25.06.2026 - Chapter 04
Sheerness Dockyard Church with Robert Songhurst

Following on from the success of our opening event of the year in March, we are pleased to announce the next instalment in the series, where we will be hosting Robert Songhurst of Hugh Broughton Architects, presenting HBA’s award winning Sheerness Dockyards Church on the Isle of Sheppey.

The Grade II* listed building had stood as a gutted ruin following a devastating fire in 2001, and was meticulously restored across 7 years into a resource for the community - and is now home to a thriving co-working and events space. The project was awarded the 2025 RIBA Reinvention Award for best adaptation of an existing building in the UK.

Location: Emmeline Café, Spike Island Artspace Limited, 133 Cumberland Road, Bristol, BS1 6UX
Date: Thursday 25th June 2026
Time: Doors open from 18:00.
Talk starts 18:30
Entry is free, but booking is essential – www.cwa-chapter.eventbrite.co.uk
Sign up, turn up, grab a drink, and be part of the conversation.

26.03.2026 - Chapter 03
Archive Audio, Urbanism & Psychogeography with J. Wilgoose Esq.

A fantastic presentation at last night’s Chapter event, where we were delighted to be joined by J. Wilgoose Esq of Public Service Broadcasting - discussing found fragments, sense of place and recontextualising historic narratives in contemporary settings. It was so refreshing to hear these themes presented from a new perspective outside of architecture.

Thanks to everyone who joined us for the talk and the engaging Q&A afterwards, thanks to Emmeline for the venue and support, and thanks again to J for being such a fantastic guest speaker.
Stay tuned to CWa socials for news on the next chapter event in a few months time.

30.09.2025 - Chapter 02
St Mary Paddington and Leech Pottery St.Ives with Biba Dow and Alun Jones

Tuesday evening saw the second installment of CWa’s Chapter talks, and we were delighted to be joined by Alun and Biba of Dow Jones Architects who presented some of their recent works, and their approach to working with existing buildings and the cultural context of highly significant public sites.

Thanks to everyone who joined us at Spike Island Art Centre, there was a great atmosphere of sharing inspiration and ideas – and some great questions posed by the audience. Thanks too to Emmeline café for providing a great space for us to gather together.

We have some exciting guest speakers in the pipeline for Chapter #3. Stay tuned for details about our next event and more exciting things to come! Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn

03.04.2025 - Chapter 01
Arrested Decay at Alexandra Palace with Matt Somerville

Thanks to everyone who joined us at Spike Island Artspace Limited for the launch of Chapter! It was a pleasure to welcome friends old and new for an evening of discussion around one of the UK’s most compelling adaptive reuse projects.

Matt Somerville shared thoughtful reflections on Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios’ refurbishment of Alexandra Palace, particularly the delicate balancing act of preserving the Victorian auditorium in its state of arrested decay. His talk sparked engaging conversation around both the technical and philosophical challenges of working with historic structures, exactly the kind of dialogue Chapter aims to foster. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn to hear first about the next Chapter event, coming later this summer.

17.02.2025 - Announcing Chapter

Connolly Wellingham Architects has launched ‘Chapter’ – a new architecture talk series for 2025 focused on creative reuse and adaptation.

Each session will invite an Architect to present a single project, with a deep dive from the site history and overarching narratives, down to the intricacies of individual interventions, on some of the UK's most important buildings - those that already exist.

Join us for events celebrating the art of giving new life to existing structures, showcasing the creativity, innovation, and craft behind some of the most impactful reuse projects of recent years.

Whether you’re an architect, a design professional, or simply curious about how spaces can evolve and endure; this event promises inspiration, insight and forum for discussion – bringing together a like-minded community with a reuse-first agenda.

Let’s explore how architecture continues to write its story, one transformative chapter at a time.

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