St. Mary’s entrusted ConServ to design an expansion and renovate their historic building in Barnstable.  Design limitations included conformance with Historic Commission regulations as well as site limitations dictated by bordering wetlands.  Over the years, several additions had been built onto the original structure creating multiple floor levels. Like most older churches, the original structure was never designed to be handicap accessible. The incorporation of yet another addition, while making the entire structure conform to today’s accessibility standards was a real challenge.  The new addition would need to expand the current Parish Hall, incorporate a multi-stop elevator, add new accessible bathrooms, expand the Nave to relieve congestion from the single center Aisle and create a new library and vesting room so that those functions could be relocated from basement space not originally designed to be occupied.  ConServ Group embraced the challenge and designed an expansion that not only met the approval of the Historical Commission, but it created more us able space, re-purposed existing spaces that were not practical and met all requirements for accessibility. The end result is a structure that will serve the parish well for many years to come.