Crisis Christmas is an annual project, which transforms vacant and disused buildings in central London into community centres as a response to the shutdown of many homeless shelters and day centres during the festive period.
The initiative, which has run collaboratively by Architecture of Humanity UK and Crisis, a national charity which fights homelessness, is all encompassing. The work carried out by AfH UK has included developing the design brief, space planning, wayfinding design, interior design, furniture layouts, and constructing and assembling the designs, all within an 8-week programme.
The buildings that are temporarily donated to Crisis for the project are often empty commercial offices, not intended for this use and difficult to navigate within. The proposals realised by AfH UK create welcoming, desirable and safe spaces, allowing the 8000 Crisis volunteers to provide essential services and companionship to more than 2000 homeless and vulnerably housed people during an often challenging and lonely time of year.
AfH UK has offered design services for the project annually since 2005, with more than 60 volunteers contibuting to the improvement of more than 5 centres each year.
AfH UK’s work with Crisis was featured in the 21st December 2006 edition of the Architects’ Journal. Click here for a link to this article.
Project details and design information for previous years can be found within the relevent project page.