On the back of our GIA Award winning conversion of Woodlands Church in Glasgow’s South Side, we were invited by Renfrewshire Council to consider taking on Orr Square Church in Paisley’s historic Oakshaw. With a depleted congregation, the large volume and ongoing maintenance commitments could no longer be sustainable for its members who decided to amalgamate with a nearby congregation. This was our first foray into the heart of Paisley’s Oakshaw and prestaged the major residential regeneration initiative we would come to spearhead.

​A grand open plan ‘barn’ of a building we were able to exploit the full volume to create galleried apartments and large duplexes whilst preserving the strong stone character of the exterior. A hidden garden is revealed by selective removal of an adjoining hall to allow views, daylight and a sense of place within the development.