Adaptive Reuse: The Chapel on the Hill

Chapel on the Hill in Middleton-in-Teesdale, England by Evolution Design:

Adaptive reuse is becoming essential to the long-term sustainability of architects practising today. In essence, the term adaptive reuse means an existing structure, often of a historic nature, that is being updated, structurally improved and redesigned for modern day use.
“Set in the very best walking area of the beautiful North Pennines, just a short walk from the famous High Force Waterfall, this stunning chapel conversion with its historic building fabric and modern interior design is a real Teesdale jewel. The original windows of the nineteenth-century building have been reopened, framing dramatic views of the dales to create a spacious and luxurious self-catering holiday cottage for seven guests. It has a large and fully equipped kitchen, a cosy living room, four comfortable bedrooms, two en-suites and a luxurious family bathroom. The reconstruction, designed by Evolution Design, has just recently been finished.

Historic features are given immediate care
As the existing building was in a poor state of disrepair and had been vacant for many years, the aim of the reconstruction project was to bring this unique property back to life and to enable visitors to appreciate the history and local architecture while providing a beautiful environment to explore the surround countryside and its vast range of activities.
At the time of acquisition, the property had sustained considerable water ingress due to its state of dereliction and not being maintained. Due to its exposed location, strong winds and driving rain, most of the interior finishes had been damaged badly, besides the main roof had deteriorated badly and the roof rafters required replacement.
Before any scheme or design had been drafted, the first tasks were instructing preliminary repairs for the damaged roof and board the windows and doors to prevent any further water damage. Once this had been completed the project team evaluated the available space to establish the type and quantity of facilities that would suit best the size and location of the Chapel.

New mezzanine floor
The insertion of a new mezzanine floor allowed for the planning of three bedrooms upstairs and the kitchen/dining area, the living room, the bathroom and the fourth bedroom on the ground floor. Our approach was to provide solutions that answered the brief but did not alter the historic details or essence of the Chapel. The main hall was the core element that gives the Chapel its feel of space and with its detailed simplicity, it became the heart of the proposed design.

Complement the character of the building
Modern, stylish and yet in the context of the location and its history – these were the main criteria for designing the interior of the new holiday cottage. We wanted to create a space that was modern and yet had a traditional language that would complement the historic nature of the Chapel and appeal to a wide range of guests. This was reflected in our choice of furniture and finishes. All materials and design had been considered in the context of the character and appearance of the existing building and the Teesdale vernacular. Traditional materials were proposed to ensure the scheme respects the character of the landscape and the existing buildings.

As the heart of any home, the kitchen and dining space was intended to be open and bright, taking advantage of the Gothic windows and the beautiful views of the surrounding landscape. The aim was to keep a traditional feel by retaining the roof trusses with a natural finish. The kitchen units were styled to keep a homely rural feel, which is framed by the feature wall tiles. By using traditional tiles to cover the full height of the back wall complemented the generous ceiling height and feeling of space.