Group 04
CHORLTON RE-USE

The community of Chorlton Park need your help! This live, student-led project aims to revive and link the two halves of the community through the design of a centre using existing abandoned containers. BA1, BA2 and MA1 will work together to create awareness for the White House Project. Students will produce a conceptual design proposal including a green roof and artistic mural, engage with the community and build a network through social media platforms. Working alongside the community we will produce a design that is supported by them, creating the opportunity for future crowdfunding.

Okpetere S / Motunrayo Oluwatunmininu S / Charlotte DM / Thandokazi Vuyokazi Z / Jamie B / Yeside Anuoluwatobi S

Motunrayo Oluwatunmininu S
MEET THE SITE

Our aims are to transform an unused space of Chorlton Park into a vibrant, multi-functional, green, community space, hoping to attract and provide visitors with a place to socialise, interact and spend more time within the park.

The project is located in Chorlton Park situated less than four miles from the city centre and attracts over 30,000 visitors a year.

Specifically, the site is located in the park next to Nell Lane and the multifunctional area that serves the tennis courts and the white house centre. It is a rather unused and dismal space containing several metal cabins that have been left and forgotten about. Overall the park prides itself on its community links, with a partnership that exists between the park wardens and the friends of Chorlton park who have made various improvements over recent years including new furniture, multi-functional spaces and more. But this has resulted in our site being forgotten about, which we feel it is time to develop.
Posted 10 Mar 2020 18:59
Charlotte DM
MEET THE TEAM
We are a diverse team of 6 MArch.1 students from the Manchester School of Architecture.

Tobi Sobowale / Atelier: CiA
BArch: Northumbria University
Year Out: C.F. Moller Architects, London
Skills: Photography and Modelmaking
Interests: How spatial layout affects human behaviour

Charlotte De Moor / Atelier: LuLu
BArch: Arts University of Bournemouth
Year Out: WOCAA, Germany
Skills: Graphic Design
Interests: Collaborative Practice

Jamie Boardman / Atelier: CiA
BArch: Liverpool John Moores University
Year Out: Pye Design, Wigan
Skills: AutoCad and Photoshop
Interests: Architecture and its relation to nature

Motunrayo Soyannwo (Ray) / Atelier: Praxxis
BArch: Coventry University
Year Out: HAWK, Germany
Skills: Adobe Creative Suite
Interests: Fashion and Film

Thando Zitumane (Tee) / Atelier: Praxxis
BArch: University for the Creative Arts
Year Out: Cochrane Design, London
Skills: Photoshop, Photography and Modelmaking
Interests: Sustainable Energy

Tere Sagay / Atelier: CPU & Ai
BArch: Texas A&M University
Year Out: ATO Architects, Nigeria
Skills: Graphic Design and Illustration
Interests: Art, Creative Direction and Vernacular architecture research
Posted 10 Mar 2020 20:09
Jamie B
MEET THE COLLABORATOR

i- Architect

Lead Architect – Jane Leach

i-architect is led by the experienced architect Jane leach. A green listed eco-refurbisher and a RIBA accredited Conservation Registrant, based in Chorlton-cum-hardy, south Manchester.
With years of experience managing projects from conceptual and through to design and construction of all scales and sizes. Her work spans across a wide range of sectors throughout architecture from residential to education, but more importantly specialising in working with local communities, ideal as our project proposes to work with the community of Chorlton.

Jane also has a personal connection to the park. Whilst jane works during the day, she has the help of her mother to look after her young son. At times they would visit the park to get out of the house. Unfortunately, Jane’s mother has underlying health problems and can only walk so far. Chorlton park is local and convenient for them but currently has no space to grab a drink or keep warm, resulting in Jane’s mother having to travel further to a park that does provide these facilities.

Overall, with the help of events and working with Jane Leach we can help design and provide a sheltered, warm and socialising space for the local community of Chorlton Park.

To gain a deeper understanding of the project and the help of the local community for Chorlton Park, visit the friends of Chorlton Park via their Facebook or Twitter pages following the links below:

https://twitter.com/fchorltonpark?lang=en

https://www.facebook.com/groups/151217108266536
Posted 23 Mar 2020 12:51
Yeside Anuoluwatobi S
WHITE HOUSE PROJECT TEAM MEETING

On Thursday 13th February we had a meeting with Jane Leach our collaborator and the White House Project Team. They are responsible for the White House building and the cabins that are situated in Chorlton Park.

We were able to see the cabins and review their structural and design capabilities. We had our meeting in the White House and gained an understanding of the importance of the building and how the cabins can contribute through community support and engagement.

The White House Project Team are an offshoot of the Friends of Chorlton Park group. They are a newly formed team and need our help raising awareness about this site and possible future uses of it. From this meeting, we were able to gain an understanding of how we can contribute to the project in having a social impact within the Chorlton community.
Posted 23 Mar 2020 13:07
Motunrayo Oluwatunmininu S
THE BRIEF

Our Brief for the project aims to:
1. Raise awareness through community engagement and social media in order to provide a platform for future crowdfunding
2. To propose a conceptual design to support our awareness campaign which takes into consideration:
- A Green Roof
- Spatial Layout
- Facade Art
3. We also wish to conduct a Site Analysis in order to measure the footfall count.
Posted 23 Mar 2020 13:18
Thandokazi Vuyokazi Z
CHORLTON PARK HISTORY

Chorton Park is a family park with many facilities to meet the needs of every person who visits. The park has been open since 1928 and attracts over 30,000 visitors a year. The park prides itself on its' community links, encouraging racial and cultural unity as well as a platform for performances by dancers and musicians.
Horse races are said to have been held at the park in the 16th Century. The park is now known as the largest municipal park in Chorlton.

Facilities include:
-Bowls pavilion
-Enclosed bowling green
- Children's playground
-Basketball court
-Football pitch
-Dog free zone

Posted 23 Mar 2020 14:56
Charlotte DM
SOCIAL IMPACT

Our main focus is to consider the social impact of the project. Chorlton Park is one of the main focal points for the town's social activities, therefore, to understand how people use the park as well as how people will react, connect and collaborate together within and around the spaces was a key part to understanding the value of their community and how our project will play a part.

The idea of 'connecting two halves' is about connecting the different demographics in Chorlton relating to the more affluent community and the poorer community.
Posted 23 Mar 2020 15:09
Okpetere S
SITE/DESIGN ISSUES

The cabins present a number of issues that we would need to tackle in our design.

1. Water damage - many of the cabin roofs are collapsing due to their lack of waterproofing

2. Archived documents - there is a collection of documents that belong to the council that will need reviewing before their disposal or relocation

3. Usability + Availability of Conveniences - the cabins previously provided a degree of community spaces for the people of Chorlton. They are not currently in use and with our design proposal we aim to maximise the potential of the spaces. Currently there are no toilets and sheltered/indoor spaces where members of the community can come together and gather in the park.

We will tackle these issues and interact with the community to ensure that we are designing for them.
Posted 23 Mar 2020 17:31
Motunrayo Oluwatunmininu S
PRECEDENTS

Our key precedent was Hatch, situated on Mancunian Way, Oxford Road.
Also making use of shipping containers, Hatch is a vibrant pop-up destination that features independent retailers, winning food and drink, creative studio/workspaces and a public courtyard space.
By looking upon their use of space and functions, and what they provide for the community to enjoy, we aim to take this on board to inspire our own project of the Chorlton Re-use and execute.
Posted 23 Mar 2020 18:07
Thandokazi Vuyokazi Z
INITIAL IDEAS OF THE GREEN ROOF DESIGN
The main design is to convert the cabins into a more cohesive useable community space / facility, that should include a bee and butterfly friendly green roof and artistic interventions, with imaging and graphic representation. The local community's art work will be exhibited inside and outside the cabins. Graffiti will also be incorporated on the metal cabins as a way of creating a more inviting space for the community.
Posted 23 Mar 2020 18:13
Charlotte DM
CHORLTON LIBRARY VISIT

The main focus of the Chorlton library visit is to interact with the community, ask questions and receive feedback for our work so far. As community engagement is a critical part of our project, we aim to connect through social media as well as face to face with Chorlton Community.

The importance of this visit will be raising awareness and creating the potential for crowdfunding, we will be involving the community in the process as much as possible.

Engaging with the community through social media allows constant communication, trust-building and the ability to maximize engagement.
Posted 23 Mar 2020 18:21
Okpetere S
SESSION PLAN

We have planned out the events week in order to maximize the time we have to carry out the project. All activities are geared around production, engagement and skill acquisition!
Posted 23 Mar 2020 18:28
Okpetere S
SKILLS ACQUISITION

We will be learning and brushing up on our design and graphics skills. We will also be acquiring soft skills like social engagement through social media.
We have a series of workshops planned to help facilitate the acquisition of skills: Photoshop Workshop, Indesign Workshop and an Art Facade Design workshop which will be led by a facade artist.
Posted 23 Mar 2020 18:32
Okpetere S
THE PUBLICATION

Our final output will be a magazine publication. The magazine will contain all of the finished output from the events week activities, which will be:

Infographics of the data from the site analysis, stating the footfall and relevant situational influences on the site;
Concept design drawings visualizing the potential of the cabins as a new community centre;
Green Roof Concept Visualisations;
Social media engagement outcomes;
Community engagement event outcomes and influences on the proposed concept design;
A cumulative graphic, which will be given to the Chorlton community, that shows visuals of the proposed refurbishment of the cabins as a community centre in the Chorlton area, in order to raise awareness of the potential of the space.

Posted 23 Mar 2020 18:41