SHAP Liverpool

SHAP are a major force in combating homelessness, poverty and disadvantage. SHAP’s latest ambition is to redevelop a housing plot with Architectural Emporium on Earle Road in Wavertree to provide workshop and retail space for their charitable furniture recycling activities with training and employment opportunities. Above, supported accommodation for homeless peopleis provided. The ground floor is to be occupied by the furniture shop, workshop and cafe. The upper floor is accesed via an external courtyard and rear sculptural staircase, allowing the footprint of the ground floor to be uninterupted. The design of this £1.16m scheme is sensitive and resourceful. It transforms a disused, unloved and badly damaged derelict building by retaining the external envelope and rebuilding internal floors and the roof to create a home for very positive uses. Sustainable principles are at the heart of the scheme, with the building envelope upgraded internally to improve performance. The design utilises the existing spaces and structures to minimise the requirement for new materials. With the flat ceilings removed to the top floor, the space is maximised with sloping rooflights adding light and further ventilation to the generous spaces.