Project: The Chapel on the Hill
Architects: Evolution Design
Location: Forest-in-Teesdale, England
Photographs by: Evolution Design
The Chapel on the Hill by Evolution Design
Located in the village of Forest-in-Teesdale in England, an old chapel has undergone a conversion by Evolution Design. Now called The Chapel on the Hill residence, it still keeps its historic exterior but once you step inside, you would never know it used to be a church. The interior of this holiday cottage makes it look like a quaint, modern home with no signs that it was originally in a sad state of disrepair.
After repairing the damaged roof, the design process began with which this old chapel was transformed into a house with three guest bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen and dining area and a living room.
From the architects: “Set in the very best walking area of the beautiful North Pennines, just a short walk from the famous High Force Waterfall, this stunning chapel conversion with its historic building fabric and modern interior design is a real Teesdale jewel.
The original windows of the nineteenth century building have been reopened, framing dramatic views of the dales to create a spacious and luxurious self-catering holiday cottage for seven guests. It has a large and fully equipped kitchen, a cosy living room, four comfortable bedrooms, two en-suits and a luxurious family bathroom. The reconstruction, designed by Swiss award-winning architects Evolution Design, has just recently been finished.“
“Historic features given immediate care.
As the existing building was in a poor state of disrepair and had been vacant for many years, the aim of the reconstruction project was to bring this unique property back to life and to enable visitors to appreciate the history and local architecture while providing a beautiful environment to explore the surround countryside and its vast range of activities.
The property had sustained considerable water ingress due to its state of dereliction and not being maintained. Due to its exposed location, strong winds and driving rain, most of the interior finishes had been damaged badly, besides the main roof had deteriorated badly and the roof rafters required replacement.“
“Before any scheme or design had been drafted, the first tasks were instructing preliminary repairs for the damaged roof and board the windows and doors to prevent any further water damage. Once this had been completed the project team evaluated the available space to establish the type and quantity of facilities that would suit best the size and location of the Chapel.
Being located in a remote location without any communications, installing services and sewage treatment was one of the very first tasks to bring this old Chapel back to life and to allow for the conversion of this historic building into a holiday accommodation.”
