Rough Sleeper Centre 

Converting existing buildings into short-term accommodation for the City of London's rough sleepers

Located behind Holy Sepulchre Church along a hidden garden path, the Snow Hill Court Rough Sleeper Centre is a sanctuary for the City of London’s rough sleepers.

Working with the City, the Centre continues our work with the Commonweal Pods, looking at how existing buildings can be converted into short-term accommodation for rough sleepers. Originally built as a Church school in 1880, the building has since taken on various functions including as a ‘British Restaurant’ during the Second World War.

The project is a low-carbon retrofit that provides much-needed repairs to the listed structure; reinvigorating its legacy while providing support to the most vulnerable members of our community.

Each sleeping cubicle provides residents with an airy, safe, and secure space and is complemented by meeting rooms for one-on-one support from key workers. A communal lounge and kitchen, in the double-height space that was once a school room, forms the focal point for the building.

Externally, the existing over-grown garden is to be replanted, creating a soft and shaded landscape for residents and the public alike.

  1. Sector

    Homes

  2. Location

    London

  3. Client

    City of London

  4. Status

    Completed 2024

  5. Photographer

    Fred Howarth

The City of London's Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Service does not undertake capital projects on a regular basis, so the choice of architecture practice was a critical one for us. The chosen site presented multiple challenges and Reed Watts proved to be a helpful and effective partner in navigating the process. Reed Watts understand homelessness and they made it easy for us to help realise the City of London's vision for the project. As a result, we have a class leading resource for rough sleepers in the heart of our City.

Will Norman

Head of Homelessness, Prevention & Rough Sleeping | City of London Corporation

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