The £5m Special Exhibitions Gallery combines grand industrial beauty and stunning sustainable design as part of a masterplan to restore and renovate a Grade I-listed railway station, warehouse and Grade II-listed railway viaduct.

Known as The Lighthouse, the refurbishment and expansion of Holy Trinity Church Swiss Cottage aims to develop a multi-use community beacon on north London’s busy Finchley Road.

Skelly & Couch has completed Stage 4 design at the Grade II*-listed Rhodes House, Oxford, for a new world-class convening hub designed to encourage the global exchange of ideas across all cultures and nationalities.

The 559m² New Temple Complex by James Gorst Architects demonstrates an exemplar approach to passive design and long-term sustainability.

Situated within an 11.5-hectare estate in the South Downs National Park, the New Temple Complex is a multi-faith space comprising of healing chapels, a library, a multi-use lecture room, a kitchen and a visitor’s entrance foyer; all linked via an internal cloister. The temple holds symbolic elements reflecting the spiritual beliefs of the White Eagle Lodge and it occupies the same sacred spot as its 1970s predecessor. The building is completely framed in timber with clay brickwork encased in chalk lime mortar, all natural materials found in the immediate surroundings, encouraging a connection with the landscape.

The building’s environmental strategy is rooted in passive design principles, prioritising energy efficiency during the initial design phase. This approach includes low fabric heat loss, enhanced daylighting, and natural ventilation, forming the basis for the subsequent integration of low-carbon and renewable technologies.

The building fabric incorporates high-performance glazing exceeding conventional insulation standards, thereby effectively minimising heat loss. The New Temple's shallow, single-storey structure maximises daylight, reducing the need for artificial lighting. Nestled away from noise and pollution, the temple enjoys the benefits of natural ventilation, further aided by high-level actuators strategically placed in the temple's clerestory.

Innovative sustainability features include a sub-floor ventilation system operational in high occupancy areas. This system uses the thermal mass of a labyrinth to provide tempered air in winter and free cooling in summer.

Overcoming challenges posed by the absence of natural gas infrastructure and the availability of only single-phase power, the project successfully procured a small low-carbon ground source heat pump meeting the needs of the entire building. Buried in the landscape, this technology extracts low-temperature energy from the ground, producing higher temperatures that serve underfloor heating throughout the temple. Pre-existing photovoltaic panels were repurposed and relocated to an open area on-site, partially powering the heat pump and providing the building with low-carbon electricity.

The New Temple Complex stands as a timeless space for contemplation and community, seamlessly blending spirituality, simple architecture, and sustainable design. Its harmonious integration with the surroundings embodies both peace and environmental stewardship.

In Numbers

On-site energy generation 4,550 kWh/yr
Heating and hot water load 19.73 kWh/m²/yr
Total energy load 42.60 kWh/m²/yr
Carbon emissions (all) 25.9 kgCO₂/m²

Services

Electrical and Lighting
Heating
Ventilation
Acoustics

Awards

RIBA South Awards – South Award Winner 2024
RIBA South Awards – Building of the Year Winner 2024
RIBA South Awards –  Sustainability Award Winner 2024
RIBA South Awards – Project Architect of the Year Winner 2024
Civic Trust Awards  – The National Panel Special Award Winner 2024
Civic Trust Awards  – The Special Award for Sustainability 2024
AJ Architecture Awards – Winners 2023
Wood Awards – Winners 2023

Download press coverage from right-hand column.

Founded in 1975 inside a former Wesleyan Methodist church, Grade II-listed Jacksons Lane Arts Centre has played a key role in the development of London’s fringe and community theatre. The latest project upgrades technical and visitor facilities within the complex, which features a 166-capacity theatre, large-scale studio and café-bar, all of which were in need of repair.

Skelly & Couch is presently involved in the refurbishment and building extension of the Warburg Institute which addresses the building’s infrastructure issues but also instigates the development of a new lecture theatre in a 1950s library.

An outstanding new public space for London run by a community enterprise.

Mixed-use regeneration development in the centre of Maidenhead, comprising 429 homes, a new 5,200m² office building, car parking, 3,400m² of shops and leisure and a new public space at its heart. The project achieved BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating.

After the successful partnership with developer HUB on the eco-friendly project Abbey Place near Abbey Wood Crossrail Station, Skelly & Couch once again joined forces for The Landing in Maidenhead. This collaboration included environmental modelling during the planning phase, followed by client-side monitoring throughout the project.

The Landing met close to Passivhaus fabric standards, with an excellent airtightness further enhanced by façades incorporating solar control in the form of deep reveals, and solar control glazing. These features contributed to low heating needs, allowing for an all-electric scheme. During winter, electric heaters provide warmth, while in summer, a Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) system maintains comfortable indoor temperatures by drawing in fresh air from strategic openings.

A substantial portion of The Landing’s electrical energy is derived from its large PV array on all roofs, with excess electricity exported. Additionally, a building energy management system with full fault diagnostics was implemented alongside energy sub-metering and low-use water fittings for lower hot water consumption.

The Landing emerges as a catalyst for eco-conscious developments, championing all-electric schemes to pave the way for a greener Maidenhead and beyond.

Skelly & Couch worked on a spectacular new home for the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts on a site behind the Stirling Prize-winning Peckham Library in south London.

The development represents the first-ever dedicated UK centre of scientific excellence in horticultural and environmental science, horticultural taxonomy and plant health. Skelly & Couch provided energy modelling, environmental design, and daylight and overheating analysis for an international scientific research, visitor, exhibition and archive building at RHS Wisley in Surrey.