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Ecclesistical & Heritage World No.99

The end of the pew? How stacking chairs and seating are favoured in churches today

For the first 1500 years of the Church’s life, pews were extremely rare. In most medieval Churches for example, people stood or sat on the floor with only a narrow bench around the edge of the building for eating. Some Churches never even got around to installing pews and in Eastern Orthodox Churches in Russia and Greece worshippers still stand today!

Pews render the space in Churches virtually unusable for anything other than two hour long events a week. A recent survey found that pews effectively exclude 90% of people who are not regular attendees of services.

Read more: The end of the pew? How stacking chairs and seating are favoured in churches today

Regeneration of Grade II listed estate shortlisted for Roofing Awards 2016

Last December saw the completion of the regeneration scheme at the Byker Wall Estate in Newcastle and the project has been shortlisted for the Roofing Awards 2016 in the Solar category.

Work first started in block stages in August 2014, to the Grade II listed estate that was formed in the late 1960s, replacing the former Victorian housing. The community benefitted from major investment in the estate made by the Byker Community Trust.

Read more: Regeneration of Grade II listed estate shortlisted for Roofing Awards 2016

Pavers from Ketley deliver on award-winning Barbican restoration

Paving tiles from West Midlands based Ketley Brick Company Ltd are helping to deliver the renovation of the Barbican podium area which began late 2013. As a listed building, the requirements were to maintain the general appearance of the paving while freshening the look of the area and delivering good slip resistance. Over 280,000 paving tiles in three brindle colours were supplied for the first phase of the restoration.

Read more: Pavers from Ketley deliver on award-winning Barbican restoration

Church gutters - the do’s and don’ts

The problem with most church gutters is that they are hard to get to, they were often under-designed in the first place, and there isn't the money or able bodied volunteers around to clear them out.

Dr Malcolm Wearing BEng PhD CEng MICE MCIWEM, a consultant at CRM Rainwater Drainage Consultancy Ltd, is particularly aware of these challenges, as aside from his professional life, he is involved in the leadership of a team of churches with two listed buildings and another two Victorian buildings with significant challenges.

Read more: Church gutters - the do’s and don’ts

Church re-roofing leads to two new product lines from tile manufacturer

When the call came through to Dreadnought Tiles requesting tile samples for a church re-roofing project little did the manufacturer realise that the contract would lead to the development of two new product lines aimed specifically at plugging a gap in the restoration market.

Read more: Church re-roofing leads to two new product lines from tile manufacturer

Heritage Watch is coming to York

The inaugural meeting of York Heritage Watch was held at the Stained Glass Centre at St Martin Cum Gregory Church, Micklegate, York on Thursday 18th February. The meeting was chaired by Trace-in-Metal managing director John Minary, and was co-hosted by Police Community Support Officer Kayleigh Rae of North Yorkshire Police, York City Centre Policing Team.

Read more: Heritage Watch is coming to York

Discreet heating solution for heritage warehouse conversion

When a 19th Century wharfside store in Carmarthen was transformed into a luxurious family home, choosing a heating system that would complement the interior aesthetics while maintaining energy-efficient comfort was essential. The answer proved to be a Unico small duct warm air heating system, where the only visible signs of the system are discreet outlets in each space.

Read more: Discreet heating solution for heritage warehouse conversion

Rainclear Introduce Dflow – a deeper aluminium gutter - better in wetter weather

As Britain braces itself for more of the unpredictable weather conditions experienced in recent years, Rainclear has responded by adding NEW Dflow to its comprehensive and high quality rainwater systems.

Dflow is a higher capacity, deeper, beaded half round extruded aluminium gutter, available in a 125 x 100mm size, to suit either traditional or modern buildings in areas and conditions of higher rainfall.

Read more: Rainclear Introduce Dflow – a deeper aluminium gutter - better in wetter weather

BTP Architects gets the vote for landmark historical project

BTP Architects has been appointed to restore the landmark Pankhurst Centre in Manchester. Subject to successful fundraising, the £2.6m project will see a complete refurbishment of the site which is the former home of suffragette, Emmeline Pankhurst. 

Following a design competition, BTP Architects was selected by the Pankhurst Trust to restore the Grade II* listed building and support its Stage 1 Heritage Lottery Fund bid.

Read more: BTP Architects gets the vote for landmark historical project

The Mary Mags Project

Twenty years ago St. Mary Magdalene’s was in a sorry state, as the vast building was decaying visibly and its maintenance was well beyond the resources of the small congregation. The Archdeacon of Charing Cross, Dr Bill Jacob, was the consistent presence over the intervening years as with others he sought solutions to the conundrum of what to do with an outstandingly beautiful and important church now anomalously situated on a very un-Anglican council estate (widely perceived as dangerous) and with other churches with better facilities close by.

Read more: The Mary Mags Project

Short on music rehearsal space at your church? Help is at hand!

You could say that music is the heart and soul of our churches. Unfortunately, space is often limited for rehearsal and practice, however there is now a low budget tried and tested innovative solution.

BeatBox™ is a fantastic contemporary music space offering a dedicated soundproofed environment for music creativity. Providing a unique music practice room for bands or solo players, it is transportable, compact and tenacious.

Read more: Short on music rehearsal space at your church? Help is at hand!

Phil Price appointed President of ISCE

At the recent AGM of the Institute of Sound and Communications Engineers (ISCE) Phil Price MInstSCE was appointed President for a term of three years, taking over from Tony Smith.

At the same time, Helen Goddard FInstSCE, managing director of AMS Acoustics (below), was appointed Vice-President.

Read more: Phil Price appointed President of ISCE

Multiple wins at London Planning Awards for Trafalgar Place

Trafalgar Place, residential scheme designed by De Rijke Marsh Morgan Architects (dRMM) has won the ‘Best New Place to Live’ and the ‘Mayor’s Award for Planning Excellence’ at London Planning Awards, 2016.

As the first phase in Lendlease’s regeneration of the former Heygate Estate, Elephant & Castle; Trafalgar Place is a scheme of 235 homes integrated within the historic fabric of the predominantly 19th century neighbourhood. The design reconnects the existing monolithic architectural interventions of the Heygate Estate and integrates the adjacent neighbourhoods.

Read more: Multiple wins at London Planning Awards for Trafalgar Place

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