AN ECO-FRIENDLY office building has been created for the Anglican church’s regional team.
Staff from the Reading area of the Diocese of Reading are now working from St Birinus House, one of the country’s most sustainable buildings.
Based in Theale, it has a green roof, a fabric-first approach for insulation, a sustainable drainage system, an air source heat pump, and energy and water-saving fixtures and appliances. There are also electric car charging points in the grounds.
The Diocese created the space in the rectory garden of Holy Trinity Church after a five-year search.
The resulting building has been designed so it can be altered and repurposed in the future, and materials recycled, limiting any future negative impact on the environment.
The outside space, including the roof, has been landscaped to enhance the ecology and biodiversity of the area and bird boxes and bat boxes have been installed to provide for wildlife.
Construction was completed in December 2021 and the Reading Area Team, including the Bishop of Reading and Archdeacon of Berkshire, who support churches and parishes in the Archdeaconry of Berkshire, moved into the new space late last month.
Another plus point for Theale was its links to public transport.
The Rt Revd Olivia Graham, Bishop of Reading, who has an electric car, said: “We are delighted to have this beautiful new building in which we can not only house the whole Area Team, but also offer ‘hot desk hospitality’ to other staff who are working in Berkshire.
“It was very much part of the vision to use the build to showcase our diocesan commitment to the environment, and the result does just that.
“We are incredibly grateful for the skill and commitment of everyone who was involved in bringing this vision to reality, and for Dave Mitchell’s wonderful design.”
She added: “We continue to work towards making a real and tangible difference to environmental sustainability in all the choices we make, including the spaces we live and work in, how we travel, and the energy we use.”
And David Mitchell, Deputy Surveyor in the Diocese of Oxford, said the single-storey building had been designed to fit with the adjacent historic church building and rectory and make efficient use of the space.
“The building exterior is covered in natural Larch cladding, a durable and sustainable material, and as it naturally silvers over time will reflect the stonework of the church and rectory,” he explained.
“Sustainability and environmental impact have been at the forefront of the construction. All materials from paint to flooring to the bicycle storage are made from natural and non-toxic materials, and the air quality rating is the best achieved of any building in the diocese.”
