MSA Live 26

- Creating a Poster

Our poster began through a series of quick hand sketches, where we explored composition, scale and how architectural forms could sit alongside people-focused imagery. Early on we discussed colour palette carefully, choosing tones that felt both local and welcoming, drawing from familiar materials and street colours found across Wigan and Leigh.

We then brought these ideas together digitally, layering the sketches, textures and graphics into a single composition. Rather than presenting a finished architectural proposal, the poster reflects the character of the existing built environment while emphasising collaboration. The aim was to visually communicate a shared effort, showing how small contributions, conversations and actions can collectively support and strengthen the Wigan and Leigh community.

During an initial meeting with our collaborator, we met Dave Payne, a Board Member at Withington Baths. Dave provided a detailed overview of the Baths’ history and outlined the broad range of possibilities we could explore through this project.

A key element of the brief he emphasised was the need for a new gym, to be delivered as an extension to the existing building. He encouraged us to think beyond a single-use addition, suggesting a mixed-use approach that could incorporate social housing, event spaces, and communal facilities, among other opportunities.

To help contextualise these ambitions, Dave shared previous design proposals, which ranged from modest two-storey interventions to more ambitious four- and five-storey schemes spanning the entire site.

Hi I am Mildred, a first-year MArch student from CPU(AI) Atelier. I completed my Bachelor’s degree back in Malaysia then worked in two different firms, which focuses on Healthcare, Residential and Commercial architecture. I definitely gained a lot of experience from practice which includes project coordination, technical delivery, submission work of flow and more. I am interested in green spaces and how cities or spaces should be designed for people and to encourage social interaction between them. Hence, I really look forward to explore how we can design the orchard.

Hi, i’m Malaika and i’m a BA1 student from Manchester. I’m really excited to start this journey and work alongside my peers to explore new ideas and develop my design skills. I look forward to collaborating in a supportive environment where we can learn from one another.

BA 1 - Ivan Broussy

Hi, I'm Ivan and I'm in my first year of BA in Architecture. I'm French, but over the course of the past 19 years I've lived in Moscow, Barcelona and Singapore. My eyes were first opened to Architecture when I was 8 years old, living in Barcelona, and my parents showed me the plans of the renovation of our home that they were undertaking. Looking at these plans, and being able to track recognise the changes to the spaces that would occur in my home captivated me. From there I didn't look back, and soon became enthralled with the ability to represent space through drawing, and particularly through the use of perspective. As a result, being able to now take part in designing and renovating of the exterior spaces around Life Leisure Avondale into a vibrant community-led social space through the MSA live program is particularly exciting. I am enthusiastic to put my drawing and sketching skills to use, but more importantly, to advance my skills in other areas of Architectural representation such as physical modelling and CAD skills by working closely with the Master students in my group who have far more advanced skillsets.

I’m Varsha, a first-year MArch student in the Infrastructure atelier. I completed my Bachelor’s in Architecture in Bangalore, India and have trained in a professional studio practice. I believe architecture must harmonize with its context while embracing new technologies, materials and societal needs. I’m especially interested in how the art of architecture can be meaningfully expressed and exhibited in built form. I’m excited to work on the Cyan+ project through MSA Live, exploring the potential of architecture to mediate between built and natural systems, strengthening the continuity of green and blue corridors.

Hi! I’m Ain Dzulaizah from Malaysia, currently an MArch1 student at the Manchester School of Architecture. Growing up, I’ve always been curious about the stories behind buildings, not just how they look, but how they bring people together and support everyday life. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from University of Technology Sarawak and spent a year gaining practical experience in the field. My architectural interests lie in community-centered particularly how spaces can foster social connection, inclusivity, and a strong sense of place. When I’m not doing 'architecture',  I enjoy exploring new places, photography, and journaling - little ways that keep me inspired and help me see the world through different perspectives.

Hi, I'm Sylvia.

I am currently studying MA Architecture and Adaptive Reuse at MSA. Before this, I completed my undergraduate degree in Landscape Architecture in China. I am passionate about how adaptive reuse can breathe new life into communities through sustainable and inclusive design.

I look forward to bringing this perspective to the Moor Allerton Preparatory School project, helping to create a nature-rich space for the students.

Yesterday, we met during the scheduled group session and had another productive catch-up. We managed to complete the tasks set earlier that morning and clearly delegate who would be responsible for the four required outputs, due on the 6th of March. We also spent time talking through what the final project might look like and how we can break tasks down as we move towards the exhibition in June. On top of this, we went over the final tweaks for our poster to make sure everything is coming together. Overall, the meeting felt focused but relaxed, and it was good to see how well we’re continuing to work together as a group.

Hi! I’m Gita (Brygida) and I’m excited to work on this project because of my interest in working and collaborating with people, being conscious of cultural contexts that I’m working on. I’m always excited about exploring different ways of implementing safe and sustainable designs to tackle issues within communities. Being in my first year at MSA, I look forward to working in a multidisciplinary team and building new skills in a professional work environment!

Course: MArch 1
Atelier: CPU(AI)

Hi, I’m Milia from Malaysia. I completed my undergraduate degree there before coming to MSA. Having studied and lived in different places, I’m interested in how context shapes the way people use and experience spaces. I’m drawn to architecture that focuses on everyday use, and this project is a chance for me to explore how design can make knowledge more open and engaging.

17/02/2026

Our session commenced with an attempted dictatorship takeover from a specific group member and a threat of being an observer for the project if their poster wasn't selected. Once the dust settled and the pitchforks had been put down, a vote to decide poster design was carried out and we made our selection. We then met up with the clients Mike and Alexandra, who agreed with our vision for Dandelion church, and helped us develop our ideas further. Rob then joined us for a discussion, that featured a little bit of direction for our project, as well as many, many examples of his own work in which he believed would be of use in our project.

Hi, I’m Luiza a first-year student at Manchester University from Crewe. I have spent the first semester learning a wide range of skills and developing all techniques. I have varying interests such as my love for pencil drawing and reading. I also enjoy sports such as volleyball and netball and occasionally running. In my spare time I enjoy cooking and baking for people. I love how architecture can affect people and how it can be used as a tool for greater change.

For this project I am excited to help create something for a community which will cause a positive change for the children and people living there. I would like to learn various skills from the people around me and try to pass on my skills and ideas to others also.

Last week we met with Ben Atha, a Young People’s Worker at Trafford Council, who works closely with Talkshop in Sale, Manchester, to clarify exactly what he wants to achieve from the project and where improvements are needed. After preparing key questions ahead of the meeting, we were able to align on his goals, identify areas to strengthen, and agree on clear next steps. It was a productive conversation that laid a strong foundation for delivering a meaningful proposal for the young people using the service.

9 Strangers in a room

Our first meeting on Tuesday, 3rd February, involved discussing potential project names, developing initial poster ideas, and just breaking the ice. Hard Hat Café was the brilliant outcome raised by Samira, with no help at all from ChatGPT. As excited as we were to meet the collaborator, unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances delayed our initial discussions.

The poster team produced a strong range of drafts, and we collectively decided to move forward with Yuxiang’s idea, which emphasised our group’s design intent. We discussed visiting the site, and although we would ideally all like to go, Pendle (East Lancashire) is too far for us each to take the venture out (we’re thinking of sending a small strike team instead).

Since the meeting, Michael from In-Situ has reached out and helped to communicate their expectations, and we’re excited to meet him in person after the February half-term.

Starting the day with the lecture, we were briefed on risk assessments, budget plans, project timelines and the ethics application. We then had a lunch break and gathered to have a meeting. We first discussed our deadlines and recap the lecture. After completing a draft of the budget plan, we moved on to exploring our individual research conducted from last meeting. Since last meeting, the client has sent us specified sites, so we decided to discuss that further before creating 3 different groups for site visits in a week’s time. Despite narrowing our site during last meeting, we still want to explore the different sites and keep our research wide-ranged. With the dates for the site visits set for 1st of March as the kickstart, we have created a programme for the rest of the project, compromising and respecting each person’s deadlines as promised in our contract, where we also completed the ethics application and the risk assessments.

Poster Team Meeting

Following our earlier meetings, the poster team met up for a focused brainstorming session to develop our initial ideas. This session was all about getting our thoughts down, exploring different directions, and beginning to shape how we wanted the poster to communicate our work, whilst considering the research teams site analysis. We sketched rough layout ideas, discussed possible titles, and decided what key information needed to stand out on the poster. As the session continued, we assigned roles based on each person’s strengths, with some focusing on design and others on refining the written content. This helped us to organise our work clearly and move forward with a shared plan.

Raheeg Raffay
Foundation in Architecture
I am currently studying Architecture and have a strong interest in heritage, conservation, and the social history embedded within buildings. During my work placement, I worked on a listed building, which further strengthened my interest in historic architecture. I am therefore looking forward to contributing to this project and exploring its heritage in greater depth.

17/02/2026
Group 5 met this afternoon for our second check-in meeting. After a quick catch-up and taking some time to admire the progress of our poster team, we discussed our agenda to ensure we covered everything we needed to. We began by delegating responsibility for the timeline, ethics form, and risk assessment to specific team members and clarified the expectations for each task. While planning the timeline, we discussed how our individual schedules aligned and how they fit alongside BA1, MAAR, and MA1 commitments. We also cleared up any confusion surrounding the ethics form and risk assessment to ensure everyone felt confident moving forward. Budget planning was then addressed, and we decided to finalise spending decisions at a later date. However, we agreed that the budget would likely go toward office supplies and that we would enquire about additional funding for transportation, as many of us are excited about visiting the site in person. After discussing logistics and practicalities, we shifted our focus to the main part of the meeting designing our engagement activities. We identified the key groups interacting with the site, particularly school children and general visitors. Our collaborator noted that many museum visitors already know about the space and what to expect, prompting us to carefully consider how to gather meaningful insights. We explored different strategies to collect useful information. Ideas included asking participants to rank exhibition spaces based on accessibility and enjoyment to help us identify layout issues, and having teachers map the paths students take during visits to better understand movement through the space. Reviewing the examples list, we found ourselves drawn to more creative methods, as they tend to avoid predictable or surface-level responses. At the same time, we discussed the limitations of more traditional approaches, such as surveys, and considered ways to make them more effective. To conclude, we agreed on our deliverables for both this week and next, and we set a date for our site visit. Overall, it was a very productive and focused meeting.

03/02/2026
After the first session it was time to meet our collaborator, during the meeting we were able to: get a better sense of what kind of space they wanted us to create, ask and discus any questions we had and orginise a date and time for a site visit.

Hi I’m Sara! I’m an architecture BA1 student. I’m looking forward to honing my communication, design and problem solving skills through observing the Masters students. I’m excited to work on a formal project with collaborators to understand how an architecture project works after finishing my undergraduate degree.

Hi,I am Qianzi Wu(Luna). I study architecture adaptive reuse in the MSA.
Adaptive strategy is good for the environment and meaningful. I wish to have the chance to work for the real project.

3/2/2026
Today we held our first team meeting, starting off with introductions and providing a brief overview of everyone’s strengths. Tasks were then allocated to everyone according to their traits, making sure everyone had a clear role moving forward.


Shortly after, we carried out some initial research before meeting our collaborator. The main aim of our project is to create a lively social hub for the local community beside Monton Unitarian Church, hosting events such as community picnics and outdoor cinema events.

Later, we had the honour of meeting with Anna, the Unitarian Minister of Monton Unitarian Church. During this session, we gained a deeper understanding of the site and identified key features to guide our next steps. Her perception on community spiked inspiration for us to come up with a range of new ideas for the project.

Group Project Kick-off & Site Visit

On February 3, our team gathered for the first official meeting. We started with an ice-breaking session, got to know each other, and reviewed the project outline. Later that afternoon, we had a productive meeting with our stakeholders, which provided deeper insights into the project background and helped refine our understanding of the objectives. With clearer direction, we smoothly assigned roles and tasks in a collaborative spirit.

Then on February 8, we organized a visit to Albert Dock in Liverpool to explore the project site in person. Walking around the location (photos taken on-site!), we exchanged ideas and discussed how the real setting could inspire our work.

It’s been an engaging and insightful start—everyone is aligned and enthusiastic about moving forward.
Stay tuned for more updates as our project unfolds!

We kicked off our first session by getting to know the team, sharing our architectural backgrounds and sharing our individual strengths, interests and perspectives. After getting to know eachother, we turned our attention to the brief. We spent time analysing the online resources and diagramming the project scope, identifying not just the bare minimum outcomes expected from us, but where we could expand the project by adding extra creativity and value.

Then, we worked on the collaborative design of our project poster. After sketching individual iterations and going over them as a group, we synthesised our ideas into a final draft that represented our collective vision. With several project names in mind, we headed into our first stakeholder meeting with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).

The presentation by the TfGM team was incredibly insightful, outlining the project trajectory and specific expectations. A productive Q&A followed, clearing up any potential ambiguities. As a group, we are really proud of the synergy we’ve built in such a short time, and it was rewarding to see that our excitement is shared by our client.

SESSION 01: MEET THE COLLABORATOR

The team gathered for their first meeting, which began with brief introductions and an insight into the stages each of us was at in our architectural journeys. It was interesting to see just how varied our specialities are, and it provided an opportunity to understand the diverse array of skills each of us could bring to the project. We then delved into the brief, gaining a broad understanding of the requirements, the site and our collaborator: The Common Land Collective (CLC). With many questions still in the air as to how we could best approach the project, we broke into pairs to gather more information on a specific aspect of the project to later discuss, share and build a common understanding of the project's potential. In the hour before our meeting with our collaborator, we discussed potential team names, poster design, and questions we had for the CLC.

During our meeting with the CLC, we were given a presentation by two members of the organisation which covered the details of the site, the projected timeline, and their ambitions. We were all thoroughly engaged and met them with equal enthusiasm, asking many questions that gave us a clearer vision for the project. Finally, we attended to the last matter of business: the team name. After thorough consideration and a tough voting campaign, we landed on the name The Eco Dens Collective.

Overall, the first meeting was a rousing success and gave us the running start we needed. We look forward to the project's future and hope the sessions moving forward continue this momentum to achieve our collective ambitions.

Hello!

I am Fatima. An eager and adaptable foundation year student who is looking forward to working with more experienced architecture students in my group.

FIRST DAY 03/02/2026
Today was the first meeting with our group members and collaborators. During the group meeting, we introduced ourselves and discussed our initial ideas for the project. This included our first impressions of the GM Ringway and our thoughts on its potential. Everyone shared their views openly, and the discussion was active and positive.

In the final hour, we met with members from CPRE and one of the founders of the GM Ringway project. They introduced the background of the project and their expectations. We also exchanged initial ideas between our group and the collaborators.

Overall, the aims of the first meeting were achieved. We look forward to working closely with the collaborators over the next four months and developing a strong project that can attract more people to engage with the GM Ringway.