SHU
Location Vancouver
Type Partial Renovation
Interior Design Simcic Architecture
Fun Fact Renovated while the church stayed fully operational.
Shaughnessy Heights United Church has been part of the neighbourhood since the 1950s. Over the years, the building became home to much more than weekly services, supporting daycare programs, community gatherings, and day-to-day activities that kept the space in constant use. While the building still held a strong sense of character, parts of it were no longer functioning the way they needed to.
The goal of the renovation was to thoughtfully modernize the church without losing what made it familiar in the first place. Accessibility improvements, updated washrooms, new finishes, custom millwork, and a redesigned kitchen all helped make the building more functional and welcoming for the people using it every day. The narthex in particular was reworked to feel warmer, brighter, and easier to gather in.
One of the biggest challenges was timing. The church remained fully operational throughout construction, which meant the work had to be carefully phased around services, daycare hours, and community programming. Working within a tight budget, the focus stayed on high-impact improvements that would make a meaningful difference long-term. The end result still feels like the same church, just more comfortable, more accessible, and better equipped for the next generation of use.
