Group 01
ALTAR-NATIVE

Rossendale Digital CIC is a group of tech entrepreneurs who want to turn Bacup Christ Church, a historic building from 1854, into an active digital hub for the local community. Our aim as a team is to tackle the digital skills gap in Rossendale and the space will offer hands-on training in areas like coding, web development and 3D printing alongside office and event spaces. We want to support startups, freelancers and local residents and this project will allow us to train up to 1,700 people a year and provide workspaces for up to 60 people.

Bryanna Q / Cayden Kai Shen K / Chisom Blessing I / Haoxiong L / Joseph K / Junqi L / Kobe DJ / Luke A / Minzheng H / Roshni P / Tre-Kwan M

Luke A
My name is Luke Austin, and I am part of the MArch01 cohort at the Manchester School of Architecture, working toward my long-term ambition of becoming a professional architect.
My passion for architecture has been shaped by travel and by living in Sydney, Australia, a city home to some of the world’s most iconic landmarks.
I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Liverpool and undertook my Part 1 placement at Falconer Chester Hall, one of Liverpool’s leading architectural practices, where I gained invaluable professional experience. I am excited to begin working on a live project within a team environment, tailoring our proposal carefully to meet a client’s needs.
Posted 20 Feb 2026 11:01
Chisom Blessing I
My name is Chisom Ikebudu: a BA1 Architecture Student at the Manchester School of Architecture. After previous study of A-Level Maths, Physics and 3D Design, I became fascinated by the intersection of Arts, Culture + Tech. The Rossendale Digital CIC recognises this intersection, giving me the opportunity to research into how spaces which hold cultural significance, can be revitalised in consideration of surrounding communities. I’m certainly looking forward to seeing this project through!
Posted 20 Feb 2026 14:02
Bryanna Q
Hi, my name is Bryanna Quaynor, and I am in BA1 Architecture. I previously studied Art, Maths, and Economics at A Level, which helped me develop creative and analytical skills. In this project, we are transforming a church into a digital tech hub, and I’m looking forward to developing my design skills and exploring how architecture can adapt spaces for modern use.
Posted 20 Feb 2026 14:32
Bryanna Q
Hello! I'm Roshni Patel a BA1 student at the Manchester School of Architecture. I am of Indian heritage and growing up experiencing different cultures has given me a unique outlook on architecture. I studied maths, physics and 3D design at A-level which have all set me up for my journey at the MSA. I like this project because it is adaptive reuse and has a wide range of users to consider. I can't wait to work with my team, learn from others and make a real impact on the Rossendale community. I am very excited to see this project grow!
Posted 20 Feb 2026 16:01
Tre-Kwan M
Hi, my name is Tre-kwan and I am a first year architecture student. Prior to moving to Manchester to study architecture, I lived in North West London my whole life. My interests are how buildings or structures intertwine with the needs of humanity but also their visual beauties and how these buildings make people feel. I enjoy all the creative freedom architecture gives and I would love to be a part of future of the industry.

For this project, I am really excited to work on something that has real impact and could help people, but also to gain major experience and learn from the post graduate students. We will transform a church into a digital tech community hub, I am thrilled to be in this group as I think it is interesting to try and connect two almost incongruous ideas of “old and new” and this in my opinion would be very fun to explore.
Posted 8 Mar 2026 21:08
Haoxiong L
My name is Li Haoxiong, and I am currently enrolled on the MArch 1 programme at MSA. I completed my undergraduate studies as part of a joint programme between Tianjin Chengjian University in China and the Cracow University of Technology in Poland. During that time, I gained an understanding of the history and current state of Western churches, whilst the diverse cultural contexts enriched my architectural theory. This project requires the preparation of construction drawings for a church (particularly regarding thermal insulation), which aligns with my previous internship experience in Shanghai. I look forward to collaborating with new colleagues on this practical project to develop a feasible solution that meets the client’s requirements.
Posted 17 Mar 2026 12:33
Junqi L
My name is Iris, and I am currently studying Architecture Adaptive Reuse, with a strong interest in revitalising existing buildings through thoughtful and sustainable design. My current project focuses on the transformation of Christ Church, Bacup, exploring how a historic religious structure can be sensitively adapted to serve contemporary community needs. I am particularly interested in balancing heritage preservation with innovative spatial interventions. With a strong background in drawing, I communicate ideas visually and develop a deeper understanding of space, light, and materiality, aiming to create meaningful and socially responsive architectural solutions. I am truly excited about the opportunity to collaborate with everyone, share ideas, and grow together through this project.
Posted 17 Mar 2026 14:13
Kobe DJ
Hi There! I'm Kobe, an MArch 1 student at the Manchester School of Architecture, currently representing the CPU Ai Atelier. I undertook my BArch at Portsmouth School of Architecture, before working with a renowned London-based architecture practice called ACA Studios.

Looking forward, my ultimate hope is to contribute in the spaces between architecture and art; where skills are transfered to the more experimentative disciplines such as the entertainment arts, film and video games. I am keen to engage with the collaborative contexts of this live project, and anticipate our team's success in the contributions of each of our individual passions and interests.
Posted 17 Mar 2026 21:09
Minzheng H
My name is Minzheng Han and I am studying Architectural and adaptive reuse at Manchester School of Architecture. I graduated from China. My major is architecure.

I’m particularly interested in digital design and adaptive reuse, especially how computational tools can help us rethink and transform existing buildings.

I’m also really interested in the renovation of historic architecture — not just preserving it, but finding ways to adapt it to contemporary use while keeping its spatial and cultural value.
Posted 21 Apr 2026 14:36
Joseph K
Hi, I’m Joe. I am a well accomplished designer with a BA in architecture; currently studying at MSA in Non Standard Habitats.

Much of my professional experience was spent at WATG in London, where I had the opportunity to contribute to large-scale projects like NEOM and other Saudi Public Investment schemes. Beyond architecture I am looking to enrich my skillset in design through avenues of fashion, set design and art direction.
Posted 11 May 2026 13:46
Bryanna Q
Hi, I'm Cayden, a first year architecture student. I grew up in Malaysia and, so far, studying in Manchester has given me an entirely new outlook on architecture on top of my previous perspective.

In this project, I am excited to gain some insight into the experience of working in real-life industry and the dynamic of between collaborating parties, in this case between MSA and The Rossendale Digital CIC.
Posted 13 May 2026 11:58
Tre-Kwan M
Meet the Collaborators

Rossendale Digital brings together skills, spaces and opportunities from across the local digital and tech community. Much of this work is led by people already living and working locally. They exists to help connect that activity, make opportunities more visible, and support collaboration in ways that are practical, inclusive and most importantly rooted in place. They believe in the power of community so the project of reworking the church into a community technology hub works perfectly for the local residents. Through workshops, events and shared spaces, they’re cultivating an environment where knowledge and creativity flourish, and everyone can contribute.
Posted 13 May 2026 14:23
Chisom Blessing I
03/02/26
Day 1 - Meeting our collaborator: Hannah Weinhold

Kicking off with a series of introductory ice-breakers, we discovered each other’s individual interests, strengths and relevant experience. This helped us to assign internal tasks to complement our abilities, whilst we collaborated further ideas on Miro. By the evening, we met our collaborator- Hannah Weinhold. Hannah shared multiple photos with us, discussing issues with heating, service and the original planning application. As we talked about budget, physical conditions and ideas to partition the space, Hannah mentioned a potential shift in the main access point + disability ramp. She also emphasised hopes for a sympathetic design- making it clear that she wanted to retain the original character of the existing Church!
Posted 13 May 2026 16:03
Bryanna Q
13/02/26 - 17/02/26

Designing the poster and coming up with a Group name

Over the course of two group meetings, we were able to successfully design a poster that represented our project, as well as come up with a group name. We initially had two poster designs: one was more monochromatic and minimalistic, while the other used a variety of colours.
During our meetings, we discussed which design would best suit our project and held a vote, which resulted in a general consensus that option 2 was visually stronger but would benefit from incorporating more colour, similar to option 1.
Following this, the design team worked on a final version that featured a revised colour palette and included our group name. In our meetings, we also considered possible group names that would clearly represent our project. We brainstormed ideas until we came up with the name “ALTAR-NATIVE.” As our project revolves around the repurposing of Bacup Christ Church, the use of “ALTAR” references the church and creates a play on the word “alternative,” reflecting the new purpose we are giving the building.
Posted 14 May 2026 09:08
Bryanna Q
24/02/26

Starting a Rhino Model

As we started off our project, we decided to create a Rhino model of the site as it would be useful for a thermal analysis. It is also useful because our site is quite far so the Rhino model would allow us to observe the site and make changes without having to frequently visit the actual site. We first did a rough draft on Rhino to understand the shapes of the building.
Posted 14 May 2026 09:13
Roshni P
03/03/2026

Completing Documents

In this meeting, we had quite a few documents to complete. We had an ethics application, risk assessment, project timeline and budget proposal. We divided these tasks between the group such that two to three people would work on each one. This way we were able to get the task for the week done quickly and efficiently. In our risk assessment we considered hazards that we could encounter during our weekly meetings and site visit. After that, decided what precautions we would take to keep everyone safe. Our budget included money for travel to our site, stationary and food for meetings. The ethics application was used to ensure that everyone in the group feels safe and included. Finally, the project plan outlined our next steps for the following two months.
Posted 14 May 2026 12:01
Bryanna Q
10/03/26

Feedback Discussion

After we had submitted our ethics application, risk assessment, budget proposal, and project timeline, we came together to discuss ways we could improve. We received formative feedback and our ethics application was accepted on the first try which meant we could focus on improving the rest of our submissions. Our tutor commented that everything was quite easy to read with minor setbacks that we were able to discuss and resolve in our group discussions.
Posted 14 May 2026 12:48
Bryanna Q
17/03/26

Deciding our next steps

After we submitted our applications, we began to sub-group our remaining tasks, dividing responsibilities regarding the Details, Model, Blog and IDD. Now that we were clear on our overall progress, we further updated our collaborator on our solar/thermal analysis- derived through modelling the Church
Posted 14 May 2026 12:59
Tre-Kwan M
21/04/2026

Rhino Model Development

During this week we started on developing a rhino model of the site which progressed from just a simple massing study into a detailed analysis of the site. Early stages focused on the surrounding area and massing out the local environment, understanding the building forms and site context. The final visualization uses colour mapping to analyse light demonstrating our design progression and environmental evaluation.
Posted 14 May 2026 13:18
Roshni P

29/04/2026

Site Visit

Our group went on a site visit to Rossendale. Our client, Simon Dalley, showed us around the site and pointed out key things that we need to consider. We used data loggers to take some temperature and humidity readings to understand what parts of the building need thermal improving. From our data we found that the temperature ranges from 16°C to 17°C. We noticed that the singular layers of glass and wall were not good at keeping heat inside. After identifying the weak spots in the building envelope, we were able to see what was existing there and what we would need to add and/or change to improve it. Seeing the space in person gave us an idea of what it feels like to be there. From this we realised that some spaces will require artificial lighting because they don’t receive sufficient daylight. Overall, the visit highlighted what we need to preserve (because it is a grade II listed building) and what we need to add on.
Posted 14 May 2026 14:13
Roshni P
05/05/2026

Group Call

On this day we had a quick group WhatsApp call to talk about what our next steps. We planned what we were going to do over the next ten days leading up to the presentation. Together we talked about who would take on what task so we were ready for MSA Live week. The BA1s would work on the blog while the MArch students would work on completing the publication.
Posted 14 May 2026 14:17
Bryanna Q
09/05/26

Solar Analysis

A solar analysis was undertaken to understand how sunlight interacts with the site and building. We realised that the South facing roof receives the strongest solar exposure while the North side receives less solar radiation meaning it needs extra insulation. Based on the daylight analysis, there are many indoor areas that don’t receive enough natural light and so additional artificial light is needed. The pictures uploaded show the proposed optimised lighting strategy.

Posted 14 May 2026 14:31
Roshni P
11/05/2026

MSA Live Week – Day 1

We kicked off the week by having a group catch-up. We all talked about what we have been working on over the past few weeks and what we need to complete. After that, we gave each other feedback and planned out our next steps as a group. Together, we looked at options to improve walls thermal comfort by adding insulation. While this was going on, a few members of the group worked on the publication.
Posted 14 May 2026 14:35
Bryanna Q
12/05/26

MSA Live Week - Day 2

On the second day of Intensive Week, we reviewed the information given to us by our collaborator and we realised we needed to find a solution in relation to the condition of the stone. The stone sweats, which means the existing plasterboard rots and is stripped away over time. As a group, we thought of here using high performance natural hydraulic lime mortar mixed with a lime cork insulation aggregate, which allows the stone to breathe, while providing insulation to the wall.

Posted 14 May 2026 14:39
Bryanna Q
13/05/26

MSA Live Week - Day 3

A big issue for the church was finding a good cheap option for insulation that would let the stone walls breath and not produce mold:

Option 1: recessed mortar painting into the crevices of the limestone walls.
Option 2: covering the stone walls with the mortar and insulation aggregate and carving to imitate stone.

We then decided to opt for option 1 because this solution allows the original limestone blocks to remain exposed, which may be a requirement for a listed building.
Posted 14 May 2026 14:51
Bryanna Q
14/05/26

MSA Live Week - Day 4

As we were now onto the last day before the presentation, we decided to use this day to do a final review on presentation and check for any mistakes or overlaps. We finalised the structure and content of our project and discussed the key points we wanted to verbally cover as well as assigning speaking roles to various team members.

Posted 14 May 2026 15:18