In August 2020, we sought planning permission for a single storey rear extension at Thurlaston Chapel – a Baptist church in Leicestershire. Thurlaston Chapel had become a growing centre for the community and the extension plans were a conduit for the growing congregation to enjoy and to enable them to cater better in their events that involve the wider community. We were tasked with designing an extension that not only provided the congregation with a functional space, but also enhanced the area and showcased the original property, its history and character. The main feature of the design was the addition of a glass gable end and large glass panels in a more contemporary style with grey aluminium frames. These were introduced to frame the outdoor space, highlighting one of the church’s key features – the graveyard – while allowing visitors to see inside the church and the original architectural features of the property, creating a juxtaposition between the new and the old. We also wanted to maximise the beauty of the views and open the property up to the rear garden, providing churchgoers with better enjoyment of the surrounding green space, and bringing the outside in. Internally, we added a glass partition between the original entrance hall and the new extension to link the spaces together. We also left the original wall of the previous extension in as feature wall to retain some of the original character and created a kitchen area and bar out of the original outbuilding, which we managed to tie into the new extension with a clever hipped roof layout, in order to cater for growing congregation.