St Mary Redcliffe Project 450 RIBA 1 Stage End Report

4.0 CONSULTATION - UNDERSTANDING THE NEED
During the architectural design competition, each of the shortlisted schemes was displayed
within St Mary Redcliffe’s North Transept. The feedback received was honest, resistant to the
proposed change, and, no-doubt, illustrative of the great value attached to St Mary Redcliffe by its
community and congregation alike
Crucially, it demonstrated that the community and congregation of St Mary Redcliffe:
• Has strong-held views on the church’s progression
• Wished to be engaged in the design process, and
• Was unconvinced of the need for change
To address the latter point, we began by challenging both the competition brief and statement
of need, via a series of informal conversations and workshops with separate church departments
and individuals, including The Vestry, Music, Education, The Vicar, Assistant Vicar, Parish
Administrator, etc
The interviews focussed on key operational questions, such as:
• What works?
• What doesn’t?
• What are the constraints?
But also included more open, leading questions, such as, if we dared to dream:
• What needs could St Mary Redcliffe address?
• What could the church become? and:
• What would this look like to you?
From the responses, we gained a more detailed understanding of church operations, the multiple
user groups, and their diverse needs. This information was recorded in transcripts and, ultimately,
consolidated into a revised spatial and aspirational brief