St Mary’s Church Bangor – The Nyth
Encon Associates was appointed to provide comprehensive sustainability, energy and transport consultancy services, from early feasibility through to post-completion certification, to support the transformation of St Mary’s Church, a Grade ll-listed Victorian building in Bangor, into The Nyth.
Originally closing its doors in 2024 after over 150 years of services as St Mary’s Church, the building stood vacant until Frân Wen purchased the site in 2019. The charity saw an opportunity to both preserve architectural heritage and create a state-of-the-art arts centre that supports creative endeavours and community engagement in Bangor and across North West Wales.
The contemporary arts, culture and community hub is design ed to support young people, creatives and local organisations across North West Wales. Encon’s role was central to ensuring the building’s energy performance, accessibility, sustainability credentials and long-term operational efficiency, while upholding the historic structure.
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Client Frân Wen
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Location Bangor, North Wales
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Period 2019-2025
Historic Context
St Mary’s Church, Bangor, is a Grade ll-listed Victorian building dating back to the mid-19th century. After serving the local community for over 150 years, the church closed in 2014 and remained vacant prior to its redevelopment.
The project focused on the sensitive adaptation of the historic structure, retaining key architectural features while enabling a new use as a contemporary arts and community facility. The reuse of the building safeguards its long-term future while preserving its historic character within the urban fabric of Bangor.
Encon’s Role
Encon worked alongside the wider project team to support compliance with sustainability requirements and to help embed energy and environmental considerations throughout the project lifecycle.
The sustainability strategy focused on balancing improved building performance with the constraints of a lifted heritage asset. Encon’s assessments supported informed decision-making around energy efficiency, operational performance and long-term usability, enduring the completed development meets both environmental and functional objectives.
Project Outcome
The completed scheme has transformed a vacant historic church into a vibrant, inclusive arts venue, Encon’s involvement helped ensure the project achieved strong sustainability credentials while supporting the successful reuse of an important local landmark.
The Nyth project has received industry recognition for its sensitive reuse of a historic building and its positive social impact. The scheme was Highly Commended in the MacEwen Award, which celebrates architecture that benefits the common good, recognising the project’s contribution to community, culture and heritage-led regeneration.
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Excellent service. Glenn was very informative and helpful, taking time to answer my questions regarding my barn conversion
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