New Church building completed on time and in budget

The demolition of an existing hall and the construction of a new three-storey church building for Christ Church in Chorleywood has provided larger and more flexible facilities to support the varied activities and functions of a busy parish, including a hall and meeting rooms with capacity for 150 people, a creche, kitchens and a coffee bar.

The building is constructed on piled foundations directly adjacent to the Church, which dates from 1870 and extends into the graveyard. This required an extremely sensitive approach from all team members and great care not to disturb anything in the ground or the Church foundations.

The close proximity of the Junior School with shared access for the site through the playground was an additional concern. Health and Safety remained key priorities throughout and the team were careful to avoid school drop off and pick up times. Precise scheduling of construction activities and proactive liaison with Church and School helped to ensure minimal disruption to their normal daily activities.

The building uses a mix of materials including concrete, steel and timber to form the structure with external brickwork. Rainwater harvesting and solar panels in the roof together with an efficient environmentally friendly heating system, which also provides heating for the Church, add green credentials.

Challenges & Solutions

Delivering the project on time and in budget was crucial. As a Design and Build project we were able to find significant cost savings and to recommend solutions that ensured project goals for the building were achieved within the available budget.

Working with Church and School on either side, it was essential to coordinate construction around busy periods and sensitive Church services. Weekly meetings kept everyone informed, ensuring that all parties could work around each other more easily.

"Completing the project on time and within budget were clearly important factors for us, but we were also impressed by the attitude, trust and personal qualities the team brought to the project. It was particularly important to minimise disruption to the adjoining junior school - strong communication from the team and excellent coordination of activities meant there was never an issue.”
Ian Brocklesby