Charming Grade II* listed parish church, located in the centre of the village, around which the local community sets out its active and vibrant social life. The issue was an insufficient space in the church to accommodate all of the events planned by community as well as the growing need to make it both accessible for disabled parishioners and attractive to a younger generation. For that reason the villagers sought an architectural solution. Our architectural solution was to form an extension that measures only 45 sq.m. and was composed around 12th Century doorway; the tribute and evidence of church’s past developments. The doorway also connects the main body of the church with the extension. The addition is a single-storey space build in the south section of the churchyard. The extension provides a good size meeting room with a kitchenette, and a lobby leading to the church and to the two toilets. One of the toilets was designed to be disabled friendly; achieving a full DDA compliance. Traditional construction method using rabble (but coursed) stone and slate with vast area of toughened glazing. Challenges: - ‘The community had been looking at ways to foster greater integration of church and community, leading to improved facilities and utilisation of the church, and had been supporting the church in its successful attempts to raise money to build the new church room which had opened in September 2012’ (Community Plan 2014)’. - Underused significant heritage monument, Grade II* Listed St. Agatha’s Church, Brightwell-cum-Sotwell. - Insufficient assembly space for local community to gather and meet in. - Need for facilities like toilets and kitchen supporting church gatherings as well as disabled- friendly access. - Money to facilitate the project; this purely meant reliance on private donations and fundraising. - Initial and very confusing feedback from Diocese of Oxford and their consultees. Our service: - Feasibility Study - Initial Consultations with Statutory Authorities to discuss proposed alterations - Budget Analyses to support proposed design solutions - Project Programming and Responsibility Matrix - Statutory Approvals - Complex Design (from Concept to Technical and Structural Engineering as well as M&E) - Tenders - Contract Administration - Fundraising Further read: https://marbleair.com/uncategorized/case-study-two-st-agathas-church-brightwell-cum-sotwell/