Landscapers rake the soil, preparing it for sowing grass seed. Residences A and B can be seen in the background.

A landscaped pond lies at the rear of the Office Building. This pond and others at the Chelmsford site form part of a sustainable drainage system designed to replicate natural drainage. The system improves water quality, reduces flood risk, and enhances the environment for people and animals.

A husband-and-wife carpentry team assembles new office partitions.

Using a laser level, a member of the architectural team applies a sign to the door of the hairdressing salon.

A carpenter installs signage with the help of a level. Signs along footpaths provide directions for residents and visitors on the 34-hectare (85 ac) site.

A representative of the local fire-and-rescue service checks the water pressure of a hydrant.

A member of the Construction Project Committee conducts morning worship in a live test of the new branch systems. This program was streamed via the Internet to the Bethel family in London.

An electrician installs a traffic light at the entrance to a controlled-access area.

Workers strip copper wire for recycling.

A tour guide at the Visitor Center describes the layout of the site. Over 95,000 visitors came to see the site during construction.

A member of the Britain Branch Committee speaks to the construction team at their last monthly meeting before Bethel departments began caring for the facilities. Over 11,000 workers volunteered their time and energy to work on this project.

The Regional Video Team and the Local Broadcasting Department are trained to use the new studio rigging. Many of the workers wear blue plastic overshoes to protect finished areas.

Workers brush kiln-dried sand between the joints of block pavers to finish the vehicle approach to the Office Building.

A mechanic maintains a minibus in the new garage. Since the branch facilities are now on one site, the Bethel family no longer needs a fleet of minibuses like this one to travel to work every day. Surplus vehicles can now be sold. In the background is a utility vehicle used by the Grounds Maintenance team.

Movers unload a Bethelite’s personal items. A team of 27 helped Bethelites move during January and February. By the beginning of March, the entire Bethel family was living and working at the new branch.

Kitchen staff prepare salad for the Bethel family.

A temporary residential unit is removed after being sold. During construction these units housed workers within walking distance of the new branch. The units were part of a plan to reduce the carbon footprint of the project. That plan was recognized as innovative by a leading sustainability assessment standard known as BREEAM. Far in the background are the new residence buildings.

Translation Department members install a sound-isolation booth used for making audio recordings. This studio supplements basic recording setups in team offices, and it is available to indigenous-language teams working under the Britain branch, such as Irish and Scottish Gaelic.

A brother in the Local Design/Construction Department talks with the field representative for southeast England via videoconference. Field representatives regularly contact the branch to discuss Kingdom Hall construction and maintenance. In the background, other department members discuss heating and ventilation options for new and renovated Kingdom Halls.

New commuters arrive at reception before attending a welcome meeting and being introduced to their assigned department. When the Britain branch began operating from Chelmsford, almost 500 commuters were supporting the work of the full-time Bethel family. In the background, technicians test and adjust TV screens that will form part of the exhibition for visitors.