Green Designs for St James the Great Church

The church of St James the Great at Norton juxta Kempsey in Worcestershire, has been in a very poor state of repair for several years and, with no working heating or electrical system, the numbers in the congregation have been gradually dwindling.  But now, following a bequest of £315,000, Ledbury-based Stainburn Taylor Architects, in conjunction with the Parochial Church Council (PCC), have a plan to transform this medieval church and return it to its rightful place at the centre of the community.

The church will be fully restored and re-wired with new heating and sound systems installed.  An extension to the north side of the church, built to environmentally sustainable standards, will provide meeting rooms, kitchen and toilet facilities.

It is this ‘green’ design principle that makes this church extension more unusual than most.  The PCC, together with the architects, were determined to ensure that the new extension has a minimal environmental impact and that it will not visually dominate the existing church.  Through the use of sustainable materials and careful planning, these objectives will be met. 

The roof will be covered with green sedum, which provides many environmental benefits and is increasingly being used on new projects in the UK.  Not only does a green roof provide a natural habitat for local wildlife, but it also offers economic benefits from improved energy efficiency, aesthetic benefits as the property blends into the landscape, and environmental benefits with the removal of CO² from the atmosphere.  The green roof will also slow down the water flow in heavy rain, reducing the impact on drainage.

Architect Rob Leach commented, “With much emphasis today on sustainable developments, the use of a grass roof offers ecological and environmental benefits, as well as reducing the visual impact of the building, and was an obvious choice for this extension to the church.”

Other environmental initiatives used here will include the proposed use of a ground source heat pump, instead of a traditional oil-fired boiler system, to provide heating and hot water and the timber framed walls will be fully insulated with sheep’s wool, which have amazing thermal and acoustic properties.

Work started at the church earlier this month and is expected to be completed by February 2009, by which time the village of Norton will have its very own green church with 21st century style.

Download a PDF showing the design of the extension.