Taylor Construction and Turner Architects refurbish for Boys & Girls
The refurbishment of the Girls and Boys Brigade by the Property Industry Foundation, Taylor Construction and Turner Architects is now complete. The Girls and Boys Brigade provides a safe and welcoming place for local children and families with a particular focus on those struggling with significant life challenges.
Covid has been a tough period for the Brigade which had to close its doors of its centre on Riley Street for the first time in 138 years in March. “During the lockdown period, our biggest task was to distribute groceries to our network of over 150 families,” said CEO Stefan Lamour-Jansson. Every week the Brigade delivered grocery packs of essential foods including bread, vegetables, fruit and canned goods to the families of the young people it supports. These were families that were severely impacted by Covid-19 through job losses and mental stress.
However, the Brigade rose to the challenge and opened its doors again on the 1st of June and was able to resume services. That also meant that the Property Industry Foundation could get back to refurbishing its office space which it had looked at prior to Covid.
The Property Industry Foundation assessed the job and put out the call for help. As usual, the generosity of the industry saw Turner Architects and Taylor Construction agree to this job on a pro bono basis. In only a few short weeks the Brigade’s office space was transformed and Lamour-Jansson says the impact has been enormous.
“The work that the Property Industry Foundation and Taylor have done has transformed a problematic and one dimensional space into a dynamic and multi-use area that can be utilised by both staff and families for generations to come,” he said.
“The space now has natural light flooding through it, maximises the useable space, and ensures that the team can work constructively and collaboratively together.” Ultimately this space will be transformed into another program room in the future.
The real beneficiaries though are the children and young people that use the Brigade as a safe haven every day. “The children are rapt with the results.” said Lamour-Jansson. “They have been amazed at the transformation and want to spend all of their time in the office!”
At the Property Industry Foundation we love it when a plan comes together. It was a great collaboration with Taylor, Turner and the Brigade that created a positive outcome for the young people and children at the centre.
At the Property Industry Foundation we are changing lives – one brick at a time!
