Hope Street Hub Southampton (UK)

Nature and hope

Located in a residential area of Southampton, in the heart of a heritage protection zone, the Hope Street Hub is designed to accommodate women in the care of the justice system and their children.

From the street, the shelter appears as a group of three detached houses whose architecture respects the rhythm and lexicon of the neighbouring Victorian villas.


However, to avoid giving the whole structure too strict an appearance, Snug Architects (Southampton) has differentiated the composition of these three volumes through their openings and roof pitches. The unity of the whole is based on the materials used: brick and oak on the façades, PIGMENTO® green standing seam zinc for the roofs and their connections.


The green colour of the building is a modern interpretation of the slate roofs that are predominant in the district and an echo of the trees in the park opposite.

The biophilic approach adopted throughout this BREEAM-certified project is reflected in the therapeutic garden that separates this first line of buildings from another building to the rear. It offers 8 shared flats that can accommodate up to 24 women and their children in private flats.