Renovation and conversion

HAWKS BRIDGE CHAPEL CASE STUDY

Built in 1914 the Baptist Chapel was built to replace the old chapel (now a listed building) which the congregation had out grown. Built from locally quarried Delph sandstone; split faced walling stone with ashlar plinth, thresholds, door and window heads, cills and mullions. Welsh slate to the roof and cast iron rain water gutters and down pipes.

100 years later, due to dwindling congregation numbers the Chapel closed in December 2013 following its last service. Planning Consent was granted in spring 2014 to convert the former chapel into a 5 bedroom family home.

Minimal intervention externally to retain the appearance of the Chapel, which including forming two new openings to match the existing style and replacing the dilapidated mix match of windows with new painted timber windows and a coherent joinery profile appropriate to the period of construction.

Isolated repointing to the external walls shall be carried out using lime mortar, replacing an inappropriate cement mortar which was applied during earlier repointing by others. Hand tools shall be used during the repairs to remove only the loose cement pointing, whereas the use of mechanical tools to remove secure pointing risks damaging the stone work; an irreversible consequence.

Internally the external walls are to be stripped of any oil based paints and cement based plasters, and dry lined using a breather able insulation to maintain the breather ability of the buildings fabric and improve the thermal efficiency.

An efficient Mechanical Heat Recovery and Ventilation (MHRV) system shall be installed through to provide an efficient controlled means of both heating and ventilating the building. This type of system provides a means of controlling heat distribution and ventilation throughout the building, omitting the need for more traditional trickle vents which are a common source of heat loss. The initial heat input is provided from a traditional heating system using radiators and an efficient A rated Boiler. The MHRV system then extracts warm stale air from areas such as the kitchen and bathroom and uses it to heat clean fresh air being circulated into the living accommodation.

This type of heating and air handling system is ideal for a traditional building with solid walls, even modern buildings too, as it provides a constant movement of air throughout the built environment. This prevents the build up of stale air which can lead to problems with damp and health issues for the buildings occupants.

PROJECT INFO

Project type: Private, domestic dwelling
Categories : New Build, Traditional Skills, Extension