For church renewal call Mark Newall

For church renewal call Mark Newall

One of the UK’s leading practices in church and community design has expanded with a new base in north London to support its growing portfolio of ecclesiastical projects.

BCHN Architects, based in Shrewsbury, has a long track record of delivering transformational projects for churches across the UK. Director Mark Newall now spends much of the week in London or on site, while the Shrewsbury office remains the practice’s headquarters. The move reflects BCHN’s commitment to being close to the congregations and communities it serves.

For more than six years, BCHN has also been a regular exhibitor at CRE – a platform that has led to a wealth of new relationships and successful projects. These include new churches, extensions and restorations in Towcester, Newport Pagnell, Wanstead, Aintree, Walsall and Northampton, each developed using BCHN’s five-step collaborative process that ensures congregations are involved at every stage.

Recent milestones include the completion of Phase 1 of the Tove Valley Centre in Towcester, the restoration of Aldersbrook Baptist Church in Wanstead and planning approval for Aintree Baptist Church.

Designs are also advancing at Newport Pagnell, WalsallandNorthampton, with projects that combine modern worship spaces with community facilities such as cafés, meeting rooms, foodbanks and activity halls.

‘Our new base in London allows us to be closer to a growing number of church clients in the south-east while continuing to serve communities nationwide from our Shrewsbury office,’ said Mark. ‘CRE has been instrumental in building those connections – helping us develop projects that balance vision with practicality and design with community ownership. We’re excited to meet more churches at this year’s exhibition and explore the next generation of transformational projects.’

• BCHN Architects are on stand R2 at CRE 25

Photos: Aintree Baptist and Junction 10, Walsall. Both church development projects were secured after meetings at CRE

CRE 2025

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