Ian Brewerton Architecture

Luther King House is a theological college in South Manchester, close to the City Centre. It is the base for the training of ministers and lay people from a number of Christian churches, including Baptist, United Reformed, Methodist and Unitarian.

I have been involved with works on the site since 1998.

The premises originally housed the Northern Baptist College, and were built in the 1960's at a time when trainee Ministers were normally full time single students, in their early 20's, and predominantly male. The buildings were based on an Oxbridge model, though to a far lower budget !

Since then expectations have changed.

Trainee ministers are now typically mature, male or female in approximately equal numbers, and most have families. Training is largely based in local churches or local communities; formal teaching is part-time in blocks of a few days week and students are not expected to be resident. Training of lay people has also become much more important.

As a result of these changes, building requirements have changed drastically.

In 1998 I designed major alterations to the interiors of the buildings to;

improve teaching accomodation

make the ground floor of the buildings fully accessible to wheelchair users

provide bedroom accomodation with en-suite bathrooms for wheelchair users

Since then I have carried out a number of feasibility studies to improve other aspects of the buildings, resulting in an appointment in 2006 to design and supervise comprehensive improvements to;

re-model the Library to accomdate more books and much more IT

provide a separate entrance to the Chapel (illustration, right), replacing the current entrance through the Library

provide an entirely new lounge with direct access to the central courtyard garden

provide a new Main Entrance (illustration above, left) and improve the reception area

The works, costing more than £400,000 were carried out in the summer of 2007, completing in time for the new academic year in September.

I have recently (2008) been commissioned to prepare designs to convert former offices to additional bedroom accomodation, and to advise on long term maintenance and improvement.

revised 9 May 2008