London-based architectural studio John Puttick Associates has completed the refurbishment of the Grade II-listed St Leonard’s Church in Hove, a seaside resort on England’s southern coast. The renovated structure features a contemporary glulam (glued laminated timber) porch with a standing seam zinc roof. The new porch is designed to encapsulate the church’s welcoming nature.
St Leonard’s Church was originally built in the 13th century and eventually fell into ruin. The church remained in ruins until 1878, when English architects Richard Herbert Carpenter and Benjamin Ingelow were tasked with rebuilding it. Incorporating parts of the original tower and south aisle, the church was reproduced in the Gothic Revival style, as demonstrated by the use of lancet windows and knapped flint. In 1936 the building was widened to increase its capacity, with the textural richness of the knapped flint covering its double-nave form.
A versatile community asset
St Leonard’s faced closure in 2016 due to a dwindling congregation. In contrast, the nearby St Peter’s Church in Brighton had a large, vibrant, and youthful congregation that was outgrowing the existing premises. A vision to reimagine St Leonard’s as a “versatile community asset” included a partnership between community members of St Peter’s and the smaller, more traditional congregation of St Leonard’s. Together, they would seek to revitalise the church. In 2020, John Puttick Associates won an invited competition to realise the community’s vision, with funding for the project secured from the Church of England in 2021.
A welcoming glulam porch
John Puttick Associates specialises in civic and community projects, transforming existing buildings and designing new ones. The brief for St Leonard’s asked for an adaptable and functional community space that would suit a family-oriented, contemporary congregation. The studio reimagined the church’s entry as a gesture of welcome to all in the local neighbourhood.
The church’s original entrance on its southern elevation featured a gated porch, which was often perceived to be closed. John Puttick Associates moved the entrance to the church’s western end, creating a more traditional entryway that suited the interior arrangement.
The addition of a glulam porch, whose form echoes aspects of the church’s traditional architecture, creates an open and welcoming space that leads visitors into the refurbished nave. The 4.5-metre-high glulam porch is clad in herringbone oak and topped by a standing seam zinc roof. The entrance features two sets of timber-slatted doors that open towards the street and rear of the site, enhancing the sense of openness to the community.
The revitalisation of St Leonard’s interior
John Puttick Associates reinvigorated the church’s interior, conceiving a multipurpose floor plan. St Leonard’s features a large northern nave and an adjacent, smaller southern nave, separated by original stone arches. The newly integrated glass doors within the arches provide flexibility, catering to the community’s requirements. The larger nave houses contemporary services and live music. The smaller, more traditional nave retains its original encaustic tiled floor and houses a small place of worship.
In a bid to increase St Leonard’s appeal beyond churchgoers, the smaller nave includes a new cafe area. The cafe counter is made from repurposed choir stalls. The joinery’s herringbone motif continues the original herringbone pattern of the church’s tiling. Herringbone timber cladding covers new dividing screens and a new toilet pod. The pattern is also reflected in the glulam porch’s herringbone oak slats.
As part of the refurbishment, the church grounds have been improved, including the addition of a new outdoor seating area, improved lighting, and renewed pathways.
A carbon-conscious heritage retrofit
St Leonard’s is a smart example of a carbon-conscious heritage retrofit. The church’s original Grade II‑listed fabric remains largely untouched. Within the restrictions placed on a listed building, John Puttick Associates advocated for the church’s decarbonisation wherever possible. The studio added an air source heat pump for use in colder months. An underfloor heating system was installed on top of the parquet throughout the church, preserving the original flooring. This system was covered, stepping the floor level up by 15 centimetres.
