Refurbishing and expanding the church and ancillary spaces to improve facilities and increase congregation capacity
Trimming costs, maximising outcomes
We were engaged to work with the parish representatives to solve a budget problem as the initial design had proved unaffordable. We managed a challenging value engineering process which reduced the cost without significantly affecting the functionality or aesthetics of the design. We then managed the completion of the design process, negotiations with the contractor and the construction stage.
Path to success
Key factors in the success of this project have been ensuring the new design still protects the integrity of the church, as well as managing construction in order to minimise disruption to the church’s surroundings.
The changes required to the existing building to increase its congregation capacity and re-orient the church layout are significant. We have worked collaboratively to ensure that key heritage features are protected and restored, and that the overall design is sympathetic to the religious significance of the building. We have also carefully managed the logistics of the construction phase, to avoid any negative impacts on the operational school next door.
Points of interest
- The church houses some very important art works depicting the Stations of the Cross. These art works were carefully removed before construction works began and are to be re-installed following their restoration.
- The church is affectionately referred to as the ‘Cathedral of the West’ as it has the largest congregation in West Auckland.
- The building provides centralised facilities for church related activities for meetings to serve parish organisations such as St Vincent de Paul, community groups, and study groups.