Stockport Road, Central Manchester

Levinshulme is a burough of central Manchester located along the Stockport road and within 5 miles of Manchester City Center. Once an affluent leafy Suburb of Manchester Levinshulme is currently recovering from decades of neglect to its communal facilities and infrastructure.

This project seeks to act as a catalyst for Levenshulme's current regenerative process by building on the assets of the locality's convivial community and by re-installing a natural restorative environment to its heart.

House for a priest in Levenshulme

As part of the regeneration project in Levenshulme a new home for the parish priest was required. The previous parochial house was attached to the church and offered little in the way of privacy for the priest. Whilst still remaining accessible he needed a residence that afforded a more restorative environment as to better enable him to fulfill his demanding role within the community.

The overall masterplan set to reestablish the church as a community heart. The church is embraced by the new community center, cafe and Parochial house to form a quiet space that maintains the precious existing trees at the site. The new parochial residence is linked to this area by a more private and intimate courtyard.

The yard is formed by substantial dyed concrete walls, punctuated by a series of irregular cuts and openings. As the light changes throughout the day the atmosphere and ambiance within the space changes synchronicaly. A dialogue with the qualities of the natural world is maintained