, perhaps at the government level would also give the practice a much-needed shove.

When it officially opens in 2025, Salford Youth Zone will be a force for good in the area, empowering communities, reducing anti-social behaviour and providing young people with fun activities that support their wellbeing.

The end result here goes beyond mere structural design.

It was about contributing to a space that would provide real social value to the young people of Salford.

Client: Salford City Youth Zone
Location: Salford