MSA Live 21

3 days to go….
Can’t help but feeling today would be typical British school trip weather…Perfect sun…then wait for the heavens to open.
Perk of being virtual, you don’t have to worry about it!
Just researching some ideas to navigate the website by looking at the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s interactive map and their lovely graphics.

Posted 7 May 2021 11:37

GUEST COLLABORATOR ANNOUNCEMENT!
We are really excited to announce that Laura Flynn will coming to talk to the Power Trip team. Miss Flynn is a primary school teacher at John Perryn Primary School and will be explaining how best to engage kids online and what makes a great 'normal' school trip!
Her class have yet to experience a real school trip because of COVID-19 so we really hope we can give them a memorable experience!

Posted 6 May 2021 13:33

Week 2: Detailed Design

This week we will put on our architect’s hat and refine our designs. This means plans, sections, renders, thinking ergonomically! Our partners, Friends of Beech Road, will be joining us throughout this week to check our progress and give their thoughts feedback along the way. We will end off this week with our publications and a virtual exhibition with our partners!

Posted 6 May 2021 10:59

Week 1: Playscapes Introduction

For the first week, we will be focus predominantly on understanding different types of playscape and finding inspiration in relation to our selected themes. Specially curated guest speakers are coming to help us on this journey. We are also organising basic skill workshops in programmes such as Sketchup and Rhino to help support our ideas and form making. Be as imaginative and creative as the kids we are designing for!

Posted 6 May 2021 10:59

Find out more about Gale Common ash disposal site here: https://youtu.be/W-QNA4z4fHg

This video was made by the Gale Common case study MArch 01 and MLA2 team during the Research Methods Workshop 09 unit at the Manchester School of Architecture.

Posted 5 May 2021 20:04

Find out more about Gascoigne Wood Mine here: https://youtu.be/0GajBXSd6NQ

This video was made by the Gascoigne Wood Mine case study MArch 01 and MLA2 team during the Research Methods Workshop 09 unit at the Manchester School of Architecture.

Posted 5 May 2021 20:04

Find out more about Ferrybridge Power station here: https://youtu.be/hbAV6IAn3Kc

This video was made by the Ferrybridge Power station case study MArch 01 and MLA2 team during the Research Methods Workshop 09 unit at the Manchester School of Architecture.

Photograph credit: David Pickersgril

Posted 5 May 2021 20:04

Find out more about Kellingley Colliery here:
https://youtu.be/1dRk1eeEhVY

This video was made by the Kellingley Colliery case study MArch 01 and MLA2 team during the Research Methods Workshop 09 unit at the Manchester School of Architecture.

Photograph credit: Workers of Kellingley Colliery Facebook group

Posted 5 May 2021 20:03

Find out more about Drax Power station here:
https://youtu.be/GOp0G_-nxaA

This video was made by the Drax Power station case study MArch 01 and MLA2 team during the Research Methods Workshop 09 unit at the Manchester School of Architecture.

Posted 5 May 2021 20:03

Group 33 / ECOTSWOLDS

Holly M

Yesterday we had a client catch up meeting with Ecospheric’s Tiffany Chong, who is our main liaison throughout the project. We had a great catch-up and were able to confirm further details on some of our main outputs, including: Website content, Graphical styles and research. Although we have discussed these prior, we wanted to check in to see if anything had changed, as the client had informed us they have had some timeline changes on their end of the project. However, these have not affected our internal timelines or outputs at all, so we can now focus on getting prepped for our sessions next week!

Tiffany Chong, Communications Manager
https://www.ecospheric.co.uk
https://www.instagram.com/ecospheric/

Posted 5 May 2021 20:02

Find out more about Eggborough Power station here: https://youtu.be/_3WMuLg2UEA

This video was made by the Eggborough Power station case study MArch 01 and MLA2 team during the Research Methods Workshop 09 unit at the Manchester School of Architecture.

Photograph credit: The Museum of English Rural Life.

Posted 5 May 2021 20:02

Group 08 / MAKE BUILD

Elisabeth Adele F

Meet our second guest speaker
Grace Shepherd is currently a master’s student at the National Film & TV School, studying set design. Grace will be giving a talk about how concept collages and art can be used as a methodology and prompt to start a project. As well as discussing how her skills that she learnt in her undergraduate architecture degree at Oxford Brookes, such as creating illustrations and narrative, have translated into her current course. We're looking forward to hearing Grace's presentation on Wednesday 19th May. More information about Grace's work can be found on her Instagram @gracejanetshepherd

Posted 5 May 2021 17:29

...5
Getting to know the power stations, mines and ash disposal sites:
Schools kids will get to virtually visit a series of 6 power stations, mines and an ash disposal site in the Aire Valley and former Selby Coalfield, Yorkshire. They will learn how the former infrastructures were connected right from coal extraction and electricity generation through to waste ash processing.
The sites were connected through the natural landscapes of the Rive Aire as a water source and transport route along with specially built railway connections.
We will be sharing a series information videos on each of the case studies made by the March students back in December for the Research Methods Workshop unit.

Posted 5 May 2021 16:18

Group 38 / MAPPING COLOUR

Power Trip launches in...5...4...3...2...1 days!
As we get ready to welcome the BA & MLA students to the Power Trip team, the MArch team are prepping activities and material to create a virtual school trip for kids who have missed out this year!
Look out for more information in the run up to the project launch!

Posted 5 May 2021 15:54

Group 08 / MAKE BUILD

Cameron S

MEET OUR FISRT GUEST SPEAKER
Robert Houmøller, a former Ba Architecture Tutor from Oxford Brookes University, now runs Merrett Houmøller Architects with Peter Merrett based in London and Sheffield. They specialise in design as a process of making, influenced by location and the end users. As a tutor and designer Robert is a keen advocate for casting as a process of making both for its finalised product but also for the process of mould making which forces in depth consideration of space and void. On Monday the 10th May 2021 Robert will be kicking off our two week project with a presentation about casting.
More information about Roberts award winning architectural work or teaching can be found at the links bellow.
Website: https://www.merretthoumoller.com/
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/merretthoumollerarchitects/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mh_architecture
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/merretthoumoller

Posted 5 May 2021 08:52

Group 02 / MIXED SPACE

Siqi G

It is an honour to announce our guest talk, with Jee Liu, co-founder of WallaceLiu, an architecture and landscape design company with an international reputation for its innovative and creative approach to the adaptive reuse of buildings and landscapes.

Posted 4 May 2021 19:11

Bella Makena K

Counting down to the start of MSA Live 2021, the team has been hard at work putting together the final touches in preparation for the two weeks of fulfilling work. We have been diligently confirming our lineup of events and speakers that will inspire, with each team member taking on an integral role in the organisation of the project.

At this stage, we have been delegating elements of the project among the project team to ensure the smooth running of the project. In addition, we have been fine-tuning the event lineup to ensure the seamless interaction of the students, as well as guest speakers at this time.

We are looking forward to the start of the project and we can’t wait to meet the rest of the team!

Posted 4 May 2021 16:58

Group 23 / SPACE INVADERS

Taha K A Abdelmajied A

A great kickstart to MSA live21 events with initial discussions with the external partners to go through our session plan and future design ideas for the town of Nelson.

Posted 4 May 2021 16:37

Group 32 / ROCHDALE REVIVAL

Sze Jin L

The church sits in an area that has become almost clotted. Tram stops almost obscuring the building and high level of boundary of gates makes it difficult to register its presence. Nevertheless, St John’s central dome is a wayfinding device for people negotiating their way through the town center. However, the functionality of the building is often obscured that the legacy of mosaic hall remains hidden from the public.

In hopes for the mosaic to have a wider appreciation for art, the proposal would define ways for this essential element of the church to be displayed to the public, in the form of temporary or physical art. By rendering it visible, the mosaic with its historical and cultural value would enjoy the level of appreciation it deserves.

Posted 4 May 2021 14:09

Group 32 / ROCHDALE REVIVAL

Theodore Mark F

A SHORT FILM

https://vimeo.com/543375760

Our group created this film to help the participants understand the space, which will anchor the 'Rochdale Revival' project.

'GEOMETRY and FORM' explores the St John the Baptist RC Church in Rochdale. A grade II* listed building, designed in 1917, built-in 1927, and inspired by Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. The minimalist geometric form creates a striking expanse, light cascades from the roof dome framed by 4 towering arched apses on each side. The north apse contains a breathtaking mosaic stretching over 15 meters into the air, shimmering with gold tesserae contrasted by deep blue stone, the immense detail on the ornamentation sitting in a harmonious juxtaposition to the raw form of the rest of the church.

Due to COVID 19 restrictions on the university, students will not be able to visit the church, as a part of the project. So we decided that a film was the best way to illustrate the defining qualities of the space.

Posted 3 May 2021 23:54

One Week to go! // The MA01 team have been working hard behind the scenes to prepare and organise the two-week timetable. So far, we have finalised our session plan, risk assessment and poster, whilst starting up our blog and Instagram.
In preparation for next week, our tasks have included coordinating project workshops, collaborating with our guest speakers and getting started on our initial masterplan.
We look forward to meeting the rest of the Inspire Bradford team next week and making a start on this exciting project!

Keep up to date with us through our Instagram @inspire_bradford

Posted 3 May 2021 16:20

Group 38 / MAPPING COLOUR

Grace C

Here is the site plan for Beech Road Park for those who are not familiar with the site. The park has some beautiful tree lines and fantastic green areas full of opportunities.

After a recent meeting with the Friend of Beech Road Park community the main message which came from the discussions were that this park is for everyone. The aim is to design an inclusive potting shed which everyone can use and can be used for different occasions; maybe planting and coffees in the morning and a small arts and festival scene in the evening.

We are looking forward to briefing our students next week and seeing how we can create an inclusive potting shed which can be adapted for many different types of occasions!

Posted 2 May 2021 12:28

Bella Makena K

The ultimate goal for our project is a pop-up exhibition booth containing the information collated and presented during the MSA Live workshops. This will provide relevant information and eye-catching visuals about the construction industry to interested parties, including (but not limited to) university students interested in continuing on in the construction industry and college students interested in studying a construction-based course at the university level. We aim to break down what to expect during their studies and in the professional world, what demographics are represented as well as the impact that they are able to make.

Posted 1 May 2021 20:04

The process of exporting from Adobe XD to Android Studio for Android App development or XCode for IOS App development is fairly simple and similar due to the seamless compatibility between the softwares. However, there are several things that must be prepared prior in order to not have issues during the process of exporting and these come in 8 main stages:
1. Preparing the XD document by grouping the layers and choosing the appropriate options
2. Render the colours into the correct values
3. Render the images into the right format (PNG, JPG, Bitmap, SVG)
4. Render all vector based shapes into SVG file format
5. Process the relevant text in the XD File
6. Create XML and XCode activities to import the XD Artboard
7. Link the different classes and activities for smooth input
8. Target the devices resolutions and different outputs to be compatible with different devices
Whilst it is not essential at all for the students to have prior knowledge for the two weeks, it will be a good practice to have a general understanding of how the apps get developed and interact with the user and the devices.
Coding languages such as React Native will help greatly with the app development as it is compatible with both IOS and Android. Below are links to useful resources and plugins that enhances the compatibility:
https://avocode.com/
https://zeplin.io/
https://www.invisionapp.com/
https://sympli.io/
https://exportkit.com/
https://exportkit.com/learn/how-to/using-the-suite/using-export-kit-with-xd

Posted 1 May 2021 19:27

While app development can be chaotic in nature, there are still structures and frameworks in place to keep the individuals or the teams running efficiently and projects on track to be completed. There are 7 main stages in the development process of the app:
1. Planning the app
2. Pre-production
3. Production
4. Testing
5. Pre-Launch
6. Launch
7. Post-Launch
These stages represent the general approach an app is developed whether it be to commercialised or to be available for free to the public.
Fortunately, there are app development softwares and IDEs that make the process much easier. Some of them have been listed below as well as some other resources:
https://developer.android.com/studio
https://unity.com/
https://www.unrealengine.com/
https://www.yoyogames.com/en/gamemaker
https://www.w3schools.com/java/java_intro.asp
https://reactnative.dev/
https://www.androidauthority.com/android-app-development-1128595/

Posted 1 May 2021 19:18

Group 41 / SKETCHY BUSINESS

IOS app development
As IOS is an enclosed environment platform, there are usually specific tools required to create an IOS app and below are both a list of the requirements and a general process of designing an IOS app.
Tools Requirement: To develop iOS apps using the latest technologies described in these lessons, you need a Mac computer (macOS 10.11.5 or later) running the latest version of XCode. XCode includes all the features you need to design, develop, and debug an app. XCode also contains the iOS SDK, which extends XCode to include the tools, compilers, and frameworks you need specifically for iOS development.

Overview of the steps:
Starts with an idea
Sketch it out.
Make it look pretty
Add a file
Test, Test & Test
Debug & Revise
Submit and start learning

Resources for understanding XCode and app development:
https://learnappmaking.com/xcode-tutorial/
https://developer.apple.com/develop/

Posted 1 May 2021 19:08

Alina M

Follow us @msa_sketchy_business!

We have created an Instagram account where we will be frequently posting and sharing our journey through the project! Stay tuned for a great series of sketches and drawings!

Posted 1 May 2021 12:15

During the two weeks, the students will be asked to design and produce graphics of architecture in Manchester to create a homepage. This mood board shows some initial thoughts that could form an overall graphical style from which students can base deigns. User interface design should consider all the visual and interactive elements of a product interface. This includes buttons, icons, spacing, typography, colour schemes, and responsive design. The visual is essential in guiding the user's understanding of the interface as well as their engagement with the virtual world and thus the real world as well.

Posted 30 Apr 2021 18:24

The main storyboard of the app will be designed using Adobe XD, which is a storyboarding app that is used as the standard, often been used for ios and android app UX designs. Adobe XD works as creating a number of pages with button clicks linking them together.
Link for further information: https://xd.adobe.com/ideas/guides/ux-design-process-steps/

Posted 30 Apr 2021 18:11

Design stages for the app
Stage 1: Brainstorming and initial ideas
We start by brainstorming as a group to come up with initial ideas on the app in regards to our concept, some of these might take in the form of avatar clothing, icons that can be earned by completing the courses and the expressive buildings that populate the homepage.
Stage 2: Storyboarding
Using Adobe XD, we start to draw up a story board of the app’s user interface.
Stage 3: MSA LIVE 21
During the 2 weeks of MSA Live 21, we as a whole collective with the BA students will be designing each element of the app which will later be integrated into a wider framework.

Posted 30 Apr 2021 18:10

We developed this elevation by taking parts of detailing and expressing them in illustrator. The zoomed in results are representative without being replicas. They highlight the symbology without needing to exist as a real piece of ornament does. This process of production could be expanded and refined in the intensive 2 weeks to produce buildings for a homepage, which are emphasized versions with buildings that have particularly meaningful details with emphasized scales. This should produce a decorated shed for the phone. A building that can be all symbol because of its existence in virtual space.

Posted 29 Apr 2021 21:27

In line Venturi’s focus on the importance of ornamentation we looked into a characteristic building of Manchester the Kimpton building. It displays inherent symbolic qualities in the level of ornamentation which could have multiple meanings to multiple people. Showing the people of Manchester expressions of the architecture around them, on their phone, may engage them with the app and open new insight and interest into familiar buildings.

Posted 29 Apr 2021 21:25

On the other hand we have the duck whose symbolism is inherent in the form and materiality of the architecture. On Crawford Manor Venturi talks of how it looks as though it were ‘made of a continuous plastic material reminiscent of beton brut’ (Venturi, 1972:91) where in this case of modern architecture meaning comes from ‘our knowledge of technology, from the work and writings of the modern form givers’ (Venturi, 1972:91) etc. This piece of high architecture has a symbolism that can only be unpacked with a prior knowledge of architecture but it’s methods of dissemination may hold lessons for our project.
Venturi, R., Scott Brown, D. and Izenour, S. (1972) Learning from Las Vegas. 1st ed., Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press.
For more information on architectural symbolism, it’s methodology or Postmodernism read Learning from Las Vegas.

Posted 29 Apr 2021 21:23

Exploring Venturi’s theories of symbolism in ‘Learning from Las Vegas’ helped us to synthesise how we could symbolise a building in terms of how it is perceived to the street. The decorated shed is symbolised by it’s ornamentation whilst the architecture itself remains secondary in a message to the external world. In Guild House Venturi talks of how it’s quoins and render surrounds suggest ‘the proportions of a renaissance palace’ (Venturi, 1972:92) stating ‘the ornament of guild house is explicit. It both reinforces and contradicts the form of the building it adorns.’ (Venturi, 1972:91)
Venturi, R., Scott Brown, D. and Izenour, S. (1972) Learning from Las Vegas. 1st ed., Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press.
For more information on architectural symbolism, it’s methodology or Postmodernism read Learning from Las Vegas.

Posted 29 Apr 2021 21:23

Confirmed // Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios // We are excited to confirm that Peter Mitchell from Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios will be joining us for a live discussion and talk. This gives the Inspire Bradford team an opportunity to learn about master planning principles and live projects within the studio work of FCB Studios. We hope to engage in some informative discussions and develop stimulating ideas!

Find out more about the work Feilden Clegg Bradley does at: https://fcbstudios.com/work

Posted 29 Apr 2021 14:02

Group 39 / PAVING THE WAY

Follow us on Instagram // To collaborate on social media with our external partner, Bradford Civic Society, we have set up an Instagram account. We’ll be regularly posting to the account to share our project journey.
Follow us! @inspire_bradford

Posted 29 Apr 2021 11:17

Razaw O

Unlocking Chorlton’s Secrets….
We have just met with our external partners who introduced us to a few real-life Chorlton residents! We have heard a few stories ourselves, but it is now up to you to uncover the rest of Chorlton’s happy, mysterious and possibly haunted secrets…

Posted 28 Apr 2021 16:40

Group 39 / PAVING THE WAY

Razaw O

Just one of the zoom meeting we have had with our collaborators...with the added input from some Chorlton community members! In the meeting we exchanged ideas and members shared their experience of living in Chorlton and shared some history.

Posted 28 Apr 2021 16:39

Group 38 / MAPPING COLOUR

Bella Makena K

As the start of MSA Live 2021 approaches, the team has been completing the necessary preparatory work to ensure a fun and successful two-week period. We have finalised the session plan, risk assessment, and poster design in March, with each team member playing an important part in the delivery of each task.

In this current stage, we have been organising the project workshops and our guest speakers, with a particular interest in speaking to BAME professionals who can provide us with a valuable insight into their experience of diversity within the construction industry, and the existing networks which exist to support this.

We are looking forward to the commencement of the project and we can’t wait to meet the rest of the team!

Posted 26 Apr 2021 23:04

Guest Lecture Series

Hi everyone, we hope you’re all doing well.

For our final speaker for our Guest Lectures, we are elated to present 100Architects.

100Architects primarily works on public and street architecture internationally. They have the fundamental belief that ‘play is the purest form of creativity’ and ‘imagine cities as playgrounds for citizens’.

Who better to inspire us on Playscapes?

Their oeuvre features a myriad of urban projects that are inherently playful and we highly encourage everyone to check them out and be inspired! Some that caught our eye are Pegasus Trail and Pixeland. Feel free to check them out at https://100architects.com/projects/

Posted 24 Apr 2021 09:54

Group 22 / PARKTOPIA

Sofia Aida Maaria P

We are delighted to announce that MSA humanities leader Ray Lucas is giving us a talk on Filmic Architecture in the first week of MSA Live!
Ray has researched architectural anthropology and uses drawings, sketches, diagrams and maps as a research tool to reveal different layers in social and architectural context. Ray also does research into the relationship between film and architecture. He is interested in; how the concept of montage can be developed, how production design aligns with architectural theories, and how we understand built environments through cinema.
Ray is going to give us an hour long talk about how we can understand parks through cinema. He will give us an introduction into different methods that can be used to analyse spaces viewed in film. After the talk we are each going to watch a film from our own cultural background and analyse it with the methods Ray has presented to us.
Who is excited? We are! Soon enough it'll be time to grab the popcorn!

Posted 23 Apr 2021 17:39

Workshop 4: Social/community impact

Here, the focus will be on using the shed as a social tool within the local community and its existing context. Is this shed multi-purpose? Is it inclusive and represent a diverse range of needs? Does it enhance and integrate with the existing users of the park? Can it bring new functions?

Posted 21 Apr 2021 14:34

Workshop 3: Sunlight and Passive energy strategies

Students here should ideally engage in environmental aspects that are lowtech and rely on form and simple design, heating/ cooling, water collection and ventilation should be considered in creating comfortable environment, as well as an awareness of potentially sustainable construction practices.

Posted 21 Apr 2021 14:33

Workshop 2: Drainage and Water

A shed should be able to with stand the elements (especially in a rainy city such as Manchester!) so this should be considered a design opportunity. Can there be an expression in which the water may act as an architectural event? Placement of the water tap is also crucial.

Posted 21 Apr 2021 14:31

Workshop 1: Landscaping and Orientation

The aim is to understand how the park can integrate its self into the existing topography of the park. Aspects such as position within the park are key as well as any potential alterations to the immediate topography and surface treatment should be considered, if deemed necessary.

Posted 21 Apr 2021 14:30

The more detailed brief consisted of the inclusion of easily accessible courses and an easy to navigate mobile interface that would make the use of a touchscreen mobile self-explanatory the more it is used. With Jamie we discussed the more accessible features of app design, such as hamburger menus and easily read buttons; elements that are clear in their meaning. The congruencies with Post-Modernism and it’s, easy to read, symbolism was something we wanted to look into further. We could unite these aspects of phone design in an architectural sense.

Posted 21 Apr 2021 12:10

Guest Lecture Series

We’re back again! Hope everyone is having a lovely day.

We cannot be more excited to introduce another speaker in our Guest Lecture Series - the Chinese firm Atelier Scale. They are predominantly a landscape architecture studio, but are open to commercial public projects as well.

We believe their ethos of not limiting themselves to strictly landscape projects and taking on a multi-perspective involvement of their team has produced multitudes of creative design work that we can take inspiration from.

Some of our favourites play spaces are Tetris Square and The Folds. Do check them out at http://www.scalescape.com/work/

Posted 21 Apr 2021 09:58

Guest Lecture Series

Hi everyone!

We are pleased to announce a series of Guest Lectures from curated offices all over the world to educate and inspire everyone on play spaces.

Starting off strong we have award-winning Erect Architects. Based in London, have been engaged to design a large amount of creative play spaces. Their projects cleverly utilises landscapes and creates an immersive environment for children within nature.

Check out some of our personal favourites like Evelyn Court and Holland Park Playground at https://www.erectarchitecture.co.uk/projects/?tag=Play

Posted 18 Apr 2021 13:07

Guest Lecture Series

Hi everyone!

For our first instalment of our Guest Lectures, we are proud to have Caukin Studios!

Caukin is a progressive international studio who believes in the impact and benefits that architecture brings to a close knitted community. They focus on self-built, low impact architecture that allows everyone access to high quality design - This is pertinent for Beech Road as our conversations with our partners have revealed that residents have a community spirit and culture that can lend itself well for self-built projects.

Caukin has successfully incorporated their ethos with play projects such as Playscape in Koh Rong Island and Playvillion in Cipanas. You can check them out at https://www.caukinstudio.com/projects

Posted 15 Apr 2021 09:24

Group 23 / SPACE INVADERS

On meeting Jamie at Lifeshare our key brief became clear; to engage and inform. Our app must draw people in so people want to interact with the learning material that will enhance their lives. We initially see parallels between the design of an app and a Las Vegas sign in how they draw people into a defined character. The bizarre irony of using an architectural element originally used to tempt rather than encourage, and how we can turn this original purpose on its head, isn’t lost on us

Posted 12 Apr 2021 16:47

Siyuan L

The idea is to enhance public spaces using temporary structures that are self built modular, adaptable and portable in a way that they can breathe new life into the Nelson Town. The above was a sketch done as part of the initial design assessment.

Posted 12 Apr 2021 12:18

Group 23 / SPACE INVADERS

Taha K A Abdelmajied A

Public consultation for the Nelson town redevelopment was conducted by the external partners and the space invaders summarised it to aid in the initial assessment of the project.

Posted 12 Apr 2021 12:08

Kiddie Drawings

Just for laughs, here is the final drawing we’ll be sharing.
Some kids imagine the world, some just want food.

Everyone loves pizza and I am sure we are behind this proposal!

Posted 5 Apr 2021 16:31

Kiddie Drawings

Hello again everyone! Following on from the previous post, here’s another example of a child’s imagination. We are in the midst of organising a day in which children could potentially come in to one of our days of design development so that we can gather their input and perspective.

Maybe they could see us bring these animals to life in an Architectural way, be creative!

Posted 5 Apr 2021 16:30

Group 10 / HOW WOMEN BUILD?

Kiddie Drawings

Hi everyone! Thank you for picking this MSA Live group, we are all very excited to have you on board. Today we’ll be exploring a child’s imagination. Our lovely partners gave a plan of the park to the kids and let them draw what they want in their playspaces and today we’d like to share them (Actually these drawings were also incorporated in our poster!)

Posted 5 Apr 2021 16:29

Group 16 / WOAH + GMHAN

Daniel F

WOAH + Provocation lecture series

Organised by WOAH and the architecture student society, the two talks aims to encourage a discussion on the impact of homelessness and the role of the architect/designer.
Bauman is a practicing Architect and a founding Director of Bauman Lyons Architects and of a start-up fabrication company MassBespoke. Previously she was a Professor of Sustainable Urbanism at Sheffield University School of Architecture.
Nivasa is an Architectural Not for Profit Trust, working to enable humane and dignified housing conditions for the urban and rural poor, through design. Anitha Mahendra will be talking on behalf of Nivasa.

Posted 26 Mar 2021 18:01

Group 16 / WOAH + GMHAN

Irina Binti Z

GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO HOMELESSNESS

As our group's live project progresses, our blog will introduce the topic of homelessness through a series of posters for increased awareness and understanding on the issue. Who are the homeless? What is it and what causes it? Who are at risk of homelessness and is it preventable?

Homelessness is an issue faced by many urban societies globally and one that is very apparent in Manchester. Homelessness is lacking stable and appropriate housing and are categorized into many different types. Even though the legal definition of homelessness varies from country to country, people who are homeless are typically unable to maintain and acquire regular, secure and safe housing due to poverty and an inconsistent income. It is important to understand that homelessness can and should be ended. While this does not mean no one will ever lose their home again in the future, but that everyone facing has access to the help they need. Thankfully, working in the construction and built environment industry allows one to do be able to do their part in tackling homelessness.

Posted 26 Mar 2021 16:36

Joe C

Meet our Guests!

Joy Burgess

Joy is currently carrying out her PhD at the MSA in collaboration with Historic England. She is researching the work of female landscape architects in post-war Britain and looking to make a contribution towards a feminist history of landscape architecture. Over the years, Joy has worked in a variety of contexts, including as a writer and researcher, supporting Mr. Noel Farrer (FLI PPLI) in his work as an advocate for landscape, particularly during his time as President of the Landscape Institute. In 2012, Joy completed a Master of Architecture in Urban Design at the Bartlett School of Architecture, where she focused her research enquiry into theories of utopia. Joy has worked as a garden designer, for high end residential projects for the past seven years. Alongside this, she worked as an academic developer for an undergraduate BA Hons degree in Garden Design for The Open College of the Arts (OCA), a division of The University for the Creative Arts, finishing this role in 2020.

Posted 22 Mar 2021 21:20

Group 39 / PAVING THE WAY

Razaw O

Hello, my name is Eyad, and I’m from Manchester.
I graduated with a BSc Hons Degree in Architecture from the University of Salford in 2018.
Currently, I’m an MArch student at MSA. I’m inspired by many architects including the likes of Normal Foster, Renzo Piano and Le Corbusier, just to name a few.

Fun Fact: entertained by discussions of philosophy!

Posted 21 Mar 2021 09:34

Group 16 / WOAH + GMHAN

Chen Q

WEBSITE AS A MEANS OF SPREADING AWARENESS

With the advent of the internet, social media, and smart phones, we are ever more connected to each other. During the two week project, a primary focus will be about exploring how we can take advantage of these technology to facilitate the exchange of ideas. With the goal of creating a web presence for WOAH and GMHAN, we will be designing and building a website from scratch. Not only will you benefit from the experience of the project itself, but it should also help you in your future projects, your potential career paths, and in creating your personal online portfolio.

Posted 20 Mar 2021 19:07

Group 14 / RE-SHAPING MARPLE

Xiaoxuan Z

18/03/2021. 03:00pm. Meeting with Scott and Saul from B.15 Modelmaking Workshop, UOM.

First we discussed how to organize the model making exercise in order to generate concept ideas. Scott and Saul suggested that we provide an example model and explain the detail requirement and expectations, as well as suggesting the materials and tools that will be needed so that students can produce the model quickly. This exercise will be great for a quick exchanges of ideas early on.

Posted 20 Mar 2021 10:33

Group 14 / RE-SHAPING MARPLE

Juliet Sara T

19/03/2021. Guest Announcement!

We are delighted to announce that members from the Marple Civic Society will be giving a presentation during MSA Live!

Who are they and what do they do?

Marple Civic Society is a registered charity and was started by four architects who lived in Marple. They focus on Marple, the surrounding villages and the countryside within Marple north and south wards and aim to make the area a better place to live, work and visit.

Why have we invited them?

The members from the Marple Civic Society know what Marple is all about, what it needs and what they want! This will provide a better ‘sense of place,’ something that Joe, our collaborator has reiterated the importance of.

We look forward to welcoming them!

Posted 19 Mar 2021 14:29

Group 27 / CONNECTED COMMUNITY

Hannah B

Guest speaker announcement:

Who: Craig Stott

Practice: Project Office

About: Working and designing for the community, architectural solutions and designing on a low budget.

Project Office is co-directed by Craig Stott and Simon Warren, architects and senior lecturers in Architecture at Leeds Beckett University in which they have undertaken diverse projects within the Leeds City region including ‘The New Wortley Community Centre’ which Craig is going to present and provide discussion on how this was approached and provide a real insight into community driven work.

Find out more information about 'Project Office' here:

https://leedsbeckett.wixsite.com/projectoffice/about-us

Posted 17 Mar 2021 20:13

Group 14 / RE-SHAPING MARPLE

Kefei Q

15/03/2021. 11:00am. Meeting with our collaborator, Joe.

This morning we had our second meeting with our main collaborator Joe Jessop. This was organised to catch up and discuss the session plan that we have been working on. Joe gave his input and we discussed the option of a live site visit to really capture the sense of place. This will encourage the team to learn by looking, by exploring, by experiencing the space, something that is difficult to do online.

We then continued to discuss the complexity of the brief and outputs. Joe gave us some workshop ideas that will help to determine the brief and programme for the community hub. This meeting was particularly helpful with the submission date of our session plan fast approaching. Stay tuned for further updates!

Posted 15 Mar 2021 18:08

Group 26 / OWNHAUS

Maria Gorreth TD

Social Values:
Co-owned co-financed collective living flexible & sustainable accommodation owned by the community for eternity!

Community:
Our project will address the issues of post-covid living, offering a paradigm shift in how we realise city centre living. It's not about density - it's about community!

Affordability:
Create a more affordable, equitable and resilient property structure.
Digital equity through blockchain.

Flexibility:
Great combined houses and highly flexible collective living. Enables people to live, work and play in flexible, multi-generational, evolving spaces; emphasises interaction, health, wellness.

Well-being:
It's about the comforts; your stuff; your stories; the connections you make and the memories you create together. every meal, every party, every celebration; every holiday, and every simple Sunday
afternoon leaves its impression, making your home a repository for every experience of a life well-lived.

Posted 13 Mar 2021 20:51

Group 27 / CONNECTED COMMUNITY

Jack W

Meet The Client!

Hopton Hopefuls are a group of older social housing tenants who live in Hopton Court tower block and are affiliated to the Greater Manchester Savers network.

Hopton Hopefuls came together because they needed change in their community. The gentrification of Hulme and the expanding city centre along mass increase in student accommodation have left older Hulme residents without access to social spaces. This has increased isolation which has impacted on residents physical and mental health. Services in the Hulme area like GPs and dentists, are stretched with the student influx. Most of the residents have lived in Hulme for many years and despite all of this they wish to stay. Hulme has always been a mix of cultures and communities: it is creative political, change-making and its always felt inclusive, until now. They feel forgotten as their neighbours are forced into care homes away from family and friends as there is no supported accommodation for older people in the area.

Hopton Hopefuls and GM Savers are trying to develop something called a ‘Naturally Occurring Retirement Community’ this would include a suitable community space being developed.

https://communitysavers.net/2021/03/creating-a-norc-at-hopton-court/

Posted 12 Mar 2021 14:37

Group 07 / PLAY BOX

Seyed Ilia JS

Visit The Site!

Site is located in Chorlton Park, less than four miles from the city centre. An unused space at the park with four cabins (shipping containers).

This place is aimed to be transformed into a friendly atmosphere with green, lively, and multi-functional spaces as a community centre. All four cabins placed to face each other, in which two are attached to one another and the other two are the single ones. It is worth to mention that there are existing plumbing and electrics on the site.

Chorlton Park prides itself on its community links. The partnership that exists between the park wardens and The Friends of Chorlton Park has been invaluable in ensuring that the whole community enjoys the park's excellent facilities which include: Bowls Pavilion and enclosed Bowling Green, Children's Playground for Junior and Under 5s, Basketball Court, 5 a-side Football Areas, Junior Pitches and a dog-free zone.

Posted 10 Mar 2021 15:35

Little Germany Article // Bradford Civic Society have shared on Twitter an article written in the Telegraph & Argus on the ‘New Proposals to bring life back to Bradford’s iconic Little Germany area’, outlining the live project we are involved in!
Read this article here: https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/19137022.amp/?__twitter_impression=true

Posted 5 Mar 2021 13:04

Tania I

Confirmed // Arup // We are pleased to confirm Terry Lee-Williams, Director of Transport Advisory Europe, from Arup for a live discussion and talk with Inspire Bradford on the ‘Designing of the Fifteen Minute Neighbourhood’ (FMN). We anticipate to spark some interesting thoughts and opinions on the designing of these neighbourhoods under the topic of building reuse and thinking about our site in Bradford. Terry will be joined by Manuel Garrido, Leader of Master-planning, and Lean Doddy, Euro Cities Leader, to join the discussions lead by Inspire Bradford.

Find out more about Arup’s fifteen minute neighbourhood on their website.

Posted 5 Mar 2021 13:04

The National Coal Mining Museum for England hosts a range of exhibitions and activities on the site of the decommissioned Caphouse Colliery - where many former miners tell their stories of life down the pit. Activities and events preserve the valuable social and industrial history of the mining industry, which came to an end in the UK in 2015 with the closure of the last deep coal mine. The museum is also home to an extensive archive. During the event week we will be organising a workshop to learn about exhibition curation to prepare a series of images for a future exhibition at the National Coal Mining Museum for England (details TBC).

Visit the NCMM website here: https://www.ncm.org.uk/

Posted 3 Mar 2021 18:39

Dr Richard Brook is the MSA Infraspace atelier leader and is a registered architect. He is particularly interested in post-WWII British modern architecture and infrastructure. Check out his insta for some cool modernist buildings:
@mainstream_modern
Richard is an experienced architectural historian who is currently leading a project called ‘The Life of Buildings’, where he and his collaborators are creating interactive virtual reality models of historically important buildings from archival drawings and oral histories. The project’s long term aim is to create ‘mixed reality’ cities that co-exist with real cities to educate people on our lost architectural heritage.

Outside of architecture, he likes photographing the moors of the north, fell running and CEGB memorabilia.
Richard, along with our collaborator Luca Csepely Knorr runs an AHRC funded research network: ‘The Landscapes of Post-War Infrastructure: Cooling Down’, which this project will be a part of.

Posted 3 Mar 2021 18:39

Dr Luca Csepely Knorr is an award-winning writer and is the Joint Programme Leader of the Master of Landscape Architecture course with Becky Sobell and is a chartered landscape architect.
She was born in Hungary and has a unique perspective on the relationship between UK and international practice with a passion for the importance of the female role in the construction industry.
With housing and infrastructure being her two buzz words, having her as a collaborator will engage the project in key historical moments of post-war infrastructure and social welfare provision these coal mines and power stations offered.
Luca, along with our collaborator Richard Brook runs an AHRC funded research network: ‘The Landscapes of Post-War Infrastructure: Cooling Down’, which this project will be a part of.

Check out Luca’s academic work here: msa-uk.academia.edu/LucaCsepelyKnorr
Twitter: @lucaknorr

Posted 3 Mar 2021 18:38

Adam V

Collaborator: Plot-Twist will be working in live collaboration with Kieran Thompson from Bradford Civic Society. Since 1942, the organisation has championed Bradford’s heritage and built environment, with the mission to inspire Bradfordians to love where they live. They are striving to win the 2025 bid for City of Culture and the collaborative vision for Forster Square ties in perfectly with these values. Find out more about Bradford Civic Society and the work they do at:
https://bradfordcivicsociety.co.uk/.
Twitter & Instagram @Bradfordcivic

Posted 3 Mar 2021 00:04

Conor J

Meet the team: Conor

Location: Manchester, UK
MArch Year 5
BArch: Manchester School of Architecture
Atelier: Infra.Space

About Me: After graduating from MSA, I began working at a practice based in Manchester that specialise in residential housing. The small size of the practice meant I was involved with all aspects of the building process, from design and planning through to construction and handover. As an architect, I am most interested in the interface between users and buildings. My aim is to provide quality spaces that are easy to use and great to be in. In my atelier, I am currently designing a multi-purpose arts and live events space for a reuse and redevelopment scheme at the Tate & Lyle sugar silo situated in the Liverpool docklands. In our events group we want to provide a platform where all members have the freedom to create some impactful architecture at an important site in the centre of Bradford, with the potential of real-world consequences as part of the city's 2025 City of Culture bid.

Posted 2 Mar 2021 23:42

Daniel W

Social Values:

In Plot Twist, we are rethinking what an urban space can be. The city of Bradford offers a rich history and diverse range of cultures we wish to celebrate through the proposal of an urban farm. The scheme will bring together and promote concepts of health and wellbeing, creating valuable communities, and reassessing urban infrastructure.
The reinterpretation of this empty plot in Bradford will address these ideas through research, design, and collaboration of the members of Plot Twist. We hope to draw on a diverse range of backgrounds and education to create a unique proposal to rebalance the city space in favour of our social values.

Posted 2 Mar 2021 23:36