The existing site of St Luke’s consisted of a Grade II listed church, courtyard and church hall building. The design brief was to provide new community facilities to replace the ageing church hall which had reached the end of its useful life and was becoming uneconomical to repair, and provide a new social housing development. Arcus’ design solution was to provide a fully functional and modern alteration to the Church and courtyard that met the client’s requirements without taking away from the historic character of the existing building.

The design of the project consisted of three parts: the first demolishing the single storey extension and community hall and the construction of purpose built facility for the church in the courtyard between the church and the new social housing development;  the second included the construction of 11 unit 2 bedroom 3 person flats for the Riverside; the third and final part being the refurbishing of the existing church.

The new build provides a full range of community facilities for all users, and put the church at the heart of the community so that it would act as a catalyst in bringing the whole community closer together. 

When it became clear that our church hall had reached the end of its useful life the Church Committee decided to utilise the town centre site to provide both social housing and a state of the art church and community facility. In order to do the latter the remaining part of the former hall site, a rather dreary courtyard and the west end of the Grade II church itself had to be reconfigured. It is no exaggeration to say that Arcus succeeded brilliantly in realising our vision. The new facilities are first rate and the adaption of the church has won universal praise for its practicality and beauty.

St Lukes Church