Oxford Terrace Baptist Church Stage Two
Our first project for Oxford Terrace Baptist Church, completed in 2018, replaced a heritage church destroyed in the Christchurch earthquakes. As well as worship spaces, that building contained parish offices, a hall, kitchen, lounge, meeting rooms, a public café and social service agency offices.
Churches have long been providers of housing, but this project takes the extra step of seeking to create a community encompassing all aspects of daily life. The project continues the ‘monastic’ model of the first stage. Two new buildings have been arranged around a cloister, facilities including social service agency offices and a set of two, four and five bedroom apartments. All amenities looking onto and accessed from this common space.
The project was relatively low budget, built with simple materials handled with care – exposed concreted block walls and standard precast beams ceilings in the office building, and standard timber construction in the housing. A few clever choices – floor-to-ceiling doors – and careful planning make the housing units unusually spacious.
The complex is intended to foster a sense of community among its various users – congregation, church and office staff, neighbors, and the surrounding community interact in a daily cycle of living, work, worship, and service.
A final stage on the site will complete the cloister, and will include further housing as well as spaces for church and community use.
RECOGNITION
CLIENT Oxford Terrace Baptist Church
LOCATION Christchurch
YEARS 2019-2023
PROJECT TEAM Andrew Barrie, Melanie Pau, Jade Shum
CONSULTANTS Planning: Response Planning; Structural Engineer: Ruamoko Solutions; Geotechnical Engineer: Golder Associates; Civil Engineer: Cosgroves; Services Engineer: Cosgroves; Fire Engineer: Cosgroves; Quantity Surveyor: Barnes Beagley Doherr; Landscape Design: Botanic Landscape Architects; Surveyor: Fox & Associates; Acoustics: Marshall Day Acoustics
CONSTRUCTION TEAM General Contractor: Contract Construction
PHOTOGRAPHY Andrew Barrie