Abandoned Church Conversion With Teen Sleeping Capsules Impresses Judges

This beautiful renovation has transformed a dilapidated former church into a family home, while retaining the traditional character of the building.

The Faith & Doubt project, by Crosson Architects, has won a Housing – Alterations and Additions Award in the 2022 NZIA Nelson and Marlborough Architecture Awards.

In announcing the awards, the NZIA jury praised the way the architect has “radically challenged the standards of domestic life”.

“The result is a race-ready habitation machine that has been reduced to the bone. This is where the need for closet doors, closets, drawers, and even bedrooms is challenged. Mobile sleeper cabins mean that the home’s teens should always use shared living spaces – using architecture to encourage communication and family involvement.

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“Moments of pleasure galore; the family’s personality shines through, making Faith & Doubt a home from which to live ‘a less ordinary life’. “

Crosson Architects has reprints a highly original manifesto of customers on her website, and it’s clear they were after “joy” and “nothing flashy”. Other key phrases are “Pride comes from actions, not things” and “Always and wholeheartedly with the underdog”.

The company says this manifesto supports its approach to the highly original design.

“The idea was to turn a church and church hall into a contemporary family home for Mom, Dad and three young boys leading ‘a less ordinary life’.

“The buildings had to maintain their integrity and original spatial quality that existed before the church around 1900 and the church hall in the 1950s. The decision is that the home life insertions are freestanding; furniture and the bedrooms would be a series of movable pods.

“This offered respect for the old and a position on the new. Ply boxes enliven the interior of the hall, while astro grass provides a modern carpet and gave the ultimate flexibility: the ability to manipulate the space… for games on the floor.”

The architects say that the parts of the building should be clearly demarcated. “The existing church was restored and painted white, the annex was converted to ablutions and fitted with a translucent outer screen and the hall a black painted metal clad form.”