Project Overview
St Peter’s Church is situated at the centre of Peterchurch, a rural community in Herefordshire. The building was in a reasonable state of repair overall, but the internal arrangements meant the building had limited use due to the lack of usable space, lighting and power installations and basic facilities such as WCs or a kitchen.
After careful discussion, the PCC entered into a partnership with Herefordshire Council that allowed the church to be re-ordered to create a sustainable, multi-use community building designed to function as a service delivery centre for children’s services, a public lending library, a worship space for Anglican services and a community event space.
We worked with the PCC, Herefordshire Council, the community and external stakeholders to develop a solution that provided all the facilities needed while changing as little as possible about the existing building.
After careful discussion, the PCC entered into a partnership with Herefordshire Council that allowed the church to be re-ordered to create a sustainable, multi-use community building designed to function as a service delivery centre for children’s services, a public lending library, a worship space for Anglican services and a community event space.
We worked with the PCC, Herefordshire Council, the community and external stakeholders to develop a solution that provided all the facilities needed while changing as little as possible about the existing building.
Project Story
This project has built deeper relationships amongst and between the church community and the wider community and both are flourishing as a result.”
Revd Simon Lockett, Vicar of St Peter’s, Peterchurch
Revd Simon Lockett, Vicar of St Peter’s, Peterchurch
The Building
St Peter’s Church is situated at the centre of Peterchurch, a rural community in the heart of the Golden Valley in Herefordshire with a population of approximately 800 people. The existing church dates from the 12th century, but during the works foundations were found for what was thought to be an earlier Saxon building located nearer the River Dore.
The church building is an unaisled, 4 cell church. Separating these spaces are magnificent arches, one of which is highly decorated with carving from the renowned Herefordshire School.
During the Victorian period the church was heavily restored, which stripped the interior walls of their lime plaster work, installed a new tiled floor finish to all areas, added a heating system and organised seating arrangements with imposition of pews both in the nave and the first chancel (crossing).
Although structurally the majority of the building was in a reasonable state of repair, the internal arrangements meant the building had limited use due to the lack of usable space, lighting and power installations and basic facilities such as WCs or a kitchen.
The Solution
Due to the sensitive nature of the site in heritage and religious terms, Communion endeavoured to change as little as possible about the existing building, and sought to reduce to an absolute minimum the facilities required to deliver the brief. These facilities were prioritised as follows:
a wood pellet boiler
a kitchen
an accessible WC
a WC
a cleaners’ area
stair and lift access to first floor balcony.
a wood pellet boiler
a kitchen
an accessible WC
a WC
a cleaners’ area
stair and lift access to first floor balcony.
To minimise impact, all facilities are designed to be contained within freestanding timber boxes. When use dictates, the boxes are opened allowing the existing spaces to be transformed from 12th century patterns of worship, to more contemporary uses almost instantly. Once the activity is complete, the boxes are closed and the space returns to sacred silence.
The Outcome
The interventions work with the grain of the building and have a simplicity, austerity and clarity which works extremely well.
The architects and client have created a series of spaces in which a huge variety of activities can take place and this inventive programming will hopefully help encourage the kind of chance encounters which help make up a community.
If this kind of partnership between churches and villages are reproduced throughout the country, both will thrive.”
ACE/RIBA AWARDS 2011 Jury’s citations
Communion Design (Winner) St Peter’s Church, Peterchurch, Herefordshire
ACE/RIBA AWARDS 2011 Jury’s citations
Communion Design (Winner) St Peter’s Church, Peterchurch, Herefordshire
