Andrews Wesley’s Grand United Church in Vancouver, a decade after the upcoming centenary, has been revitalized with new life by Ryder Architecture, in collaboration with RJC Engineers.
Originally built in 1927, St Andrew’s-Wesley United Church has a Gothic Revival style using locally sourced materials such as Nelson Island granite and Haddington Island stone by the brothers and architects Twizell & Twizell.
The historic stone-clad concrete structure has suffered years of natural deterioration, resulting in leaking roofs, requiring intermittent repairs. The deterioration of the church’s stuccoed interior has led to the start of a broader investigation into conservation opportunities.
The RJC team envisioned a holistic approach to successful restoration. Rider has leveraged her Building Information Modeling (BIM) expertise to facilitate the integrated design and construction process. Adam James, Principal at Ryder Architecture, describes the process as “using the 21st century skill set to analyze and facilitate repair and upgrades that preserve the value of a building’s heritage for the next hundred years.” Analog graphics and 3D digital scanning have created a detailed model of the current state of the art. The ability to visualize the model as structural layers and better understand site conditions through digital prospecting were important design decisions.
Michael MacLean, Project Lead and Partner at RJC explains, “The entire team understood the importance of preserving the building’s historic character while providing a renewed structure that meets the church’s vision of a modern-day gathering place.”
The comprehensive scope of the project included seismic retrofit, architectural, heritage, structural and building upgrades as well as electrical, mechanical, blade and acoustic upgrades. “It was a fantastic opportunity to combine RJC’s in-house services and work with a strong consulting team with design expertise on heritage buildings. The team was deeply committed to working together, knowing that this collaboration played a critical role in making the revitalization project a successful and enjoyable one, something we and the Church will look at proudly for years to come.”