Group 03
WOAH - POD

We are POD – an events20 team working collaboratively with WOAH (MMU student led initiative) and Cornerstone (Homeless charity) to develop an exciting alternative to the existing PODs on offer to charities around the Manchester area. We will conduct a design charette with Cornerstone to develop our scheme. This will then be presented back to them alongside the creation of the publication

Sandra Ioana R / Sara H / Raluca S

Raluca S
We are a team of six 5th year MArch students working together with WOAH, a non-profit student-led initiative for Events 2020!

 Callum Plumb
Atelier: Praxxis| Undergrad: UCA Canterbury| Part I: KSR Architects
Callum loves a concept and is a firm believer in participatory design. He can show you how to use Photoshop and 3D modelling software, such as Rhino. Callum also loves making models and prepping speeches.

 Ka Wong
Atelier: LuLu| Undergrad: University of California | Part I: Arup; Fujimoto
Ka has knowledge in structure and material, civil and structural engineering.

 Panagiotis Kapositas
Atelier: LuLu| Undergrad: Polytechnical University of Budapest; University of Liverpool | Part I: Aris Architects
Quite fanatic about 3d Visualizations as he experienced 1 ½ years in both Greek and English architectural companies specializing in photorealistic renders.

 Raluca Sisu
Atelier: Praxxis| Undergrad: MSA| Part I: Chapman Taylor
Raluca is equally enthusiastic about both concept and technical design; she is a big fan of working with a wide range of computer media, from Adobe Creative Suite to BIM (Revit).

 Sandra Rotarescu
Atelier: Praxxis| Undergrad: University of Huddersfield| Part I: Dico&Tiganas
Days off are mythical and forgotten thing for our colleague Sandra! A lovely creative mind yet always methodical and analytical in practice. Legend has it that she lived at the studio for 45 days straight.

 Sara Hakkou
Atelier: Praxxis| Undergrad: University of Montreal |
A big fan of artistic collages and pretty graphics, she will help you realize diagrams that project your personality and imagination using different 3D and 2D software like AutoCAD, SketchUp, and Illustrator.

Posted 9 Mar 2020 16:24
Sara H
Precedent 1:

Homed is a new type of temporary housing in New York City by Creative agency Framlab.

It comprises partly 3D-printed hexagonal pods that use scaffolding to attach to the sides of unused, windowless building facades. The modular units could be easily customized for different uses and transported from site to site.

The main approach is to offer a practical and aesthetic option in a very dense city. To maximize space, the proposal develops on a vertical axis, in a shape very similar to a honeycomb.

Homed’s hexagon-shaped housing modules could form temporary micro-neighborhoods and a type of private and attractive housing that most shelters are unable to provide.
The flexibility of the modules allows a wide array of uses that include sleeping, showering, and socializing.

Each aluminum-framed pod features interior modules 3D printed from recyclable bioplastics and clad with wood laminate. PMMA smart glass lets in ample natural light, while the layer of thin-film diodes provide privacy and can be used to depict artwork or commercial content on the outside.
Posted 20 Mar 2020 21:19
Sara H
Precedent 2:

Street tree Pods is a treehouse to provide starter homes on London, designed by Matthew Chamberlain.

"Street Tree Pods seeks to offer a fresh insight into urbanisation and community living within London, tackling and challenging both the current housing crisis and the growing pollution issues within the city," explained Chamberlain.

Taking up the same amount of space as a single car-parking bay, each structure would offer short-term accommodation to a single occupant. It can be occupied by students, young professionals and first-time buyers, or to homeless people.
"It is not enough to simply move it out of the way for our architectural interventions. Trees are imperative to the success, health and wellbeing of all people and only ever provide advantages to our quality and way of life."
Posted 20 Mar 2020 21:20
Sara H
Precedent 3:

Dome sleeping unit is a modular sleeping POD in Los Angeles, designed by architecture firm Perkins and Will.
The unit was designed by Perkins and Will's LA studio in response to a city initiative called A Bridge Home, which is focused on creating emergency shelter for homeless residents.
The Dome system responds to "the urgent need for specialised furnishings that can be rapidly deployed at a low cost", said Perkins and Will in a project statement.
Each contains a lockable wardrobe, a standard power outlet, and a frame for a twin bed. An optional fabric canopy can be used to cover openings, helping increase privacy.

Solid surface panels and Birch plywood for the wardrobe door are used as materiality.
"Solid surface is low maintenance and resists scratching, while wood accents give the unit a residential character," the team said.
Posted 20 Mar 2020 21:22
Sandra Ioana R
WOAH (Without A Home) is a student-run initiative, based in Manchester School of Architecture, addressing the homelessness crisis in Manchester from an architectural point of view. The primary focus of WOAH is to raise awareness and provide solutions to people without a home. Currently, there is an exploration of the potential of WikiHouse designs, working on a project that allows the public to experience what it’s like to be homeless. WOAH has also teamed up with an MSA Events group, to tackle further issues and try and coordinate a masterplan for places and service people can go for help.

architecture:unknown believes design and construction should be an inclusive dialogue where everyone takes part, one where architecture becomes more than just the route to a building and create social connections where none previously existed as people construct a shared understanding of place. They use their expertise to enable both the clients and local communities to emotionally invest in design and promote Wiki House as a platform for people to collaborate in construction. Both Charlie and Daniel love helping people benefit from this approach; it is their purpose, their profession and their passion. They are enthusiastic to come share their knowledge, tips and tricks for both BA students and MA students to benefit from.

Website: https://www.architectureunknown.co.uk/

Let’s hope that together we can remove the stigma around homelessness and ensure we do our best to help those without a home!
Posted 21 Mar 2020 15:39
Sandra Ioana R
Posted 21 Mar 2020 17:12
Sandra Ioana R
Posted 21 Mar 2020 17:13
Sandra Ioana R
THE AIM!

A Design Charrette is a collaborative inclusive, hands-on workshop that brings people from different disciplines and backgrounds together with members of the community to explore design options for a particular area. It differs from a traditional community consultation process in that it is design based.

Our workshop will be to design a POD for us to then develop the idea as part of our Events20 module. A publication will be created and will be presented to you. Budget limits us to a theoretical project but in previous years, some have come to fruition after the event is over.
Posted 21 Mar 2020 17:13
Sandra Ioana R
The skills that will be acquired over EVENTS20 will include exposure to 4 main components to a successfully modern day architect. Modelling softwares, Adobe Creative suite, presentation skills and model making.

2D and 3D softwares, CAD is the grandfather of it all and is mainly used for 2D design. Revit is where the commercial architectural world is heading with many consultants embracing it, allows for an easier workflow. Rhino is a complex yet simple 3D modelling software. You aren't subject to planar extruding and is considered the program to use for complex shapes. Sketchup is Google addition to the modelling world. Simple, intuitive and effective.

The Adobe Creative Suite has been instrumental in the graphics world and an architect nowadays needs a graphic eye. Photoshop is how you transform one of Cinderella’s ugly sisters into Cinderella. Illustrator is a vector based and the fairy godmother for your line weights. InDesign is the pumpkin coach that will allow you to compile your presentation. Touch ups, text and all the good stuff that will get you ready for the ball.
Presentation are key to securing clients and selling your idea. A very underrated skill amongst us students, not only should the work do the talking but you should guide them through the narrative. Simple preparation techniques are there and available, we will just guide you.

Model making is now a lost art amongst architects as many practices can easily outsource companies to do it for them. There has been a disconnection between designing through model making within our current technologically driven society. A model should be more than a selling pitch, there should be a story. We want to know how you got here.
Posted 21 Mar 2020 17:20
Sandra Ioana R
The figures for Manchester rough sleeping had increased to 123 in 2018, from 94 in 2017. Of those 123 sleeping rough 95 were male, 23 female and 5 were listed as ‘Gender not known’. The number of females counted in 2017 was 14, so the figure of 23 this year represents a 64% increase in females counted. The number of young people (18-25) counted on the streets also saw a rise to 12 in 2018, from 5 in 2017, which is a 140% rise.
The rough sleepers count is widely regarded by homelessness organisations as inadequate, due to it being perceived as severely under counting the problem. Greater Manchester’s (GM) strategic lead for homelessness Mike Wright criticised the street count last August, when the street count was 278 for GM and the mayoral Bed Every Night scheme had recorded much higher figures:
“We always knew the annual rough sleeper count was a blunt instrument…You may have someone who has been on the streets for 364 nights a year but found a bed that one night and they don’t count on the statistics. Now we know that there are at least 500 people regularly rough sleeping in our region.”
Andy Burnham’s campaign to end street homelessness, is helping homeless people find shelter (see previous Meteor report), but whether he achieves his campaign pledge of ending street homelessness in GM by 2020 remains to be seen. Similarly Manchester City Council’s Big Change scheme is helping people of the street, but their recent billboard campaign seen across the city claiming to be ‘Ending Homelessness’ in Manchester, rings hollow with the release of these latest statistics.
Posted 21 Mar 2020 18:59
Sandra Ioana R
Approximately 5,564 people are homeless across Greater Manchester; 1,804 of these individuals are in Manchester and 1,088 are in Salford. Some of these homeless people are living either on the street or in temporary accommodations.

A variety of evictions and repossessions are also included in homelessness main problems. This problem is highest in Manchester and Salford, with approximately 1 in 62 households are at risk of this problem.

Manchester City Centre is the main pinpoint where all these homeless people can be noticed, sleeping in doorways and under flyovers, making it an ordinary sight for the civilians of Manchester. Homelessness in Manchester City Centre has dramatically increased over the past 5 years. There are more people accessing the support offered by daily services, such as the Booth Centre, Mustard Tree and Cornerstone.
Posted 22 Mar 2020 19:21
Sandra Ioana R
1. manchester is the second city of 510,000 people .
2. it has an area of 115.6 km2.
3. there is around 130,000 houses in the city, 19000 of
them are empty.
4. IT IS at least £3 billion worth of properties are
unoccupied in the region.
5. The average value of a low use home in Manchester
is £135,058, WHICH IS 8% higher than the average
property value of £125,274.
6. campaigners are asking the council to build more
affordable social housing.
7. we are working with cornerstone on an used land
owned by the manchester city council, TO DEVELOP
AFFORDABLE, CHEAP AND RELIABLE HOUSING.
Posted 23 Mar 2020 11:40
Sandra Ioana R
CORNERSTONE
1. CORNERSTONE IS PART OF CARITAS DIOCESE OF SALFORD.
2. IT DEDICATES TO HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE AND FAMILIES.
3. THEY AIM AT PROVIDE A SERVICE THAT ENHANCES THEIR QUALIT OF LIFE
4. THEY BRING TOGETHER PEOPLE FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS.
5. THEY WELCOMES PEOPLE FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS AND OPERATES A POLICY OF NON-DISCRIMINATION.


SHELTER
1. SHELTER GIVES SUPPORT & LEGAL SERVICES TO HOMELESS.
2. THEY PROVIDE FACE TO FACE SERVICES FOR HELP.
3. THEY ARE PROVIDING EMERGENCY HELPLINE OPENS 365 DAYS A YEAR TO SUPPORT WHO FACE HOUSING CRISIS.
4. THEY PROVIDE ONLINE SUPPORT FOR EXPERT INFORMATION.
5. THEY ALSO PROVIDE FREE LEGAL ADVICES AND ATTEND COURT TO HELP PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR HOMES.


CITIZEN’S ADVICE
1. CITIZEN’S PROVIDE CONSULTATION SERVICE FOR HOMLESS.
2. THEY DO NOT MAKE DECISION FOR CLIENT, BUT ENCOURAGE THEM TO MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS.
3. THEY CAN HELP IN HOMELESSNESS.
4. THEY HELPS WHEN THERE IS SERIOUS HOUSING DISREPAIR WITH RISK TO HEALTH
5. THEY ALSO HELPS AGAINST ANTI SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR.


CENTREPOINT
1. UK’S LEADING YOUTH HOMELESSNESS CHARITY.
2. NOW THEY ARE SPECIFICLY TARGETING THE DIFFICULT SITUATION CAUSED BY CORONAVIRUS.
3. THEY AIM AT HELPING VULNERABLE YOUNG PEOPLE.
4. HOMELESS PEOPLE OFTEN FACE RISK OF SAFETY WHEN THEY SLEEP IN THE STREET OR ON A BUS, FACING PHYSICAL AND MENTAL BREAKDOWN. CENTREPOINT PROVIDE HEALTH SUPPORT & ACCOMODATION FOR THEM TO GET A JOB.
Posted 23 Mar 2020 14:37
Sandra Ioana R
People who are on the streets often tell us that they feel ‘invisible’. Most of the people don’t acknowledge the fact that these homeless people were in the same situation as other people who had a home, a family and a shelter to rest at night. While the acknowledge that they don’t pay attention to the people most needed for the rest of the world.

We need a way to communicate with other people with different ways. One way is to give them ‘signs’ by giving other people to consider what these are going through. Another way is to show them by design that these people are suffering daily and they are based on things that make them ‘happy’, like alcohol and stealing, which are inappropriate actions.

These are some solutions that we can make aware ordinary people with ordinary life to look people with extraordinary negative life. It’s a way where people can really pay attention to them and offer them help which they are going to be glad to give.
Posted 23 Mar 2020 15:17
Raluca S
We will be hosting a 1:1 scale pod outline competition for BA01 and BA02 students!
We would like to encourage students to reflect upon the size, constraints and opportunities within a pod life.

Bring a tape measure and masking tape and get ready for a fun and interactive group activity! The group who completes the pod mark-up (with furniture) first wins a prize!
Posted 23 Mar 2020 21:12
Sara H
Covid-19 and homeless

At a time when we are all in quarantine, complaining that we are staying at home for the whole day, every day, for an indefinite period. We forget the luxury and the privilege that we have, a roof, which protects us from the cold, the wind, and the virus. At a time when the majority are thinking of stocking up on food and toilet paper, others are looking for a roof, a minimum of comfort for shelter. It is in these moments of distress that we realize the privileges that life has offered us.
Homelessness is a problem that has always overwhelmed as a major, but with the current conditions, the virus has appropriated the street, the shelter of many. The danger is more present than ever.

‘People experiencing homelessness are amongst the most vulnerable to life-threatening COVID-19 and our members are describing crisis conditions in the services dedicated to supporting them. The government must step up now to protect our vital services by taking the actions we outline below. ‘

Here some solutions that homeless link charity proposes to the Government to step up now to protect homeless people by taking the urgent actions below.

1. Protect and support people experiencing homelessness
1.1 Remove legal barriers to accessing self-contained accommodation for people facing homelessness.
1.2 Increase access to self-contained accommodation so that people facing homelessness can self-isolate.
1.3 Ensure that homeless people most at risk have rapid access to testing.

2. Enable homelessness services to operate effectively and respond safely
2.1 Urgently provide PPE, hygiene supplies and testing.
2.2 Offer an emergency grant fund for homelessness services
2.3 Provide bloc payments of Housing Benefit to accommodation providers in advance, rather than requiring monthly returns.

3. Prevent further homelessness as a result of COVID-19 
3.1 Follow through on promises for a complete ban on evictions from social and private rented
3.2 Provide Universal Credit advance payments on a grant basis.
3.3 Suspend Universal Credit deductions and sanctions.
Posted 30 Mar 2020 13:40
Raluca S
The outputs of our Events 2020 will take the form of a printed publication, which will include, but not limited to, the following:

•reflections from the 1:1 POD outline competition
• Design Charette at Cornerstone Charity
•Precedents
•Structural + Material strategies tested through physical modelmaking and 3D modelling
•Sourcing of materials and budgets
•Photocollages, sketches and visuals
Posted 30 Mar 2020 16:05
Sara H
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 epidemic, our POD project can no longer continue as planned.

We were extremely excited about this event, given its humanitarian and creative impact which would allow us to collaborate together and realize a proposal.
A good cause doesn't stop here. Through our research, we have achieved the extent of homelessness in Manchester. Taking charge is a collective work that can start with ourselves, raising awareness for everyone.

We had the excellent opportunity to collaborate with Dominic Sagar and Woah whom we thank for their patience, their time and their great work. We had the chance to visit Cornerstone charity, to see the truth up close, we talked with some homeless people, we were extremely well received by the staff and volunteers of the charity, whom we thank very much! A wonderful inspiration!
And lastly a special thanks to our guest architecture unknown, who were very excited to collaborate with us, always very available and attentive. Thank you for the awareness you raise about homelessness in the community.

We just want to say a very huge thank you to our collaborators, guest speakers and to all who were involved
Thank you and stay safe!
Posted 30 Mar 2020 16:09