Name: Reemaz Bashir
Course: MA Architecture and Adaptive reuse
From: Sudan
Undergraduate: University of Khartoum
Skills: ArchiCAD, AutoCAD, Lumion, Photoshop, Model Making
Interests: History and Culture, Sustainability and Environmentalism, Community Engagement, Travel, Photography

We're so happy to introduce you to our collaborator Valley Heritage.

The non-profit organization was started in 2015 to keep Rossendale's history alive and get the word out about it. They are a community of volunteers dedicated to revitalizing their town through creative reuse of its old structures.
As the cost of restoration is expected to exceed its ultimate worth, they are counting on public funding to make the re-use and regeneration of historic sites in the valley possible. The goal is to devise a strategy for reclaiming and reusing these potentially hazardous structures and areas.
The objective of the organization is to have a lasting and positive impact on the community through the protection and improvement of local historical treasures, the provision of employment and educational opportunities, and the encouragement of civic engagement and growth. A concerted effort to include locals at every step of the process because they recognize the importance of having their input in historical preservation efforts.
see more at: www.valleyheritage.org.uk

Valley Heritage is looking into the possibility of transforming St. Saviours Church, a Grade II-listed church near Bacup's town center, into a hotel as part of an exciting new project. The goal of the project is to increase the number of available accommodations by incorporating the surrounding landscape through the installation of permanent, custom-designed pods. This will deliver high-quality, appealing accommodation that enhances the entire offer in this environmentally sensitive area.
The pictures show the interior of the church and the outside yard intended for development.
The concept utilised to design the proposal is that of modern insertion, meaning that the accommodation pods will be integrated into the landscape to match the historical relevance of the church. The project is anticipated to have a minimal carbon footprint, with the renovation aiming for net-zero emissions.

Our first discussion meeting after the site visit was held in a co-working space for local independent businesspeople and entrepreneurs in Bacup's centre. The building known as the former Lancashire & Yorkshire Bank, reflects the organisation's main goal of community involvement in the place-making process. This is expressed in kids painting, furniture, and art pieces made by local artists that decorates the interior.

The St Saviour's Church project seeks to accomplish three main societal goals through the adaptive reuse of a significant historic resource:
- If a heritage asset is reused, it may serve a new role that helps the community while still maintaining its historical value.
- The goal of the project is to increase people's health, happiness, skill set, and economic potential by giving them a chance to participate in and shape the initiative.
- Long-term jobless and young people who are not in work, education, or training will be given priority in the project's efforts to create jobs. They'll be able to put their newfound skills to use in the hospitality sector thanks to the new jobs that will be created.

When you join us on this project, you will have the opportunity to gain valuable skills such as:

- Teamwork and communication : essential skills in any industry, and are particularly important in the design and construction field where multiple stakeholders must work together to bring a project to completion. By working on a design project, students will learn how to effectively communicate with team members, collaborate on tasks, and navigate conflicts that arise during the project.

- Design development: it is a critical stage in the design process, and involves taking initial concepts and refining them into detailed plans that can be implemented. You will have the opportunity to gain experience in this important stage of the design process, including developing design concepts, considering materials and building codes, and creating detailed drawings and plans.

- RIBA Stage Two planning: it is an important phase in the construction process in the UK. You will learn how to create accurate and detailed drawings and plans that comply with building regulations and codes. This will prepare you for future roles in the industry where you may be responsible for overseeing this important stage of the construction process.

- Software programs such as Revit and AutoCAD: by joining this project, you will have the opportunity to gain experience using these programs to create accurate drawings and models that can be used in the construction process.

- V-Ray and Photoshop rendering skills: you will learn how to create renderings of the designs, which can be used to communicate design concepts to stakeholders and clients.

Day one:
First day was a blast! We kicked things off with an introduction to the project. Postgrads welcomed the BAs, and Seth presented a pre-prepared presentation outlining the project, its goals, and the site we will be working on. We also took the time to answer all the burning questions undergrad students had.

Day one:
After the presentation, we kicked off an icebreaker activity that brought our postgrads and undergrads together. We split the group into pairs and gave them 5-10 minutes to chat with someone they didn't know. Then, each person introduced their partner to the group and shared some information about them. It was great to learn more about our fellow designers and hear about their interests and experiences.
This activity was a perfect way to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone involved. It was also a great reminder that design is a collaborative process that requires teamwork and communication.

Day one:
In the afternoon, we split students into groups and conducted a workshop to brainstorm ideas. The goal was to guide the students in a direction that would meet the client's requirements. We encouraged the students to come up with potential design ideas, considering themes, materiality, orientation, form, and layout in the master plan scale.
The workshop was a great success, with students coming up with a diverse range of ideas. Some groups focused on incorporating sustainable and eco-friendly materials into their designs, while others explored themes such as type of users, community engagement and social impact. The PG students provided feedback, encouraging the groups to think about how their ideas could be incorporated into the client's vision.

Day one:
After a lunch break, we asked the students to present their ideas to one another. This was a great opportunity for everyone to share their unique perspective and contribute to the project. The open discussion that followed was both insightful and productive. Students were able to provide feedback and suggestions to one another, leading to the development of more refined ideas.
At the end of the activity, the group was able to settle on a master plan and one core idea to bring forward. This was a significant milestone for the project, as it allowed us to move forward with a clear direction.

Day two:
It was all about creativity and collaboration. We started the day with a small presentation outlining the tasks for the day, and postgrads had a chat with BAs about the sketches and conceptual master plan they produced on day one so they could improve them.

Day two:
After that, the team broke into four groups to develop different, unique pod designs. The energy in the room was palpable as everyone worked together to come up with different designs that tied together with what we had discussed earlier.

Day two:
After a discussion session we had after the break to compare ideas, each group was tasked with producing a comprehensive set of outputs for their pod design. All of the outputs were hand-drawn and are ready to be built up in Revit/CAD.

Day three:
We started the day off with a productive meeting with our collaborators. It was insightful and engaging as we reviewed the concepts and discussed the strengths and weaknesses of each idea that the undergrads had cooked up in the first two days.
We were thrilled to see the undergrads take ownership of their ideas and engage in thoughtful discussions about the concepts. It was an epic confidence boost for the emerging designers.
After that, we continued the work on pod designs to finalise the concepts based on what had been discussed in the meeting.

Day three:
Then, Sarah provided an introduction to Revit, covering the basics of the software and its capabilities for using inputs from Digimap. Once everyone had a good grasp on the basics, we jumped straight into some hands-on tasks related to the existing site model, like importing the topography and modelling the surroundings and existing constraints.

Day three:
After the lunch break, Seth, Sarah, and Ana provided a crash course introduction to AutoCAD as some of the undergrads were interested in learning it. The workshop was a valuable opportunity for undergrads to gain new skills and learn how to use the software to create precise technical drawings and designs.

Day four:
Today was a make-or-break day for us, as we had to make sure we were on track and that everyone was working towards completing their tasks for the week.
We started off the day with a chat outlining the day's activities, reminded everyone of the deadline, and made sure everyone was pumped up and ready to go.
After that, we got busy drawing up the pods proposals on AutoCAD. Postgrads helped out and gave BAs the support they needed to get the job done.

Day four:
After the break, we kicked off a workshop where we got to build some pods in Sketchup and play with their forms. This was a good opportunity for the undergrads to learn some new software skills and flex their creativity.
By the end of the day, we had some good planning drawings for each pod. We're going to take these drawings to the next level with some Photoshop magic and continue working with the 3Ds next week.
Overall, it was a productive and enjoyable week filled with learning and collaboration.

Day five:
It's week two of action weeks, and the team is on fire! The day started with a quick chat with the BAs to discuss progress and plans. Then it was time to dive into Photoshop. The basics were discussed, and the undergrads learned how to use the software effectively for rendering and editing 2D drawings. With new skills in their toolbelt, the BAs put their newfound knowledge into practice under the supervision of M.Archs, rendering the pods' plan layouts.

Day six:
We started the day with a presentation outlining the tasks of the day and discussing what we had achieved so far and what to do next. Then, while BAs were working with 2D drawings in Photoshop, we imported the SketchUp pod models into the modelled topography for the final touches before rendering. With everyone's creative juices flowing, it was nice to see all the different ideas and designs coming together seamlessly.

Day six:
After the break, a brief introduction to Enscape was provided. The undergrads were shown how to import 3D models into Enscape and how to use the different tools available to navigate and manipulate the models.
Once everyone was ready to go, we started practising the 3D rendering of the project.
Overall, the day was a success, with the BAs quickly grasping the concepts and eager to apply their new skills to the project.

Day seven:
This morning, we kicked off the day with a quick chat to outline what's in store for us. After that, each group was tasked with refining their development sketches and applying their acquired Photoshop skills to get them ready for publication.
Then after the break, the team was back in action, determined to finish the 3D Enscape renders.

Day eight:
The clock is ticking, and it's time to buckle up and get ready to showcase all the hard work we've put in.
We were in the final stretch of finalising the renders for the master plan, and the BAs were working to finish up the rendered views of each pod individually.
After that, we got to work putting all the final outputs into the publication template.

Day nine:
The final day is here!
This morning, we had a presentation on portfolio design. The focus was on how to use InDesign to create layouts that would showcase their work in the best possible way.
Once the presentation was over, undergrads created the output document for collaborators, showcasing all their work from the past week, and presented it in a team call with Courtney after lunch.

Day nine:
After getting everything done, we had a small reflection chat on the project and exchanged LinkedIn profiles.
It's been a blast working together!