The work carried out to achieve the change in use of the Herz-Jesu church in Mönchengladbach focused on the complete preservation of the building which is classified as a historical monument. The result was the creation of 23 publicly funded apartments. The conversion used timber-frame construction according to the building-within-a-building principle. The plasterboard-covered timber-frame was erected to stand free in front of the walls and pillars of the church, thereby preserving the building’s external appearance. Upon entering it, the first thing one sees is still the exposed cross-ribbed vault above the central nave.