Recycle and reuse the existing furniture to provide new furnishing and storage facilities for the new Manchester Museum Shop. Upcycling the existing furniture can be a very difficult task to complete. We will discuss how to reuse the existing furniture. Do we replace the ironmongery? Will we sand down the existing furnitue and refinish it? How will we treat the wood?
Veneering the timber will offer a smooth and uniform finish. It can be easily applied and a very cost effective solution. The veneer can be durable but also easily replaced in the event of damage. Alternatively we can apply a lacquer. Applying a wood lacquer brings out the best qualities of the timber and increases it's durability. On the other hand, we can naturally protect the wood by using the ancient Japanese technique of Shou Sugi Ban.
We look forward to making decisions with the Manmus Team!!!

Recycled materials will be used for any alterations and additional furniture. A wide range of recycled materials would be sourced to create 1:1 models for items such as the small container units to keep smaller products in the shops, pegboards and more.
SMILE recycled plastics are a good example of the recycled materials under consideration. The panels are made from yoghurt pots, plastic bottles, coffee grounds etc. Smile plastics are hard and dense, 100% waterproof and easy to work with. Examples of the versatility of the products are on their website; they have used the Smile plastics for exterior and interior purposes. As described 'Our Smile Plastics panels are a springboard for the creativity and imagination of designers and architects across the world.' Please find the link to their website below.
A selection of samples are on their way and we will select several materials to be available for the team to create further tests during the events period. We look forward to the new look these materials will offer; alongside the newly refurbished furniture with new or refurbished ironmongery.
https://smile-plastics.com/inspiration

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is important for everyone's health and safety. Our activities include a live project build for the Manchester Museum Shop. Tasks include moving, refurbishing and building of the shop furniture. The team will abide by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) - Risk at Work. Our list of protective equipment advised include hard hats, googles, masks, ear protectors, high visibility vests and steel toe boots. These equipment would abide to British Standards. You can find more about the guidelines set by the government in the link below.
https://www.hse.gov.uk/toolbox/ppe.htm

Working to produce a 1:20 site model for the Manchester Museum Shop. The model consists of a plywood exterior made prior to the events weeks ahead.
During events, we will separate into group to work on elements of the shop; from the refurbishment of the central cabinet to the build of the pegboards. Each team will produce tests and mock-ups of their selected elements and find the best solution for that specific furniture. We have listed several materials that we intend to use in the sketch models; Can you think of any more to add to the list?
Finally, each team will produce a final high quality model of their specific element at a 1:20 scale to be placed into the site model. We look forward to share the model with everyone.