A space for our members, a community hub and centre that will serve the town of Berkhamsted.

We have revised our previous plans and shared them with our community on 5th July 2025 at an open event. The latest plans reflect feedback and comments and demonstrate:

  • Further reduction of overall building height. 

  • Improved architectural features.

  • Continued commitment to a sustainable building that will have longevity for the town of Berkhamsted.

Roofline of the previous design

Roofline of the buildings oppposite

These proposed changes demonstrate our desire to work with and for the community of Berkhamsted, and to enable this state-of-the-art building to significantly add to the wellbeing of the town through innovative architecture, thoughtful ecology, pioneering engineering, and an internal design enabling a multitude of activities and initiatives, thus benefitting the current residents, and generations to come. The new building is of a contemporary style suitable for a civic entrance to a vibrant market town center. We understand that stylistic preferences can be divisive but recognize that churches and other similar civic buildings do not replicate domestic architecture styles but seek to provide long term cultural assets above the ordinary.

Revised design

The new building aspires to be more than a cultural contribution to the long, rich architectural heritage of Berkhamsted. It provides the church organisation with a living catalyst to help the Berkhamsted and wider Dacorum communities thrive now and for many generations to come. Visitors to the building will find fellowship, hospitality and generosity, whoever they are and wherever they may be in their life’s journey. 

A space for all

Building design proposals have responded to feedback that a larger building will be harmful to the conservation area context. This feedback has been instrumental in developing a design that mitigates these concerns. The original designs were for 4 storeys, this was adjusted to 3 and then further adjusted to just 2 for the current submission. When compared to the terraced housing across the road (red) the elevation (Yellow) is now at a domestic scale and largely no higher than the terrace facias.

Context

Support for Communities

Since 1874 Kings Road Church has been at the heart of Berkhamsted, and for five generations has provided a home for a worshiping community, benefitting countless people over those generations; something we now have the opportunity to take to the next level. Recent research reveals the amazing role churches play in serving their communities; modern churches are community hubs, centers for connection, hosting help groups and providing critical services meeting deep and practical needs.

Research also indicates how detrimental it is to town centers when churches move to the periphery; with them goes accessibility for the majority of people who need them most, those with greatest need and least mobility. Thus the vision of the church requires the building to be where it can do the most good, at the nexus of the town within reach of all.

The designs have been developed by architect David Kirkland, principal architect at Kirkland Fraser Moor Architects, specialists in education, regenerative design, sustainability and innovation.