Pictured above: (l-r) John Hallam Managing Director at Hallam Contracts, Tim Stephens, Bishop of Leicester and Duncan Green Partner at Pick Everard 

With the renovation and refurbishment of the old Grade 2 listed Leicester Grammar School into St Martins House completed, Leicester Cathedral and Diocese staff moved into the new building on January 17. On hand to mark the handover were the Bishop of Leicester, Tim Stevens, Duncan Green, Partner at consultants Pick Everard and John Hallam, Managing Director of contractor, Hallam Contracts.

Adjacent to Leicester Cathedral at the heart of the city's Heritage Quarter, St Martins House is a resource for the Diocese and City of Leicester providing a new, high quality conferencing and training centre. The conferencing facility neatly divides the high quality business offices from the Diocese and Cathedral staff's new centre. The multi-functional nature of the new site adds to its efficiency and sustainability.

As consultants to the Diocese, Pick Everard has been involved with the project from its inception. Partner Duncan Green commented, "St Martins House is an excellent example of sustainable refurbishment in the historic heart of Leicester's city centre. A new, welcoming, and contemporary entrance designed by our architects reflects its outward mission and gives the building a new focus facing the cathedral. The salvage and re-use of the original elements of the Victorian fabric is perhaps one of the more unusual and creative design aspects and responds well to the listed status of the building. Our architectural vision has now been realised and we look forward to St Martins House prospering, fulfilling its many purposes."

Charged with turning the architectural vision into reality, Hallam Contracts also relished the challenge that renovation provided. John Hallam made the point that, "This flagship project has been an opportunity for our team to show craftsmanship. Carefully renovating the existing building and re-using windows and original decorative features throughout the building demanded a high level of skill and care. We are very proud of this work in our home city."

The extension and refurbishment to form St Martins House for Leicester Diocese is the first part of a major three part project to facilitate a vision for outreach from the centre of the diocese. The other parts are the creation of a new enlarged Cathedral Square and the re-ordering of the Cathedral. 

The original building was known as the St Nicholas building and the new name comes from the associated St Martin's Cathedral. Opened in 1877 as Wyggeston Hospital Boys School, extended in 1884 to house the Shipley Ellis Technical School, this was the main building of the Leicester Grammar School until purchased in July 2008 by St Martin's Cathedral Properties Ltd.

Delighted to be receiving the building on time the Bishop said, "This project shows the strength of our church in Leicestershire and is a firm statement of our commitment to the community."