Fairly chuffed as I got my first choice for the topic I want to research- long span structures in historic buildings. The idea being that I'm reintroducing a roof as an intervening structure on a ruined abbey.

So far, I'm super excited- especially about timber. I want to emulate the tall slenderness of trees and pick up on historical detailing. So, contemporary structural engineering (fairly complex stuff) but in a considered stlye. Here are some ideas:

Norwich refrectory in the cathedral. Oak laminate roof structure.
Koldinghus Amazingly tall independent structure.

So those are two ideas. I'll probably use glulam and make something akin to this:
glulam

except as a cantilevered gothic arch over the central nave and a slender arch over the side nave.. I'll keep you posted.