The Youth Hub Christchurch:
Supported Housing

2025

Supported Housing Shaped by Rangatahi

The Supported Housing at The Youth Hub offers a unique model of cohousing, designed to provide young people aged 16-25 with a safe, nurturing environment for up to 18 months. Comprising 23 bedrooms, including two accessible rooms, this private, residential wing fosters independence while offering vital support services.

Connected to the Wrap Around Services, the Supported Housing provides holistic care for young residents, creating a seamless connection between transitional accommodation and wider support.  Rangatahi were directly involved in shaping the brief through workshops and surveys, ensuring the housing reflected their needs for safety, autonomy, and self-expression. Guided by principles of hakapapa & whenua, accessibility, empowerment, inclusivity, and relationships, the two-storey housing sits discreetly within the urban context, designed with a form that respects and reflects neighbouring homes.

Shared Spaces for Choice and Connection

A mix of shared communal spaces, including lounges, kitchens, dining areas, a laundry, quiet zones, and outdoor terraces, supports both social interaction and privacy. With an emphasis on fostering independence, the design includes sensitive circulation routes that allow for a balance between social and private spaces. Multiple access points provide residents the freedom to choose either more communal routes or quieter, more solitary paths, ensuring they feel safe, secure, and empowered within their living environment.

Rooms with individual character

Feedback from residents shaped unique layouts, window arrangements, colours, and ceiling heights, celebrating individuality and diversity. This thoughtful approach ensures that no two rooms feel the same, further enhancing the sense of ownership and comfort, helping each resident feel connected to their space in a meaningful way. Each private bedroom includes a shower, toilet, wardrobe, desk, and bed, with custom-built furniture for durability. Ground-floor rooms each have a private outdoor deck floating above wetland inspired planting, while upper-floor units feature varied ceiling volumes and skylights to create uplifting and unique spaces.

Materials were selected to balance cost, durability, and atmosphere. Light timber, long-run metal cladding, marmoleum flooring, carpets, and coloured Autex panels create warmth, acoustic control, and a calm, inviting environment. Visible timber throughout reinforces a non-institutional, homely feel.

“It’s been incredible to see the space come to life, and we’re especially proud to hear from our residents that they feel safe and supported.”

- Youth Hub Housing Manager



Photography: Sarah Rowlands

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