New Life for Old School Chapel

Part of a 3 phase project in one of the oldest parts of the school, the refurbishment of the Chapel started off as a general tidy up and declutter of the main space but developed into a full refurbishment of the chapel as a whole. The key desire was to improve the usability of the Chapel by improving its thermal efficiency and heating (keeping it warm) as well as increasing the seating capacity and future proofing it for school use.

This work included providing a complete new insulated concrete floor with underfloor heating; new lighting throughout; cleaning and redecorating the roof internally and providing replacement rooflights and natural ventilation. The existing balcony balustrading was structurally reinforced and raised to improve safety and usability. The stained glass windows were also specialist cleaned and repaired.

A new raised seating area was provided to the rear annex to improve views. All of the existing pews were refurbished and new bespoke pews manufactured to increase seating numbers. The existing sound system and organ speakers were collated and covered to minimise their visual intrusion in the space without detriment to their performance.

The new lighting to the main Chapel is fully controllable and creates a visual feature for the roof as well as general space lighting, and is a welcome low maintenance, safe replacement for the previously used candle chandeliers. School Chapel refurbishment to modernise and de-clutter.

  • School Chapel refurbishment to modernise and de-clutter
  • Improved heating and insulation
  • Improved acoustics
  • Improved general lighting and new feature lighting
  • Tight ‘landlocked’ site
  • Constructed in a ‘live’ school environment
  • External works limited to light repairs cleaning and fixing leaks

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Partner in charge

Brian Donnelly

Summer Fields School Chapel, Oxford

Summer Fields School

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