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Introduction
This report relates to a Full Planning Application and associated Listed Building Consent to alter and extend the Category C(S) Listed Fullarton Parish Church and Hall in Irvine, including the demolition of an ancillary building and the construction of a new sports hall.

Previous applications for Listed Building Consent for the demolition of the existing church buildings, and Planning Permission for the construction of a modern church centre in their place, were presented to an A+DS Design Review Panel in October 2010. A copy of our subsequent report issued on 15th November 2010 is appended to this report for information (Appendix 1). We are advised by the Planning Authority that those previous applications were subsequently withdrawn.

Following our last review, A+DS staff and Historic Scotland met with the Project Team and Planning Authority on 3rd March to discuss a revised approach to the site. Subsequently a new scheme that seeks to re-use the existing buildings was submitted for planning application on 22nd September 2011 and was presented at an A+DS Design Review workshop held on 25th October 2011 in Glasgow.

A+DS Views

1 General
1.1 We thank the Project Team for their presentation and welcome the opportunity to comment on the revised scheme that forms the basis of the current applications.

1.2 Previous scheme
In reviewing the previous scheme we felt that the project had great potential, however, we had concerns with the design approach at that time and did not feel that justification had been provided for the removal of the listed buildings. We suggested that there was a need to revisit the proposed strategy and to develop a better sense of place on the site. In doing so we believed there was far greater opportunity to reinterpret and re-use the existing fabric, to provide a modern facility that could meet the needs and aspirations of the Church and its congregation, whilst improving the area and retaining and substantially enhancing a prominent and historic remnant of this part of the town.

1.3 Revised proposals
We are generally encouraged by the revised design approach and feel that, in re-using the existing buildings, there is the potential for an exciting architectural project to be realised that could be of great benefit to the Church and the Fullerton area. The workshop format review sought to highlight a number of aspects that we suggest would benefit from further design development in order to realise that potential.

1.4 Context of views expressed
We note that Historic Scotland and the Planning Authority are also broadly encouraged by the revised design approach, but that they also intimated that further design development is required, particularly in relation to the design of the new build elements and in how they relate to the existing buildings.

2 Revised scope of project
2.1 Brief
We note that the size of the proposed sports hall has substantially increased from the previous applications to a full sized indoor 5-aside football pitch. We understand from the Project Team that this requirement responds to a desire to provide a training facility for the local football team, and we recognise the economic benefit that this may bring to the church, in addition to the community activity which might ensue. We suggest however that it is worth considering the scale of the games hall as proposed is likely to create a less intimate space than that typically associated with community halls and therefore perhaps be less appropriate for other activities such as concerts, dance and exhibitions, and we suggest the team assure themselves at this stage that the space can most usefully be dedicated to a single activity, as opposed to being a multi-function space with uses across the community spectrum.

Alternatively, as a 5-aside pitch is desired, we would suggest exploration of any potential to create an outdoor pitch as opposed to an indoor one, the sport lending itself well to outdoor play. Such an approach may have the added benefit of animating and bringing more life to the area, be more economic in terms of the overall cost of the project, in addition to allowing greater potential for provision of spectator space.

2.2 Site boundary
We note that the new application site boundary has been extended northwards to include part of the triangular shaped piece of land to the rear of the site bounded by Double Sykes Road and an existing railway line, and that this is proposed in the current scheme to be used as an over flow car park for the church. We were advised by the Local Authority that this area would be of limited alternative use as landscaped ground and that the Council are willing to investigate options for the sale of this land to the applicants for their permanent use. It would be unfortunate that the scheme design be predicated on the original site boundary if this additional piece of land could be freed up for positive use; to allow latitude in the building layout, particularly given the extended brief, or for example to provide a children’s play area or for summer camps. We would encourage the Project Team to consider the wider use of this space for the future, and to reach agreement with the council to allow full inclusion of this area in the proposals.

3 Architectural approach and expression
3.1 Building diagram
The scheme has developed into a building comprising three main objects: the Main Church, Fullerton Hall and a proposed sports hall to the rear - linked via a central foyer space. This approach has great potential, and we would suggest that a clear distinction between these forms, with the foyer space being subservient to the other forms being created, would resolve the current geometric challenges, the practical issues of linking to the existing buildings, while also expressing the building form, and uses, more legibly.

3.2 Disposition of building elements
As the existing buildings are to be retained and additional accommodation added, it is important to retain the clarity of the various building elements. We suggest that new connections to the existing fabric be made as sensitively as possible, particularly as the existing buildings appear quite modest and limited in architectural detail. As presented, the large hall appears to have an uncomfortable relationship both with the existing buildings, and with the street frontage. We suggest exploration of the potential benefit of re-orientating the building to follow the line of the street to the east, rather than the railway line, to allow a more sympathetic relationship between it and the other buildings, to form a positive street edge, and to create the potential for an indented space adjacent to the foyer and which might form a gathering and entry space from the street frontage.

Previously we had suggested that, in linking the existing buildings with a contemporary entrance, a more accessible, clearly defined and welcoming space could be created. With some refinements of the internal planning, the proposed single storey entrance foyer has the potential to work successfully in this regard. However, the central roof forms over the two-storey foyer / café space to the rear appears to have a less successful relationship with the existing forms, and on a practical level, offers limited internal spatial quality or opportunity for visual linkage to the main hall. We would suggest that a diagram which organises the ancillary spaces for the hall by forming an inhabited “wall”, might add clarity to the concept, provide a foyer which is an active and useful space in its own right, and which might have an active relationship with the street frontages, providing viewing space and visual linkage between the spaces.

3.3 Internal organisation
In paradox to a relatively big building, some of the internal spaces seem quite cramped and undefined, particularly in the foyer spaces where there appear to be areas of left over dead space. As intimated in point 3.2 above a more ordered resolution of the service spaces would benefit the scheme spatially, and could offer the potential to reduce the amount of enclosed space within the foyer by allowing the lines of enclosure to be pulled back to allow, for example, a cloister or a contained garden to be created. There is therefore the potential to improve the external realm, while at the same time saving build cost.

We note the intention to break through the existing church wall on the west elevation, and wonder whether there might be alternative ways of handling the reorientation of the internal space. If the break through is indeed unavoidable, perhaps a smaller scale, more integrated intervention could be explored.

3.4 Outdoor space
The project has exciting potential to act as a generator to enhance and help build a context for the area and the combination of church and community activities lends itself well to establishing a small microcosm of public realm in this part of the town. The consideration of the outdoor spaces and the relationship between the buildings and the streets are therefore important. Treatment of the existing hammerhead road in front of the church may offer potential to create a more welcoming foreground to the church and we would encourage the Project Team and Council to work together in investigating the potential of a joint landscape project to enhance this space, within the context of restrictions due to e.g. existing services.

3.5 Materials
The choice of materials will be significant in how people perceive the new building. We note the proposal for the new building element to be clad externally in metal cladding panels. While development of the scheme design in line with our advice above might allow the main building elements to be perceived as separate entities, linked by subservient foyer space, we would suggest that care is taken to avoid the sports building having a visual identity which has more to do with the industrial units nearby, than the community building intended.

Conclusion
We welcome the opportunity to engage with the Project Team, the Local Authority and Historic Scotland on the current applications. We are generally encouraged by the revised design approach and feel that, in re-using the existing buildings, there is the potential for an exciting architectural project to be realised that could be of great benefit to the Church and the Fullerton area.

There are a number of aspects of the current scheme design that we suggest would benefit from further development. We generally support the proposed building diagram comprising three objects – the main church, Fullerton Hall and new sports hall – connected by linking spaces. We suggest the rationalisation of the internal organisation and architectural form and design of these spaces, both externally and internally, to allow the three main elements to be read more clearly, benefit from light and transparency, and relate to external spaces and street frontages.

The scale and design of the proposed 5-a-side sports hall raises issues as outlined above, and we would encourage the Project Team to give careful consideration to how the space can be designed to achieve a balance of the community and church needs.
Consideration should be given to the outdoor spaces, and we would encourage the Project Team to look at potential uses for the triangular shaped piece of land to the north of the site, as well as the potential for a joint landscaping project with the Council to improve the street to the south, as part of the overall program.

Appendix 1 – A+DS report on the previous applications issued 15th November 2010.

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Introduction

This report relates to a Listed Building Application for the demolition of a C(S) Category Listed Church and former schoolhouse in Fullarton, Irvine, and a Planning Application for the construction of a new modern church centre to replace these. Designs were presented at an A+DS Design Review meeting held on 26th October 2010 in Glasgow.

A+DS Views

1 General
1.1 We thank the Project Team for their presentation. We commend Fullarton Church for their aspirations towards developing the site and support them in their ambition to provide the community with a modern, welcoming and sustainable new church centre. The project has a number of positive attributes that we believe provide the basis for a potentially fantastic scheme to be developed - a good brief, laudable community aspirations, and a committed client. However, we have concerns with the current design approach and suggest that there is a need to revisit the proposed strategy. We offer the following comments for consideration.

2 Context and placemaking
2.1 With the exception of the Fullarton Centre to the southeast the site lacks any meaningful historic built context as a result of the area being cleared for the Irvine ‘New Town’ in the 1970s. Though perhaps not of national architectural significance in their own right, the remaining buildings are listed, and form an important link to the past as perhaps the last heroic remnant in the heritage, culture and identity of the area. In developing the site it is therefore important to consider the significance of the buildings relative to the history and memory of the place, and the lineage and regeneration of the community in the broader sense.

2.2 As enablers of change, the Church also have a responsibility to protect the heritage of the community and we suggest that the existing historic buildings should be retained as generators for enhancing the context, to create a better place for the town and to establish links with the heritage of the area, both physically and spiritually.

2.3 We recognise that the Church’s objective of embracing the wider community is essential; however, we suggest that the Church also has a duty towards that wider community – to establish something more for Irvine and potentially kick start a sense of place for the immediate area.

3 Design approach
3.1 Distinctiveness, clarity of function & identity
We note that the Church aspire to creating a building that is inviting and welcoming to the community, and a place in which people can spend time – ‘a living church’ as opposed to a ‘dying monument’. Rather than being seen as a liability we believe that the listed buildings form an asset to the site and that, by adding to them with new interventions, a more distinctive building with a stronger identity could be realised that is greater than the sum of its parts. In doing so we suggest that the church can become a living and exciting building which ties together the community’s desires for practical spaces and sustainable building, both in historic, community terms, and in terms of the resonance of the place.

3.2 Reinterpretation, re-use & reinvention
We recognise the perceived limitations with the current worship space in terms of restricted views and access; however, we understand that neither the local authority nor Historic Scotland have any issue with the content of the church being significantly altered to allow flexibility in design and we suggest there are a creative ways in which this can be exploited. This could be achieved through for example breaking through the side of the church to create a link to a new glazed entrance hall and court, or opening up the main space and inserting a new mezzanine / gallery level. We also suggest that, in linking the existing buildings with a contemporary entrance a more accessible, clearly defined and welcoming entry space could be created. There are other existing buildings that have been retained and extended sensitively both in neighbouring communities and elsewhere that could be referred to as precedents for such an approach.

3.3 Building disposition & public space
There are a number of residual spaces around the building that are currently unused and in redeveloping the church we suggest that there is potential for the full extent of the site to be utilised more productively and to better effect. Land to the rear of the site could be developed to support that accommodation which cannot be located within the existing buildings, e.g. the new sports facilities envisaged by the proposals. We note that this was considered in those options that sought to retain the existing buildings, however we do not believe that the sketches presented were representative of the most effective or efficient use of the space nor accommodation of the programme. We would also suggest that reconsideration of the whole site might allow the existing buildings to remain the dominant marker, while additional accommodation might be laid out in a manner which creates a balance of welcoming approach, useful and peaceful public space, (as might be achieved by cloisters perhaps, a contained garden), thereby creating its own context. In this way the church could be both ‘outward reaching’ and ‘inward looking’.

3.4 The site also benefits from adjacent areas of green space immediately to the north and south. Although these are not within the application boundary we suggest there could be opportunities to take control of these spaces and for them to be utilised for improving the boundary, setting and threshold of the church

4 Option appraisals & funding opportunities
4.1 A number of options have been explored for the proposed new church centre including: full demolition of the listed buildings with new build; retention of the front façade of the church with new build behind; retention and extension of the church and hall; and, retention and extension of the church only. We believe those options that seek to retain and re-use the existing buildings offer the most sustainable approach for creating a new church, particularly as the buildings are currently habitable and that the proposed worship space in the new build options appears to be of a similar size to the existing worship space.

4.2 We note that the Client’s preferred option for full demolition and rebuild is largely based on costs and perceived limitations of the existing structures. However, the economic argument as presented appears weak and we question the level of examination that has been carried out in relation to the comparative building costs of the various options. Critically, the total costs do not appear to give a fair comparison as the overall floor areas do not equate. We also suggest there may be value in reassessing the allowance of VAT for each option.

4.3 We understand that the potential for a repair grant from Historic Scotland may not have been fully explored and encourage the Project Team to seek all opportunities for potential funding as part of a comparative costs exercise. In addition, we would encourage further discussion with Historic Scotland as to a methodology for providing any required external repairs to the existing buildings in a sustainable yet cost effective fashion.

Conclusion
We commend Fullarton Church for their aspirations and welcome their commitment towards creating a first class modern building for the community. We feel that the project has great potential. However, we have concerns with the current design approach and suggest that there is a need to revisit the proposed strategy and develop a better sense of place on the site. We do not feel that justification has been provided for removal of the listed buildings and believe there is far greater opportunity to reinterpret and re-use the existing fabric, to provide a modern facility that meets the needs and aspirations of the Church and its congregation, whilst enhancing the area and retaining and substantially enhancing a prominent and historic remnant of this part of the town.

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