Following updated Ofsted and CQC requirements mandating individual bedrooms for residents, Deacon + Richardson Architects were appointed to design a new purpose-built residential unit for young adults supported by the Chailey Heritage Foundation.

The brief called for individual en-suite bedrooms, a shared assisted bathroom, and essential support spaces including a kitchen, medical prep room, staff office, and a welcoming visitor room. Accessibility and inclusivity were central to the design ethos.

The site’s natural slope enabled a two-storey design with level access to both floors. The building is arranged with bedrooms surrounding a central living and dining space, fostering a sense of community while allowing privacy. Support spaces are carefully clustered to one side of the plan for operational efficiency.

Externally, the building form draws from the surrounding architectural context, using brickwork walls and a hipped roof to integrate with nearby structures. To distinguish the design as a modern intervention, we introduced several key details:

– A standing seam zinc roof, consistent with recent additions like the DREAM Centre

– Multi-stock brick panels with feature detailing

– Lowered window cills for improved accessibility

– Coloured panels at each bedroom to support resident identity and wayfinding

While originally designed for 12 bedrooms, the scheme was revised in response to funding changes to accommodate a smaller number of residents.