Group 10
REIMAGINGING WATERBARN CHAPEL

Our journey of reimagination begins at Waterbarn Chapel, a derelict ruin in Stacksteads, Bacup. Built in 1847, the chapel was partially burnt down in 2022, leaving the building structurally unsafe and open to the elements. Now a hive for criminal activity, the Chapel's condition brings discontent to the local residents. The team of Architecture and Adaptive Re-use students at Manchester School of Architecture aim to reimagine the Chapel as an affordable, emergency housing scheme. Through engaging with our collaborators, Valley Heritage, and local community groups, our aims to adapt and reuse the local Grade II listed landmark, retain its historic integrity and change its use (to provide affordable housing for those in need), will, in turn, reduce crime, improve the local environment for existing residents and improve land values.

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Adam H / Eleanor Somerset W / Ella M / Kim A / Tiree N / Zihao H

Tiree N
Hello! I'm Tiree. With a background in traditional architecture, I now study the MArch Masters of Architecture course at Manchester School of Architecture. The heritage project in Bacup thrills me; Waterbarn Chapel is a monumental feature of a small-town community surrounded by scenic hills, pastures and forests, standing out in sandstone in amongst the grey. It has lots of potential to be a real pillar of social housing in an area that struggles with homelessness. This project is one where I can further develop my skills in adaptive reuse, concept design and leadership, whereby the story of the building is respected as we bring it into the future.
Posted 7 Mar 2025 18:07
Adam H
Hi! I'm Adam and I'm on the Master of Architecture course. I also work as a Part 1 in Manchester, with experience in conversions and new builds within the residential sector. My architectural interests are adaptive reuse and temporary architecture. I'm looking forward to reimagining the Waterbarn Chapel and hope to meet some of you soon!
Posted 8 Mar 2025 11:33
Eleanor Somerset W
Hi! My name is Ellie, and I’m from the United States.

Before joining the MA Architecture and Adaptive Reuse program, I studied interior architecture at Rhode Island School of Design. I also worked at a residential design company, assisting in the restoration and renovation of historic homes in Boston.

I have always been interested in how adaptive reuse can reimagine historic spaces to serve new needs. Redesigning the Waterbarn Chapel offers a unique opportunity to honour the town of Bacup’s history and culture, while creating a space to represent new communities.

I’m excited to collaborate with my fellow MSA students, Valley Heritage, and the Rossendale community to explore creative possibilities for the Waterbarn Chapel!
Posted 8 Mar 2025 11:41
Kim A
Hello! I'm Kim and I'm currently study on the Master of Architecture Course.

Before studying at Manchester School of Architecture, I worked in a rural based practice in the Ribble Valley for two years. The projects I worked on in this time mainly focused on new build dwellings, extensions and conversions of buildings such as barns, pubs & community spaces.

From this experience I have also gained valuable knowledge working within conservation areas, AONBs and with Listed Buildings.

As someone from Lancashire, getting to work on a project in my home county is particularly exciting. I am looking forward to working with Valley Heritage and my peers at MSA to help restore Waterbarn Chapel and graveyard into an asset for the local community.

The 178 year old chapel has fallen into a poor state of repair in recent years with the roof collapsing in 2011 and was damaged by two fires in 2022 & 2023. As unfortunate as these events were, they allow for a boarder range of possibilities for the building going forward.

Posted 9 Mar 2025 19:09
Zihao H
Hello, I am Zihao Huang, an architecture student graduated from Guangzhou University and a current student of Architecture and Adaptive Reuse.

What I am most interested in is the reusing of the materials and structure of existing buildings, which can make it will be adaptable to the needs of society in the coming decades, and other Points of Interest is the adaptive reuse of the community services. In leisure time, other Points of Interest are painting and watching videos.

Having the opportunity to work on Waterbsrn Bastist Church is exciting and expectant. I am looking forward to the subsequent teamwork and output. Finally, I hope that we can make great gains and progress.
Posted 9 Mar 2025 20:21
Ella M
Hello,

I’m Ella an Interior Architecture graduate from Liverpool John Moores University and a current student of Architecture and Adaptive Reuse.

My main interest within architectural design is the reuse of existing buildings, allowing them to have a new lease of life but also celebrating the historical footprint of what is already built. I love buildings which are full of character and hope that I will be able to work with listed buildings such as churches, industrial structures and many more in my proffesional practice.

Having the opportunity to work on Waterbarn Baptist Church is very exciting and relevant to my interests. I’m looking forward to proposing a plan to restore and repurpose the church with my MSA
Live group and hope we give the Valley Heritage team lots of positive ideas.
Posted 10 Mar 2025 08:23
Eleanor Somerset W
We had a great first day of MSA Live! We began by introducing the BA1 and BA2 students to our partner Valley Heritage, the Waterbarn Chapel, and the town of Bacup - giving everyone a sense of the site, its context, and the community we are working with.

We also outlined our goals for the action weeks ahead and our final output. Students were then split into groups to discuss initial site research and strategies for model making. We are excited to see how ideas develop from here!
Posted 12 May 2025 12:01
Eleanor Somerset W
We had a very productive first day! Our model making team has started working on a site model of the Waterbarn Chapel and our site analysis team has been busy investigating the history and demographics of Bacup.
Posted 12 May 2025 15:21
Tiree N
We are planning a consultation with Bacup and Stacksteads community groups on Thursday 15th May. This will be a form of creative consultancy, prompting collective memory through old photographs and current drawings of the Chapel, creating a historical narrative of the building in order to understand it's future. In addition, we will be presenting our initial concept designs in order to gain valuable and insightful feedback from locals.

We have begun by drafting elevations, plan and 3D site model drawings to present to Valley Heritage and the community groups on Thursday. Despite no archival architectural drawings being available for us to use, archival photographs and a site survey have enabled our drawing set to accurately represent Waterbarn Chapel.

Our drawing sets will enable us to create inventive yet grounded concepts this afternoon, illustrated through hand-made models.
Posted 13 May 2025 12:37
Eleanor Somerset W
Our team has been busy preparing for our community consultation event at Valley Heritage this Thursday. We developed a series of interactive activities and a questionnaire for attendees to gauge their response towards the Waterbarn Chapel.

Engaging the community is an important step in our design process. It provides the opportunity to listen, learn, exchange ideas, and perhaps reframe our understanding of the site’s needs. In our discussions as a group, we have had to consider the best formats to effectively include the community in this process. Collaborating with the team at Valley Heritage and sourcing inspiration from literature like “Architecture and Participation” have been helpful in shaping our approach to community consultation.

Our hope for this consultation is to get a better sense of the town and its people. We are looking forward to meeting the attendees, hearing their stories, and learning how the Waterbarn Chapel can reflect the community’s identity and needs more.
Posted 13 May 2025 14:58
Eleanor Somerset W
The site analysis team conducted a thorough and reflective study of the Waterbarn Chapel’s historical significance and structure in relation to the site’s wider context and demographics. The resulting site plan features different pedestrian routes and transportation links near the Chapel and surrounding area, providing valuable insight into the site’s accessibility and connection to the community.

In addition, forensic architectural studies explore the potential structural conditions and design details of the chapel before it was partially damaged by a fire. These investigations provide the team with a better understanding of the site’s context and possible future design strategies.
Posted 14 May 2025 11:39
Eleanor Somerset W
The site analysis and model making teams presented their research findings and conclusions to the group at the end of day two.
Posted 14 May 2025 11:45
Eleanor Somerset W
The model-making team created a site model that features the Chapel - reconstructed to its original form - neighboring buildings, different access routes, and the existing graveyard.

The model also includes movable elements to accommodate our conceptual design strategies, which will be developed in the next few days. Because of the site’s existing damages, the team was challenged to infer the structural design of the roof by referring to historic images collected by the site analysis team.
Posted 14 May 2025 12:52
Eleanor Somerset W
The site analysis and model making teams presented their research findings and conclusions to the group at the end of day two.
Posted 14 May 2025 12:54
Eleanor Somerset W
Our redesign strategy for the chapel focuses on creating temporary housing solutions for individuals and families in need. Today, our team began sketching a range of spatial layouts, exploring options for both shared and private accommodations. We are looking forward to presenting our initial ideas to the Valley Heritage team tomorrow!
Posted 14 May 2025 20:25
Eleanor Somerset W
We had a wonderful day in Bacup at our community consultation! We heard some amazing stories from residents and trustees of Valley Heritage who know the Chapel and community well. Our group shared some of our initial social housing concepts and strategies, which led to insightful discussions and feedback from attendees.

The consultation was invaluable, and after meeting with attendees, it became clear that our project needs to expand beyond social housing to support the larger community more. As we continue to develop our ideas, we will explore different ways of incorporating community-based spaces within our social housing scheme.
Posted 16 May 2025 14:43
Eleanor Somerset W
Key takeaways from the consultation:

Community-centered design:
There was a strong desire amongst the attendees for the Chapel to become a social hub that served the community’s needs beyond housing.

Barriers to preservation:
Heritage preservation is often hindered by issues such as a lack of funding, different political ideologies, or misaligned priorities. In order for regeneration projects like the Waterbarn Chapel to succeed, there needs to be communication, honest conversations, collaboration, and a strong local network.

Cultural heritage:
One of the attendees at our community consultation said, "Heritage is not just something from the past—it affects us now." This encapsulated a recurring theme in our discussions. Heritage, both tangible and intangible, is just as much a reflection of our past as it is our present.
Posted 16 May 2025 15:24
Eleanor Somerset W
Following the feedback from attendees at our community consultation last Friday, we have shifted our focus from just social housing to exploring a range of design concepts that integrate more community-oriented spaces. Our goal for the final output is to provide Valley Heritage with three conceptual design strategies:

1. Social housing
2. Community hub
3. Combination of housing and community spaces

Our aim is to provide proposals that can help Valley Heritage evaluate the cost, feasibility, and financial viability of each option.
Posted 19 May 2025 14:50
Eleanor Somerset W
This afternoon, we focused on further refining our concept designs. Our group explored different strategies for integrating social housing and community spaces - emphasizing flexible environments that adapt and respond to diverse needs and uses.
Posted 19 May 2025 15:24
Eleanor Somerset W
Today, our group continued to develop our design concepts. The BA1 and BA2 students have been working hard to refine and finalize proposals. The design strategy we are currently developing combines social housing and community spaces - reimagining the Chapel as a community marketplace and garden with private residential accommodations.
Posted 20 May 2025 15:38
Eleanor Somerset W
Our design concept preserves the Chapel’s ruins as a monument to the past, allowing the existing graveyard and new community marketplace/garden to inhabit the Chapel. The back part of the Chapel, which used to be a Sunday school, would now serve as social housing. This strategy facilitates community engagement while maintaining a sense of privacy and ownership for residents living there.
Posted 20 May 2025 15:39
Eleanor Somerset W
Our group is finalizing our design concept and preparing detailed sketches, collages, plans, elevations, renderings, and a site model to show Valley Heritage this Friday!
Posted 21 May 2025 15:19
Eleanor Somerset W
We have been working on perspective sketches of the community marketplace and garden, and design iterations of the third-floor social housing addition.
Posted 21 May 2025 15:20
Eleanor Somerset W
Sneak peek! We are putting the final touches on our design proposal and presentation. We are looking forward to sharing our ideas and outputs with Valley Heritage tomorrow!
Posted 22 May 2025 15:41
Eleanor Somerset W
We had a fantastic time sharing our final design concept with Jo from Valley Heritage this morning! It’s been a pleasure collaborating with Valley Heritage on design concepts for the Waterbarn Chapel. Special thanks to all the BA1 and BA2 students for their incredible effort and creativity over the past two weeks, you should be so proud of the work you produced!
Posted 23 May 2025 12:27
Eleanor Somerset W
Perspective renderings of the proposed community marketplace and garden
Posted 23 May 2025 12:29
Eleanor Somerset W
Detailed plans of the community marketplace and social housing

Axonometric of the steel-structure walkway within the community marketplace

Perspective drawing of the marketplace and garden
Posted 23 May 2025 12:31
Eleanor Somerset W
A well deserved pizza party to celebrate MSA Live!
Posted 23 May 2025 13:06