The Chapel, Penge

Situated in Penge, South London and known simply as 'The Chapel', the building is the predominant structure of a group of almshouses built in 1840 as a place of worship for those occupying the 48 adjacent dwellings, with the site converted to private homes in 1973.

Jane Furnival, who owns and lives in The Chapel with her husband and three children, is a national newspaper columnist and consumer affairs expert and author, so she is more aware than most of new developments for the home. 

She had a number of criteria for the installation: The first of these was appearance and authenticity; another was an improvement, if possible, in the insulation of the building and a reduction in condensation; Jane also wanted to improve general security as the building is, by its nature, high profile. That the windows of The Chapel were virtually impossible to access for cleaning was something that Jane had thought could not be resolved until she became aware of Pilkington Activ™, and self-cleaning too became a major requirement.

By the time Jane contacted Pilkington her plans were well underway for the replacement of the windows throughout the Grade II listed building. Specialist glaziers The McMillan Glass Company, based near Dover, had already assessed the building for the purpose of restoring all glazing to its original style, and replacing the various additions that had been made over the years.

The solution that was quickly decided upon was the simple pairing of McMillan's traditionally manufactured leaded lights for all of the windows with panels of toughened Pilkington Activ™, and putty-glazed into place. Glazier Sandy McMillan is, by nature and the definition of his work, a traditionalist but is impressed by the end result: "I was sceptical at first; we are sometimes asked to protect smaller installations with single sheets of toughened glass and I seldom think it looks good. But The Chapel looks great – it now has a fresh appearance that has actually improved the building. I am very pleased with the job."

However, it is the customer whose opinion really counts. Says Jane Furnival: "Living in The Chapel is a labour of love in itself, and requires constant thought, planning and indeed finance! The refurbishment of the windows has brought a new freshness and light with it and, whilst the addition of Pilkington Activ™ may be something of a licence in the pursuit of authenticity, the fact that the glazing will now be kept clean and in good condition means that it will be more than worth it. We are very happy with the result."