I'm Min Jing from Malaysia, and I'm part of the SKN atelier. I'm interested in sustainable architecture and public architecture. My main software skills include Revit, Adobe Suite, Enscape, and AutoCAD. Beyond architecture, I enjoy traveling, orchestral music, water sports, and photography. I'm looking forward to collaborating on exciting designs!

PROJECT INTRODUCTION

Aims: The goal of our project is to introduce positive change to Alsager by designing a space for the community. What that entails is a space for: leisure, daily activities, meeting, artistic expression, events. One of the main aspects is creating a place for the young people of Alsager, who currently do not have many options for entertainment, as part of that the current skatepark will be redesigned.

Process: The work process will start with an urban planning exercise that will showcase how the site is related to the rest of Alsager. Through this, ideas for the site will be generated. We will then proceed to sketch and model both physically and digitally the proposals we come up with.

Outputs: The team will create an urban map, design sketches, physical models of the proposals and the master students will show and guide you through the production of digital renders of the final designs.

THE COLLABORATORS

StudioLab is an emerging local interest group with an interest in arts, architecture, technology, and the alternative. Conceived as a collective, currently comprising of Home Coffee & Studio and Studio 100a in Alsager. Their aim is to educate, collaborate and facilitate creativity by offering studio space but to also inspire real-world change by engaging with the people and places around them through projects and initiatives.

SKILLS AND ACTIVITIES

You will have the opportunity to participate in various methods of design:
- Hand drawing
- Digital drawing and collage
- Physical modelling
- Digital modelling
- Ai tools incorporation

We will also give tutorials on the following:
- Mapping
- Photoshop
- 3D Modelling (Introduction to Parametric Architecture and Digital Modelling)

SITE VISIT - 2/19

On our initial site visit to Alsager, we had the opportunity to tour the town with our collaborators from Studio Lab - Alex M. and Alex H. Alsager is a small town located to the south of Manchester that hosts the annual Alsager Summer Carnival and Music Festival. There are several parks in Alsager, and the largest one is Milton Park, where our skatepark site is situated adjacent to. The site has two main sections: a small concrete skatepark mainly occupied by teenage students, and an empty space being used as a car park. We managed to capture some photos and drone footage to fully understand the experiential quality of the site.

Following the tour, our team sat down at Alex H.’s Two Door’s studio to further discuss the scope of the project and their visions. We identified some opportunities to revitalize the usage of the site, setting the stage for our collaboration.

Find the article from the local press here:
https://alsager.nub.news/news/local-news/new-arts-enterprise-and-architecture-students-have-designs-on-success-helping-to-shape-the-future-229200

FINAL PLANNING MEETING

Prior to the action weeks, the team had an online meeting with collaborators to conduct a final check on the key dates and key outputs for the action weeks.

ACTION PLAN

WEEK 1:
The first week focuses on researching the site and developing project concepts. The team will split into two thematic groups, each with a different focus, to gather diverse approaches to the site.

WEEK 2:
The second week begins with some MArch 1 students bringing the conceptual work from the first week to Alsager to present to members of the community, gathering feedback to further develop the projects. On Thursday, the team will visit Alsager to meet with our collaborator and receive their feedback on our project.

DAY 01

The first day of MSA Live began with the MArch team presenting an overview of the projects to the BAs, covering its outputs, goals, and timeline. Following this, a workshop was organized to assist them in understanding various approaches to master planning.

After lunch, the team was split into two groups, one working on mapping strategies for the site at the scales of 1:5000 and 1:2500, and the other creating serial visions to understand the experiential qualities from different perspectives of the site.

DAY 01

Serial vision drawings from day 1

DAY 01

Serial vision drawings from day 1.

DAY 02

Today's focus was on collecting individual conceptual ideas, achieved through researching precedents, sketching, and creating collages. The day started with a presentation showcasing the work from Day 1, reflecting on the insights gathered from site analysis and studying precedents. Students were encouraged to select their preferred focus, whether accessibility, modular design, multilevel structures, or flexibility in usage. They were then granted the freedom to explore their chosen idea using their preferred media. A good amount of sketches and collages are created by the students. The day concluded with a brief reflection session, where all ideas were gathered, discussed and shared by the team.

DAY 02

Concept sketches.

DAY 02

Concept sketches.

DAY 02

Concept collages.

DAY 02

Concept collages.

DAY 02

Concept drawings recreated from site photos.

DAY 02

DAY 03

Today we focused on developing individual concepts through sketch model making. A site model at the scale of 1:250 was built by the MArch students, so that the we can fit our sketch models into context.

DAY 03

site model at the scale of 1:250. The 3D printed area (site boundary) can be removed for the purpose of fitting new designs into the area.

DAY 03

Sketch model making.

DAY 03

Sketch model in site model to explore the relationship between each concept and the site.

DAY 04

On Day 4, our collaborator from the Studio Lab visited to provide additional explanations about the project. The team showcased our progress on concept development and received positive feedback from the collaborator. Additionally, we finalized details for Monday's presentation to Alsager's community members and created presentable materials for the event, including posters, presentation and models.

DAY 04

More explanatory sketches for our site and concepts.

DAY 04

Collages and drawings to demonstrate in 3D how our designs fit into the site and may be used by the community.

DAY 05

On Day 5, a community event was held in Alsager to showcase our conceptual work to the public and gather feedback from them. Posters on site analysis, concept sketches, and visualizations were created to present our work.

DAY 06

On Day 6, we began the day with a discussion on the feedback we gathered from yesterday's community event.

The main points are listed below:

- Retain the car park.
- Considering the feasibility of Alsager, including mixed-use furniture such as chess tables will be great.
- Check the circulation to the back of the bar and retain a drivable route.
- Elaborate on the idea of zoning for different usages and ages.
- Enhance the entrance to draw people into the space and create a welcoming atmosphere.
- Propose phasing ideas, ranging from feasible to less feasible in scale.
- Implement scooter-friendly routes.

The team split into three groups to develop concepts that respond to different feedback.

DAY 06

DAY 06

DAY 06

The day concluded with students sharing their progress from the day.

DAY 07

On Wednesday, the group focused on creating posters for Thursday's exhibition for the community of Alsager. The students designed posters in three phases, ranging from the most financially feasible to the most ambitious.

DAY 07 PHASE 1

ILHAM | NAZDAMI | MAIR

Phase 1 of the project targets offering financially feasible options to the community.

1. Creating signs to make the currently narrow entrance more visible to the public
2. Installing ramps and bollards to make the space more accessible and pedestrian-friendly
3. Creating furniture that connects with the skatepark to accommodate a wider range of users.
4. Installing bicycle racks.
5. Providing a first aid point locker for skaters.
6. Clearing the graffiti space to give artists more freedom to create new artwork.

DAY 07 PHASE 2: SUNSET SKATEPARK

ECE | LILLIE | IZZY

Phase 2 of the project aims to redesign the skatepark to make it more inviting and inclusive, creating a safer area for the entire community.

1. This is achieved through the use of warm hues from entrance points to guide people into the area, making it more welcoming.
2. The skating area will also have a slower zone designed for beginners and kids to use.
3. Lighting will be installed around the skatepark's perimeter to prevent the park from becoming intimidating at night.
4. Seating will be provided in the form of wide stairs for people to rest on, situated between the skatepark and playground area, allowing parents to watch over their kids.
5. The creation of modular pavilion units will provide an illuminated seating area at night, constructed from a timber frame and sheltered by corrugated plastic sheets. The translucent sheets will allow light to filter through, providing a greater sense of safety at night. These modular pavilions could be placed around the park and utilized for stalls at summer music festivals.

DAY 07 PHASE 3: THE ISLESKATE OF ALSAGER

TIANLE | MAX

Through the re-development of the skatepark and car park area, Phase 3 aims to foment the approachability of this space in Alsager via a consideration of a wider demographic users for this space.

The island element segregates the space into faster and slower areas of the skatepark to accommodate different abilities and users of the space from children to the elder population of Alsager.

DAY 08

Thursday is our final event day in Alsager. The group visited the Skatepark site, Alsager's community center, and Alex's studio to present the ideas and concepts to the community and collaborators. We had multiple conversations about our proposals, which were reported in the local newspaper. The local community shared ideas, making it a highly engaging event.

Find the article from the local press here:
https://alsager.nub.news/news/local-news/architecture-students-present-final-designs-for-milton-park-in-alsager-229926

DAY 09

On our final day, the team worked on assembling the final publication and other documents for our submission.

Group 32 would like to say a big thank you to our client, the Studio Lab, for giving us this opportunity to design an engaging community project. We would also like say thank you to the local community of Alsager, who participated in the events and provided us with invaluable insights into their needs and considerations.

Finally, many thanks to all the BAs, we really enjoyed working with you all!!!