The church building presented many challenges to people with restricted mobility. The congregation also wanted to open up and rationalize an existing foyer space to provide better space for congregational gatherings after services as well as ESL classes. A new kitchenette was provided to facilitate refreshments in this area.

The building had a main entrance which was rarely used and this project consolidated access from an entrance off the parking lot. The original tongue and groove cathedral wood ceiling was exposed in the new entrance vestibule as a reminder of the history of the building. A barrier-free lift was installed within a former redundant communication stair to provide access to the basement and an accessible washroom was installed at that level. The existing church office area was expanded to include both a receptionist and an office for the daycare programme.

James Bailey Architect was retained to assist with the design, the preparation of construction documents and the contract administration for the project. A disastrous fire that broke out between the design and construction phase resulted in extensive smoke damage to all areas of the building. This damage rendered the building unusable for several months, but did permit the owner to add some additional areas to our scope (including reconfiguration of the chancel area). On the other hand the construction phase of the project was complicated by the presence of two contractors on site: one involved in disaster remediation and our general contractor.

The project was completed to the full satisfaction of the Client and its tenants and its success was due to the close collaboration between client, contractor and consultants despite the many stops and changes of direction brought by the fire.