Barley, Hertfordshire

Description
Converted in 1994, this formerly redundant chapel now provides a four bedroom home and architects office. Designed around a large, galleried, central hall the conversion retains the sense of the volume of the original chapel, without seeking to slavishly copy the original details. The building is insulated to standards higher than the norm and includes triple glazing and a condensing oil-fired boiler to reduce running costs.

Advantage is also taken of the southerly rear elevation, large areas of glazing allowing sunlight to penetrate deep into the building, heating up the heavy structure, the heat slowly dispersing at night.