RE-FOLD.
Poster demonstrating the final render of rood terrace proposal where different lightweight papermetrics structures positioned around the site to create semi open space for the users. The render also showed the overall mood and atmosphere of the space generated from the design installation. Different size of seating treatment were also designed at the bottom of each 'tree' to create a nice environment for the users to relax.

The geometrical pattern along the pavement which was generated from the pattern of the roof structure also produced a nice and subtle circulation path along the site.

CAELI
Final Render of Group 1's project CAELI. The render displayed the area of the design where it is more enclosed with high privacy value. This is also a convertible space that could be used as a weekend outdoor theater space during the summer.

Render also demonstrated the proposed furniture design of the space and how users could interact with the space created in relation to the type of planting chosen by the designers. As seen in the render, small trees and trellis were chosen to create a more enclosed atmosphere for the area so that the users would have a space to reflect and get their mind off from the hospital setting.

FINAL PRESENTATION

All 3 groups presented at the Ronald McDonald House Charities, Manchester in the board room situated below the terrace.

The groups had one model and one poster each and took it in turns to present to Alex and Emma from AEW and Elliot who works at the Ronald McDonald House.

The 5th years introduced the project to the judging panel to recap them about the brief and introduced each group. All 3 groups had prepared a 5 minute presentation where they spoke clearly and concisely about their proposals.

Each presentation was followed by feedback from the judging panel and comments from the rest of the group. The judges were also asked if they were to take each of the proposals further, what would they look for next from the group.

The afternoon exposed the BA students to presenting to a client and gave them valuable insight to Stage 2 in a real-life project, allowing them to assess what they would have to do next.

After a difficult decision, the judges decided on a winning team, although it was a very close call. Group 1 - Caeli was the winning team and all received Easter eggs as a prize.

The 5th years also gave the collaborators Easter eggs as a thank you for working with us and gave the rest of the group cream eggs as a thank you and a well done.

AEW were asked if they would take part in 'Events' again and they said they definitely would if asked, noting that they thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

The presentation acted as an excellent way to finish the 2 weeks.

GROUP 2 - FINAL POSTER

The poster layouts work as a series of the 3 teams together showcasing the different proposals of the terrace re-design.

Group 2's poster consists of the terrace plan, showing the pavilions, landscaping and seating areas. The pictures of the model populated with people show the types of activities people are doing in those areas, as well as the light and shaded areas under the canopies. The exploded axonometric drawing showing the structure of the timber tree-like legs and waterproof membrane canopy. The render shows clearly everything brought together, as well as the atmospheres created within the terrace.

The variation in media used to convey the tree-like structure pavilion idea is contrasted with the dismal picture of the existing terrace, clearly showing the existing and proposed in an artistic way.

Group 2 should be extremely pleased with what they have produced, bringing many different skills within the group into one great idea.

Group 3 Final Model

Group 3's final model comprises of multiple pod enclosures integrated within a well thought out landscape. Each 'pod' will house a different environment catering for families, couples or individual experiences.

The materiality chosen within the model successfully showcases the lightweight nature of the structures as well as the circulation created within the landscaping.

The group used a selection of different materials to display their model. The entire model was created without the use of the workshop, showing that cheap materials and easy modelmaking skills can be used to create a presentation style model.

Group 2 User Representation:

Group 2 decided to focus on the canopy structure creating different experiences for the user underneath it. Group 2 have a vision to create a mix of private and social experiences within the pavilion.

The folded canopy roof membrane folds up and down to create these different settings. Where the roof folds down, the resident can spend time alone within the confines of the structure. With light still being able to penetrate through the membrane, this gives the resident an ambient experience.

The incorporated seating underneath the tree canopies is designed into the structure. This stepped seating creates a theatre type atmosphere with residents able to chat in a group or a couple or purely sit on their own and resonate with the environment.

The open areas of the folded canopy allow for residents to physically act more openly, encouraging more social interactions. The penetration of light in between the canopies allows for light to cast brilliant shadows on the open areas.

Group 1 User Representation:

With this project being all about the end user, the group acted out what they envisioned the user doing in each area of their pavilion.

The focus of their project is about creating a mix of social and individual spaces. For this reason they came up with 3 different areas allowing for different activities.

The planting wall can be seen as a group of individual activity, allowing residents to have their own pot and plant and maintain anything they want in them. This is an activity for the whole family, keeping their mind’s at ease and allowing them to forget about the hospital environment. This was an important part of the resident’s feedback therefore this group wanted to really push this idea.

Benches are provided for more of a social experience. These can be used for eating or chatting between families and residents. The benches also allow for informal chats to take place between families and staff at the hospital.

The cinema area is a cosy, relaxing area for residents to go and unwind at any point in the day. This cinema area can be used in the day time or the evening due to the enclosed canopy above. This area tends to be more of an individual experience due to the quiet atmosphere, allowing residents to reflect and relax.

Group 3: Kilian, Nina, Drilon, Brandon

The group came up with their final concept, taking inspiration from pods at 20 stories.

Seeing as it’s the weekend, we thought we’d post some fun activities available to anyone and everyone who wants to get involved to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities!

The charity is always finding new ways for adults, kids and companies to participate in to raise money for the development and running of the house. The 60 rooms at the house in Manchester are constantly fully booked and the charity has plans to increase the space, allowing for many more families who don’t have the chance to stay near to their children in hospital at this critical time in their life.

The house currently asks for a maximum of £25 per night if possible from residents, however this price is completely optional, allowing the residents the opportunity to stay there even if they cannot afford to pay the full amount if any. This price is based off the amount it costs to accommodate one family per night in terms of paying the staff, the food and the facilities.

One of the charitable events that took place recently involved staff from AEW climbing Mount Snowdon. All staff left Manchester at 4am to get to Wales and up to the top for lunchtime. Another charitable event AEW organised was the superhero walk to raise money for the Steve Burne’s rooms at the Ronald McDonald House. A walk was organised through Manchester with staff, friends and family dressed entirely in superhero costumer. Through their efforts, AEW Architects helped to exceed the amount of £250,000 for the charity.

The next upcoming event is the 5K Inflatable run, running from April - November. This is a fun event for children and adults to take part in, including 15 gigantic inflatable obstacles around a 5km course. The registration fee is £20 and a recommended amount of £100 per person is advised. This is a great opportunity to raise money for a brilliant charity whilst participating in a fun-filled day out on an inflatable obstacle course. Get involved!

Day 2 - Resident feedback from questionnaire

After gaining feedback from the questionnaire we handed out to the residents last week, we got some valuable answers back to help the students with their designs.

The questionnaire aimed to ask residents a number of questions. The first one asked how often they go outside and why. The feedback provided was that they didn’t go outside often due to the bad weather, therefore lots of them said they would like to see partly enclosed/partly open spaces. Another reason for wanting enclosed spaces was due to the fact that some children are not able to be exposed to direct sunlight because of their condition which was an interesting point we hadn’t anticipated.

Another question aimed at the residents asked them what kind of environment they would like to see on the roof terrace. All the feedback provided was aimed at calm, tranquil, sensory environments. This allowed us to focus on the fact that residents wanted this space to be aimed mainly at family members and not at the children themselves, providing a relaxing space where they can get away from the hospital environment.

Answers to the question about what would encourage residents to spend more time outside focussed on more seating areas for relaxation, and spaces to “get away” from the hospital environment. Many of the answers provided leaned towards not wanting views of the children’s hospital as well as masking the views from the road. Suggestions such as a water feature were also proposed to mask the noise pollution from the main road.

The answers from the questionnaire provided us with an excellent basis for the students to start designing from, essentially informing their brief. This type of user-centred design approach is particularly important to our scheme, allowing us to show the students that the end user should drive the project in this situation.

We have booked the Joule Library Classroom for the whole 2 weeks of Events. The poster provides the location of the classroom along with the email sent out the week before with a map, directions and where the 5th years will meet the students.

We will be using the classroom in the beautiful Sackville Street Building with plenty of open workspaces in the Joule library, as well as the specific classroom. This will give the students the freedom to choose their method of working whilst being in close proximity to each other.

Students have been advised to meet at 10am on Monday morning where we will run through the session plan for the 2 weeks with them, the brief, and what is expected from them. This will hopefully give the students a good insight into the project and get them excited to start a great 2 weeks.

Students have been reminded to bring their University of Manchester student ID as they will need this to access the library. They should access the building through the Vimto Park entrance and head up to Floor E where some of the 5th years will meet them to direct them to the classroom.

Today the group attended our first site meeting at the Ronald McDonald House to discuss the initial ideas for our project with the House Manager. We were informed on the type of work the Charities do worldwide and the impact they have on families.

Initially, we spoke with Mike Fairley in the Day Room of the house, allowing us to talk him through our idea following on from emails in more detail and gave us the opportunity to ask him any questions. We then talked logistics, discussing the branding and how our event can actually help promote the charity. We originally thought about asking the families in the house about what they might like to see in the terrace, however, he gave us the idea to do a questionnaire he could put under families doors, which seemed like a much less intrusive way of communicating.

We then went out to the proposed site on the terrace, taking photos and identifying initial constraints and issues, such as the busy road alongside the site, the entrances on to the terrace. We realised the terrace was much larger than we first thought, providing an optimum sized terrace for small scale outdoor pavilion design.

The session plan outlines the activities prepared for Week Two. Following on from concept design, this week will be focused on presentation. Students will produce presentation quality models within their groups using the workshop and studio space, making use of the facilities the university has to offer. Towards the end of the week, models will be finalised and an A2 poster will be put together showcasing the work produced from the previous week. The final day of Events will consist of an exhibition at the Ronald McDonald House, with each group presenting their poster and model to architects from AEW Architects and the staff involved at the House. Throughout these two weeks, students will have learnt skills in design, analysis, communication and presentation, setting them up with a wide range of skill set for future projects.

The session plan outlines the scheduled activities students will be participating in throughout the 2 weeks. Week One students will be introduced to the brief and attend a site meeting and tour of the Ronald McDonald House and terrace. As an entire group, we will run through site analysis, diagramming site features and constraints. Students will start to develop concept ideas, using sketches, diagrams and paper and card sketch models to produce initial designs. A meeting with members from AEW architects will give students an opportunity to get feedback on their concept designs in order to develop their proposals further. Emphasis this week will be on developing new skills through sketching and visual representation.

Meet the group: Emily Fettes