Next Door Hextable - St. Peter’s Church Community Project
Pinchin Architects were approached by St Peters Church in Hextable, on the outskirts of Dartford to look at proposals to help develop a modern community venue including café, multi-purpose hall and a space for prayer and quiet reflection.
St Peter’s Church sits at the crossroads at the heart of this commuter village in north-west Kent and looks to really connect with the local community by opening-up the centre of the village with a new landscaped area containing planting, lighting, signage, and a new accessible ramp leading to the new community facility. The fresh open landscaping and high levels of glazing in the café will increase the physical and visual connection between the building and the wider community.
The name of this project is ‘Next Door Hextable’ which is intended to convey an open and welcoming message to all in the community whether of faith or not, they’re welcomed to engage with the church and the other townsfolk in a central community hub. The cornerstone of this new facility will be a café space that will function as a normal commercial café serving drinks and food and operating normal business hours. There will also be a large multi-purpose hall at first floor level that will cater for larger group gatherings, clubs, and exercise classes.
As part of the Anglican church St Peter’s have always sought to be present, engaging with and serving the local community. The parish is a place where people are respected and served, regardless of age, gender, sexuality, ability or ethnicity and the church is already the most used public space in Hextable. Although St Peter’s has always been a valuable resource to the whole community, there has been a longstanding desire to do and serve more.
The main client lead is Revd. Johnny Douglas and, together with a proactive Parochial Church Council (PCC) the client team have briefed Pinchin Architects to create a warm, friendly, accepting, and inclusive environment, that could be hired out for social activities and support groups. A major part of our role is to help the PCC deliver on the social and spiritual mission of St Peter's Church to create a place where people can find practical, emotional, and spiritual support in response to a range of personal and family issues.
In addition to supporting those who come into the church building, St Peter’s have a wider impact in the community through home visits and support via community organisations, in particular a local charity that supports children with disabilities and their families. The Next Door Hextable project would extend the capacity of the church to further assist and support these groups and individuals by providing a safe & inclusive space where people can meet, work, and socialise.
As summarised by Revd. Johnny Douglas:
“The project is core to the church fulfilling its missional and community aims, creating a hub for nurturing creativity, offering hospitality and deepening community.”
The church’s vision is for a spiritual and physical presence that:
● Serves all through outward facing positive social impact & distinctive presence.
● Resources geographic and kingdom growth.
● Enables new possibilities and partnerships in attractive & accessible surroundings.
We will endeavour to help St Peter’s achieve this vision and look forward to seeing the proposed project start on site over the coming months. Working alongside the Revd Johnny Douglas and the PCC of St Peters we eagerly anticipate a start in the late Summer / Autumn 2021 so that as a team we can help bring this project to life.
If you are looking for a community led architectural design that helps you achieve your organisations aims and objectives, we would love to talk to you. We’ve worked with a number of housing associations, local authorities as well as schools and other community groups, so please do get in touch to discuss your project with our team.
