Methodist church transformation continues
Campbell McCrae Ltd have had a long standing appointment with the Huntingdon Methodist church, to implement a phased programme of works to transform the church into a multi functional worship venue.
Phase one, completed in 2014, saw the re-roofing of the main body of the church completed, along with insulation and rooflight installation, which will come into its own upon the completion of phase 3 of the works.
Chris McCrae (Director) attended the official opening and re-dedication of the church hall to the rear, where he handed over the keys to the new glazed entrance to Mr John Bridge OBE DL on behalf of the Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire.
The Phase 2 works included a complete renovation of the dilapidated and under-utilised rear hall, including complete internal strip out and re-finish, the addition of a mezzanine floor for storage, and the introduction of large expanses of glazing into the structure to produce a light and bright internal environment. The alterations to the hall will allow the church to better utilise the space for its work within the community, and cover the costs of some of their investment through renting out the area for local groups and functions.
Campbell McCrae have just been given the green light to commence the detailing of Phase 3, which included the installation of a first floor throughout the main body of the church, creating a new larger worship area. The new mezzanine floor will be accessed via a new glazed stair and lift shaft, which will provide a more modern and welcoming entrance to entice the local community inside, to see the good work that the church and its many out-reach programmes provide. Offices, multi-purpose spaces and independent prayer spaces will occupy the ground floor.

From initial concept, 3D visualisations and Planning applications, through to technical drawings and detailed fit out specifications, this project in Bluntisham, Cambridgeshire has been a pleasure to work on. The clients brief on this project included a large flowing living area which took advantage of both the northern garden aspect and the natural light from the south. This element of the brief has been met through the provision of a large open plan Kitchen/dining room with flexible pocket doors accessing generous seating areas with large triple aspect windows and doors providing views and unrestricted access into the garden to the north and the suntrap courtyard to the south. In addition, the brief also needed to provide futureproofing for the occupants, and thus an emphasis was put on the provision of generous ground floor sleeping accommodation with associated dressing and en-suite facilities. With a relatively large footprint to accommodate the ground floor single level accommodation, we worked hard with the external appearance of the property to break it down into smaller elements, reducing the perceived overall cumulative mass of the building. This was achieved not only with the use of a mixture of flat and pitched roofs, but also with the clever use of the carefully selected materials pallet, which emphasise the separation between elements. The Planning Authority clearly agreed, as the application was approved within the statutory 8 weeks and without the need for any revisions. Externally, we worked closely with a Landscape Designer to provide a hard and soft landscaping proposal that will help settle the new house quickly into its mature surroundings, whilst also providing private and defensible zones for both humans and pets alike. We are looking forward to breaking ground on this project later this year and will be sure to post more progress images. Watch this space (as they say)!













