Methodist Church House at 25 Tavistock Place in Bloomsbury, London.
Alongside Connexional staff, the Central Finance Board and All We Can also utilise this working space. It serves as a resource for the wider Methodist Church across the year.
Full costs of the project, including purchase of the new building; its refurbishment; the transfer to and costs of temporary accommodation for some members of the Connexional Team during the project, and all associated professional fees and costs, were fully met from the proceeds of the sale of the old Methodist Church House at Marylebone Road. In addition, a small surplus was generated which has been put in to reserve to support future updates/maintenance of the building.
No funds were required from the Methodist Church Fund and the project had no impact on the Assessment. The project also avoided the need to spend c.£10m on backlog maintenance at the old Methodist Church House for which there was no identified funding.
The Connexional Secretary warmly invites visitors from across the Connexion to visit and explore Methodist Church House, where possible.
Opening of Methodist Church House at Tavistock Place
The Connexional Team unveils new sustainably designed offices.
The Methodist Church has set an aspirational target of net zero by 2030, recognising that climate change is a crisis for God’s creation and a fundamental injustice. With that in mind, it was important that the refurbishment of Methodist Church reflected this commitment and demonstrated the important role our buildings play in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainability was built into all stages of the refurbishment, and the building achieved a Very Good BREEAM Rating (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) and improved the energy efficiency rating of the building from E to A.
Methodist Church House has an electric heating system, meaning that no fossil fuels are burned on site. Solar panels were installed on the roof to generate renewable energy, and all electricity purchased comes from renewable sources. Consideration of energy efficiency informed everything from the building materials to appliances and layout, producing a building fit for a net zero Church.
The building provides a flexible and contemporary working space for staff, including:
- 66 hot desks
- six hybrid meeting rooms equipped with video conferencing facilities
- a dedicated studio space
- offices for senior staff
- an open-meeting and discussion area
- BREEAM 2 Very Good rating
- refurbishment increased energy rating from E to A
- solar panel and heat pump technology
