Purcell - Faith Brochure

Architects, Masterplanners, Heritage Consultants

Faith

Reimagining Heritage, we craft sustainable futures for places of worship and the communities they serve.

Ely Cathedral, Cambridgeshire Purcell provided over 50 years of dedicated care to Ely Cathedral, beginning with the appointment of our founder, Donovan Purcell, as Cathedral Architect in 1960.

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C ON T E N TS

Ingrained in Community 07 Net Zero & Decarbonisation 13 Funding Expertise 19 Conservation Management Plans 25 Adaptive Reuse 31 Accessibility & Modernisation 37 Masterplanning 43 About Purcell 49 4

John Wesley’s New Room, Bristol John Wesley’s New Room is the oldest purpose-built Methodist building in the world. We were engaged to transform an underused courtyard within the site into a multi-purpose extension of the Grade I listed building.

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FAITH

Caring for the places of worship that serve our communities is fundamental to our ethos.

Purcell is an international practice of Architects, Masterplanners, and Heritage Consultants. Since 1947, we have been leading exemplary projects to protect, enhance and evolve the world’s most significant historic places and listed buildings. Our specialist teams have extensive knowledge and experience of maximising opportunities to renew and redevelop heritage assets of all scales and complexities, from internationally important World Heritage Sites and Grade I listed historic houses to country houses and rural estates in private ownership.

Since our founder Donovan Purcell was appointed Surveyor of the Fabric at Ely Cathedral in 1960, our practice has built an enduring reputation for understanding the unique needs and opportunities that come with working on sacred buildings.

This expertise has been passed through generations of our architects, who understand both the specific needs and significance of these buildings.

We work with all faith groups and denominations, delivering projects that range in scale from sensitive repair works to largescale reorders and development projects. Our approach brings together a deep respect for the historic and spiritual value of these buildings with a clear understanding of their evolving roles within contemporary communities. This continuity of expertise ensures that we are well placed to support faith clients as they steward their buildings for the future.

Jo Deeming Head of Faith Sector at Purcell

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Ingrained in Community

M OON GAT E AT PAK TAI T E MP LE , C H E UN G C HAU

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FAITH / INGRAINED IN COMMUNITY

Central to our approach is a commitment to building strong, collaborative relationships with our clients and stakeholders.

For over 75 years, we have helped places of worship and heritage organisations innovate with confidence — reimagining historic buildings to improve access, sustainability, and visitor experience. We bring leading heritage expertise, excellence in design, and proven experience in caring for world-class places of worship.

Central to our approach is a commitment to building strong, collaborative relationships with our clients and stakeholders. We take time to understand each place of worship’s mission, values, and aspirations, ensuring the buildings continue to serve both their communities and spiritual purposes. Our local presence enables us to engage deeply with the communities we serve, while our standing as a leading global practice in conservation and heritage ensures we bring the highest level of expertise to every project.

This expertise is reflected in our involvement with many of the UK and Asia Pacific’s national and regional regulatory and advisory panels, including the Church Buildings Council, Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England, Diocesan Advisory Committees, the Uniting Church in Australia, and the Chinese Temples Committee. Through these roles, we support the future of faith buildings while staying connected to the communities they serve.

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FAITH / INGRAINED IN COMMUNITY

Chinese Temples Committee Hong Kong, UK

A conservation strategy for 24 historic Chinese temples Established in 1928 under the Chinese Temples Ordinance (Chapter 153), Chinese Temples Committee (CTC) is a statutory body overseeing the operation and management of 24 Chinese Temples in Hong Kong.

Comprising four declared monuments, and another 17 graded historic buildings, these are some of Hong Kong’s most important surviving Chinese Temples.

As appointed Heritage Consultants, through literature review, field study, and aerial study, we produced a Statement of Significance and a Schedule of Character Defining Elements for all 24 temples, defining the value and significance of each site. We also developed comprehensive conservation policies and guidelines to ensure that any future change is managed against a conservation framework, guiding future repair and maintenance works, safeguarding the temples’ sustainable future.

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“The care of Hong Kong’s heritage remains an ongoing education.

It’s of vital importance to maintain the momentum in Hong Kong to retain and preserve heritage. Our process involves conducting extensive research into the cultural and historical context of a building, to empower the decision-making process such that all future change can be managed positively, but sensitively.”

STE VE PHILLIPS, PART N E R & H ON G KON G ST U D IO L EA D, PUR C EL L

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Net Zero & Decarbonisation

SALFORD CAT H E D RAL

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FAITH / NET ZERO & DECARBONISATION

We support faith organisations in achieving their decarbonisation and net zero ambitions through informed, strategic, and technically robust guidance.

Faith and the natural world go hand in hand. We support faith organisations in achieving their decarbonisation and net zero ambitions through informed, strategic, and technically robust guidance. We strongly believe heritage buildings should not be seen as a barrier to a sustainable and equitable future. In recognition of this, we have been at the forefront of delivering pioneering research and guidance for energy efficiency retrofits in heritage buildings. By combining our heritage and sustainability expertise, we deliver practical and innovative solutions that balance conservation with climate responsibility.

We contribute specialist expertise to help clients plan, prioritise, and implement effective carbon reduction measures. Our teams are actively delivering net zero carbon projects across a wide range of ecclesiastical estates, including those of the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church, as well as projects funded by the Church of England’s Demonstrator Churches fund.

Through this work, we assist faith communities in meeting the Church of England’s Net Zero Carbon 2030 target and in ensuring that their buildings remain sustainable, resilient, and fit for future generations.

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FAITH / NET ZERO & DECARBONISATION

Salford Cathedral Salford, UK

The greenest cathedral in the UK The Restoring the Glory project at Salford Cathedral has seen the sensitive restoration and renewal of one of Greater Manchester’s most significant Grade II listed buildings, helping to secure its long-term future and support its ambition to become the most carbon-neutral cathedral in the country.

Purcell led a complex multidisciplinary team and closely collaborated with conservation specialists to deliver a comprehensive programme of conservation repairs.

Works included restoring the cathedral’s exterior, repairs to all historic stained-glass windows, interior redecoration, reinstated historic fixtures and fittings, bespoke furniture installation, as well as addressing long-term structural and fabric condition issues. The project also discreetly reserviced the building, introducing underfloor heating and a new lighting scheme throughout, further supporting its ambitions to become the UK’s most sustainable cathedral.

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“ This project afforded us the opportunity to not only make vital repairs and restore the sacred ambience of our cathedral church, but it has allowed us to adapt the cathedral for our growing parish community and to incorporate modern and sustainable features and technologies to provide an inspiring place of worship for generations to come.””

R E V CANON M ICHAEL JON E S , D E AN OF SALFORD CAT HEDR A L

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Funding Expertise

ABBE Y OF ST E D MU N D, BU RY

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FAITH / FUNDING EXPERTISE

In 2025, we helped our clients to secure over £75m from various funders, including £33m+ from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The nature of regeneration through rescuing and repurposing historic buildings and places can be a catalyst for creativity and much of our work interfaces with charitiable foundations, community groups, and those managing unique yet perhaps underused historic assets.

We are adept at providing comprehensive guidance to clients as they navigate the complexities of funding, future use strategies, and long-term sustainability. Our team has an established record of preparing and supporting successful funding applications, ensuring that each project is positioned to attract the investment necessary to safeguard and enhance its continued contribution to the community.

Successful relationships with funding bodies can last decades, with benefits for communities far beyond the delivery of capital projects. Our experience supporting development plans for funding will help you tune your project aspirations to form long-lasting partnerships.

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FAITH / FUNDING EXPERTISE

Abbey of St Edmund, Bury Suffolk, UK

Funding a new future for the Abbey of Bury St Edmund The Abbey of St Edmund, Reborn project is a transformative heritage initiative designed to reunify the fragmented 60acre site, creating a coherent, accessible and sustainable cultural destination. Led by St Edmundsbury Cathedral in partnership with West Suffolk Council and English Heritage, the project is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

At the heart of the proposals is a new visitor centre within the Cathedral precinct, designed as a welcoming gateway to the Abbey grounds. Purcell is architect and lead consultant, coordinating a multidisciplinary design team to deliver the vision. The wider scheme includes conservation of the Abbey ruins, ecological and biodiversity enhancements, and improved accessibility.

With planning consents now secured, the project is set to transform the Abbey precinct into a connected and vibrant cultural hub, bringing together history, community and nature in the heart of Bury St Edmunds for generations to come.

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“We have been working with an incredible team of specialists for around 18 months to bring us to this point, especially conservation architects Purcell and interpretation designers RFA Design.”

TH E VERY REV EREN D JOE H AW E S , D E AN , ST E D M UN DS B URY

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Conservation Management Plans

CAN T E RBU RY CAT H E D RAL, K EN T

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FAITH / CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT PLANS

Inspired by a deep understanding of context, we craft the identity of the unique places in which we work by cherishing their heritage.

Historic places of worship have adapted over generations to meet the needs of the communities they serve. As living buildings, they must continue to change, evolve, and be enhanced.

Meaningful change relies on a clear, well-defined statement of need and a deep understanding of a building’s significance. Our architects and surveyors bring extensive experience working with faith groups, helping to shape their briefs while fostering long-standing relationships within the wider community. Our approach is to balance preservation with progress, creating uplifting architecture that inspires joy and a sense of place.

In occupied environments, delivering flexible, discreet solutions with minimal disruption is often required. We combine a commitment to traditional craft skills with advanced surveying techniques, heritage expertise, and effective space planning to support the efficient and sustainable management of faith buildings over generations.

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FAITH / CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT PLANS

Canterbury Cathedral Kent, UK

Three decades of craft, conservation and continuity For over 30 years, we have supported the Surveyor to the Fabric of Canterbury Cathedral. Our partnership has covered a wide array of works, from forecasting and overseeing planned preventative maintenance to implementing transformative conservation and development works. Working with the Cathedral’s in-house crafts and conservation teams, we have delivered awardwinning work to many areas of the Cathedral’s fabric.

This has included the meticulous restoration of the 12th century Corona Chapel, the rebuilding of the 15th century Great South Window, re-roofing and repair of the vaults, as well as one of the first underfloor heating conversions to a Grade I listed Cathedral, which we pioneered back in 1992. In all of our activities, we support the Surveyor to the Fabric’s guiding principle of ‘as much as necessary, as little as possible’.

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“Purcell is proactive in their due diligence and approach to projects, but also responsive in the need for flexibility allowing them to adapt to situations and issues as they arise, which is a common occurrence when working on heritage buildings of this nature.

The documentation they produce in support of the project, whether for planning purposes, or as documentary records of works for the archive, is second to none.”

MARK HOSEA, (NOW FORMER) PROJECT DIRECTOR, THE CANTERBURY JOURNEY

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SELECT AWARDS

RICS South East: Building Conservation Award Won 2018 Natural Stone Awards Won 2018

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Adaptive Reuse

M U N I ARTS C E N T RE (Y MU N I), P ON T Y PR I DD

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FAITH / ADAPTIVE REUSE

By championing innovation rooted in heritage, Purcell helps faith buildings thrive for generations.

Retrofitting faith buildings offers an important opportunity to secure their long-term relevance while supporting a more sustainable and equitable future. Heritage assets need not be viewed as constraints; rather, they hold significant potential for sensitive adaptation and renewed community value.

Our work focuses on identifying appropriate and sustainable ways to unlock this potential—whether through the reuse of underutilised spaces, or by preparing buildings for new functions where change of use is required. We help faith buildings adapt with integrity, ensuring they remain viable and meaningful in the present as well as the future.

Our in-house specialists in architecture, heritage consultancy, surveying, sustainability, masterplanning and regulatory compliance work as one team, allowing us to understand each site’s unique history, condition, performance and potential. We see ourselves as creative stewards, balancing continuity with evolution. Working holistically helps our clients navigate statutory processes, develop long-term strategies, future-proof their buildings, manage risk and make targeted, informed decisions.

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FAITH / ADAPTIVE REUSE

The Muni Arts Centre (Y Muni) Pontypridd, Wales, UK

From vacant chapel to vibrant cultural hub Prominently located in Pontypridd town centre, this previously vacant, Grade II listed, former Wesleyan Chapel has been thoughtfully transformed into a vibrant, future-proofed arts venue. Originally converted to an arts centre in the 1980s, the building had deteriorated due to a lack of investment and had been falling into disrepair following its closure in 2014.

The client’s brief was to re-establish the building as a cultural anchor for the town — an inclusive, accessible, high-performing venue that celebrates Pontypridd’s identity while adapting to modern needs and technologies. The design team, led by Purcell as lead architect, exceeded this brief through a sensitive yet ambitious approach that enhances the building’s function, visibility, and civic presence.

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AWARDS

AJ Architecture Awards: Community & Faith Project Highly Commended 2025 Civic Trust Awards Regional Finalist 2025

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“Purcell’s vision was very good, and the quality of design was exactly what we were looking for. Awen are delighted with the end result which is very close to the original drawing.

Awen now enjoy a fantastic building that has the ‘wow’ factor compared to before with improved accessibility and key features retained.’’

MARK PHILLIPS, HEAD OF INFRASTRUCTURE & INNOVATION, AWEN CULTURAL TRUST

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Accessibility & Modernisation

N E WCAST LE CAT H E D RAL

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FAITH / ACCESSIBILITY & MODERNISATION

Optimising access is the key to safeguarding historic buildings for future generations.

Creating truly inclusive places of worship requires more than meeting accessibility standards. We work with clients to ensure that historic buildings can be accessed, understood and enjoyed by everyone, regardless of age, ability or circumstance.

Our approach combines sensitive adaptation of historic fabric with carefully considered design interventions.

Whether we are creating new entrances, lifts, ramps and accessible facilities, enhancing wayfinding through colour, texture and clear spatial organisation, or introducing technology that supports neurodiverse and sensory-impaired users, each intervention is tailored to the needs of the building and its community.

Together, these improvements create flexible environments that support a wide range of worship, community and cultural activities, while ensuring that every part of the building can be accessed, used and exited safely by all.

Achieving this within highly sensitive historic environments means navigating a path between intervention, conservation, preservation, planetary survival and accessibility, and we are frequently at the frontier of finding the least intrusive solutions to our clients’ needs.

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FAITH / ACCESSIBILITY & MODERNISATION

Newcastle Cathedral Newcastle, UK

Sensitive, sustainable solutions for a sacred civic place The restoration and renewal of Grade I listed Newcastle Cathedral has delivered a civic and sacred space fit for the 21st century and beyond, underpinned by sustainable interventions and an expert understanding of its historical and social significance.

We developed a Conservation Management Plan to identify key heritage elements and opportunities for thoughtful change. This framework supported essential works to futureproof the cathedral with minimal impact to its historic fabric.

Key interventions include the introduction of step-free access, new lift and visitor facilities, and the reconfiguration of the nave to support a wider range of activities and events. Sustainably sourced, underfloor heating was also installed beneath the reconfigured nave floor, making Newcastle Cathedral among the first Grade I listed cathedrals to adopt the technology. The result is an inclusive, flexible, and sustainable Cathedral, ready to serve cultural, civic, and religious life at the heart of the city.

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SELECT AWARDS

RIBA North East Won 2023 AJ Retrofit: Cultural and Religious Buildings Shortlisted 2023 Construction Excellence North East: Conservation/Regeneration Shortlisted 2021

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Masterplanning

W IN C H E ST E R CAT H E D RAL

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FAITH / MASTERPLANNING

Our masterplans recognise the uniqueness of every site, and focus on envisioning their sustainable future in a changing world.

Taking a long-term, holistic view of each site, we safeguard the historic value of existing buildings and places while enabling them to adapt to meet evolving patterns of use, society and environmental pressures.

By carefully analysing how these buildings and spaces are used through conservation management plans, condition surveys, maintenance strategies and quinquennial inspections, we build a detailed understanding of each site and identify opportunities for new income‑generating uses that strengthen financial resilience, increase flexibility and support future needs.

Conservation architecture is often about more than restoring the fabric of a building and can be instrumental in shaping the identity and spirit of a community. Working closely with our clients, we develop practical and achievable masterplans that provide the framework for sustainable stewardship, maximise the potential of historic buildings and places, and deliver meaningful change for those who live in, work in and visit them. By aligning conservation priorities with community benefit, these strategies help attract support, unlock funding and secure long-term resilience.

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FAITH / MASTERPLANNING

Winchester Cathedral Hampshire, UK

Conservation, stewardship and strategic estate planning Purcell has worked with Winchester Cathedral since 2021 when Associate Architect and Faith Sector Lead Charlotte Robinson became Cathedral Architect. Under her leadership, our team has developed a comprehensive estate masterplan with a decarbonisation strategy and feasibility studies for future development across the Cathedral and its wider historic estate.

The Cathedral precinct forms the Scheduled Ancient Monument of the Close, with most buildings listed Grade I or II*. Conservation and improvement projects have included precinct wall repairs, rainwater goods upgrades, residential roofing works, landscaping enhancements and a long‑term programme of external masonry conservation, including the phased conservation of the South Nave Aisle masonry and stained glass.

Across all projects, we deliver sensitive, carefully considered conservation that safeguards the Cathedral precinct’s significance while supporting its long‑term resilience and sustainable future.

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“The Purcell team have been unfailingly professional, act with consistent integrity, they are attentive to our needs as client, responsive and willing to challenge us when necessary.

Purcell is cognisant of our financial constraints and seek to find pragmatic solutions when necessary.

Not least, our staff respect and enjoy strong relationships with everyone from Purcell.”

ALISON EVANS, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL

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About Purcell

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FAITH / ABOUT PURCELL

Purcell is an international practice of Architects, Masterplanners, and Heritage Consultants.

Since 1947, we have been leading exemplary projects to protect, enhance, and evolve the world’s most significant historic places and listed buildings. Inspired by a deep understanding of context, we craft the identity of the unique places in which we work by cherishing their heritage. Today we are a team of over 350 in studios across the UK and Asia Pacific.

With a spirit that is genuinely innovative and collaborative, we are focused on planet-positive design, championing adaptive reuse of our existing built environment over new construction. We pioneer a conservation-led approach that celebrates our past and responsibly considers the legacy we will leave for future generations. Reimagining heritage in new ways, we work to facilitate positive change for our clients, communities, and wider society by shaping vital, inclusive, and joyful spaces where people can belong.

We are proud to be a Certified B Corporation®, ranked No.1 for Heritage in the World Architecture 100, and recognised for creating places that celebrate heritage while making space for new stories to unfold.

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Temple Church, London We were commissioned by the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple to develop a masterplan with the strategic objectives of restoring the West Door, improving accessibility and the visitor offer, and creating world-class Song School facilities.

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£75m+ secured in funding in 2025

No. 1 for Heritage Architecture in Building Design’s World Architecture 100

20+ RIBA Awards in the last five years including two Stirling Prize shortlists 52

info@purcelluk.com +44 (0) 20 7379 7171 purcellarchitecture.com

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WEST

Jonathan Deeming

Charlotte Robinson

Regional Partner & Head of Faith Sector

Associate Architect

BArch (Hons) DipArch MArch RIBA SCA AABC jonathan.deeming@purcelluk.com +44 (0) 7919 300 424 +44 (0) 1904 644 001

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BA (Hons) MPhil RIBA AABC charlotte.robinson@purcelluk.com +44 (0) 1865 807 111

LONDON & SOU TH-E AST

ASIA PACIFIC

Jennifer Bennell Associate

Steve Phillips Partner

MArch PGDIP RIBA

BA (Hons) IntArch MA DipArch RIBA HKICON

jennifer.bennell@purcelluk.com +44 (0) 7980 972 501 +44 (0) 122 747 5375

steve.phillips@purcellhk.com +852 5362 3244 +852 2164 4088