hope church

Newtown, Wales

Project summary

The Hope Church project in Newtown, Wales, was a £4 million redevelopment, transforming the church into a mixed-use, three-storey building that serves as a cultural and community hub. The new structure, covering approximately 3,500 square metres, includes a restaurant, office spaces, classrooms, and an auditorium to accommodate the expanding congregation and provide much-needed community facilities. This project was critical for Hope Church, which had been operating over capacity, and aimed to reduce long waiting lists and offer the community enhanced resources and services.

Services provided

OES Consulting’s contributions encompassed structural and civil engineering along with BIM modelling.

Structural Engineering Designed a steel composite frame with lightweight steel SFS wall panels to support the superstructure. Pad foundations were used to provide a stable base, adapted to the natural slope of the valley embankment.
Civil Engineering Developed a sustainable drainage system with an attenuation tank to manage water flow, meeting requirements from planners, the Local Lead Flood Authority (LLFA), and the Environment Agency (EA).
BIM Modelling Enabled precise planning, coordination, and integration across structural and civil components, ensuring a cohesive design process.

Challenges and solutions

The main challenge involved coordinating the foundation design with the geotechnical engineers to address concerns over slope stability and variable ground conditions. The solution lay in leveraging the site’s topography by creating partial basement and terraced areas, which optimised space and reinforced the foundation. This innovative approach allowed OES to maintain stability while meeting the structural requirements of the steep valley location. Our sustainable drainage design further demonstrated OES’s commitment to environmentally responsible solutions, achieving a cost-effective system that met all regulatory standards and ensured long-term viability for the church’s expanded facilities.