Adaptive reuse of worship spaces in contemporary heritage cities: a tale of three churches in Ottawa

With declining attendance and financial strain affecting numerous churches across Canada, repurposing these buildings has become a viable solution to preserve heritage while meeting contemporary urban needs. Existing literature focuses on various issues of adaptive reuse of built religious heritage and the dynamic relationship between religious and secular societies. This thesis answers the call to understand communities’ responses to their church reuse, the benefits and challenges of repurposed churches in a heritage city, and the role of reused churches in shaping the postsecular urban environment. More specifically, this study centers on three case studies in Ottawa: All Saints Anglican Church, St. Brigid Roman Catholic Church, and Dominion-Chalmers United Church to offer insights into the multi-scalar processes of transforming and reusing religious heritage sites. Through the lenses of creative, heritage, and postsecular urbanism, my research analyzes the impact of church adaptive reuse on community cohesion and sense of belonging. My findings highlight that repurposed churches not only preserve local cultural identity and community cohesion but also foster the coexistence of secular and religious values in modern urban landscapes. This thesis underscores the importance of adaptive reuse practices in worship spaces in supporting community-building, maintaining historical continuity, and navigating the complexities of heritage conservation in urban settings.