Group 32
ROCHDALE REVIVAL

ROCHDALE REVIVAL This project is a collaboration with St. John the Baptist RC Church in Rochdale, Rochdale Development Agency, and the Heritage Schools Programme. The church has applied for funding to carry out repairs to the building and they are looking for ideas on how to help breathe new life into a historic building, rich in heritage, while also engaging the community. The proposals will help to support the ongoing community work in the area which already includes work with refugees and asylum seekers.

Download Final Report

Beena N / Yilin Z / Zichen L / Sze Jin L / Yifan H / Theodore Mark F

Yilin Z
March Atelier: Advanced Practice

From: China

BA: Manchester School of Architecture (Platform)

Interests: Food / Travelling / Anime

Skills: Sketchup / Photoshop / Sketching / Thea Render

About: I gained my work experience in Hong Kong after I graduated from MSA, participating in several commercial projects. Personally, I am interested in the emotional connection between architecture and the users , and how to approach them through spatial quality and materiality.
Posted 2 Mar 2021 17:24
Theodore Mark F
March Atelier: USE

From: Newcastle Upon Tyne

BA: Manchester School of Architecture (CIA)

Interests: Karate / Art / Football/ Photography

Skills:  Revit / Illustrator / Photoshop/ Sketching

About: After graduating from the MSA I started working at practice in Newcastle called FaulknerBrowns, there I took part in a large range of projects at a number of different design stages. My favorite project I worked on was the redesign of my old high school, this was a part of a larger project building a leisure and schooling complex. I enjoy looking at the cultural impact of architecture and how it interfaces with art.
Posted 2 Mar 2021 17:38
Sze Jin L
March Atelier: CiA

From: Penang, Malaysia

BA: University of Edinburgh

Interests: Outdoor Sports / Music / Food

Skills: Lumion / Illustrator / Photoshop

About:
During my year out, I have participated in several medium to large-scale commercial and residential projects. I am always intrigued by how architecture embodies a larger civic role of enriching community. Rochdale Revival allows me to explore this and search for design solutions that could anchor a vibrant public life.

Posted 2 Mar 2021 18:13
Yifan H
March Atelier: Continuity in Architecture

From: China

BA: Shandong University Of Science And Technology

Interests: Basketball/hiking

Skills:  Revit / Illustrator / Photoshop

About: When I got my master’s degree in China, I came to MSA to study for a master’s degree in architecture. In fact, during my undergraduate period, I had interned in different architect firms and participated in some old building renovation projects, but in Manchester it was a Very good opportunity to experience local culture and learn about local architecture. Because I have always been very interested in architectural heritage, and I am willing to visit and study a building in this area, such as a church, a monastery, etc. I believe that this type of building has a profound impact on culture.
Posted 2 Mar 2021 19:10
Yifan H
This whole project is focused around bring social value to the st. Johns Baptist church and wider community of Rochdale. Set in an incredibly diverse area, the Rochdale Revival project's aim is to design and propose an architectural integration that engages, welcomes and up-lift anyone who live in or is connected to the local area.
Posted 2 Mar 2021 19:13
Zichen L
March Atelier: USE

From: China

BA: Tamkang University in Taiwan

Interests: Drawing/ Fashion/ Cooking

Skills: Hand drawing/ Photoshop/ Rhinoceros

About:
During my college years, I participated in several workshops of community development and historic building renovation. It is very interesting to listen and know local people’s own stories, wishes and memories. The process of rebuilding people’s stories, using the method of designing to give the old building new life are really amazing.
Posted 2 Mar 2021 19:19
Beena N
March Atelier: &rchitecture

From: Manchester

BA: Manchester School of Architecture (PRAXXIS)

Interests: Painting / Art

Skills: Illustrator / Photoshop / Revit

About: In any spare time I have, I like to paint and create. Inspired by my Kurdish heritage, I use my art to articulate issues surrounding cultural identity and the global refugee crisis. I am passionate about representing and highlighting ethnic minorities and the plight of refugees within the UK.
Posted 2 Mar 2021 19:28
Beena N
This project allows you to pick up and practice various skills, from communicating, being part of discussions as a team to 3D modelling skills in Sketchup and Revit. We will also have opportunities to sketch, diagram and design.
Posted 2 Mar 2021 19:50
Beena N
Laura Sanderson organised this MSA LIVE project in collaboration with our external partners. Laura has previously worked with our collaborators for an Events project in previous years in Rochdale so is very aware of the needs of the community and the existing site.
Posted 2 Mar 2021 20:08
Beena N
Historic England - The public body that helps people care for, enjoy and celebrate England's spectacular historic environment.

We will be collaborating with Daisy Horsley from Historic England. Daisy works with and provides training to teachers across Greater Manchester to improve access to local history in the school curriculum.
Posted 2 Mar 2021 20:13
Beena N
St John the Baptist Church - This church welcomes and invites locals to enter the Grade 2 listed building, to form a community.

We will be collaborating with Stephen Leech, the Project Manager for the church and volunteers of the church, Christine Matthewson and Peter Galvin to deliver this project. We will be hearing from them about the existing and ongoing activities and the needs of the church.
Posted 2 Mar 2021 20:23
Beena N
Rochdale Development Agency - The RDA is a local authority controlled company of Rochdale Borough Council, dedicated to promoting Rochdale as a central investment location.

We will be collaborating with Jack Youd from the RDA for this project, the Heritage Action Zone Project Officer.
Posted 2 Mar 2021 20:29
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
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
Beena N
Rochdale Revival aims to improve the connections the existing communities in Rochdale have with St John Baptist Church. The project aims to make the Church more visible to the local communities from all faiths and backgrounds. Part of this project is about softening and removing the invisible barriers that have in the past stopped people from different faiths from entering the Church. It is also in the interest of those who work and volunteer at the Church that the intervention supports community integration and the ongoing activities they hold, allowing people to gather, meet new people and engage with the rich history and beauty of the Church and all that is inside.
Posted 8 May 2021 15:54
Yilin Z
The first church on the present site was opened in 1829 with the present church being completed in 1925. The history of the evolving community on this site is ripe for more scholarly investigation but it is a history of various ethnic groups and of the growing population of Rochdale.
The first church of any kind was opened in 1830. Fr. H. Walmsley ministered here from 1832 to 1834, when he was followed by Fr. E. Brown, who sacrificed his life in the care of the sick during an epidemic. It is thought that the first schools of the parish were held in cellars under the presbytery, attached to the chapel. A great deal of work for the parish was done during the long tenure of Father John Dowling, who was here from 1839 to his death in 1871. A brick church, capable of housing 500 people, and increased school accommodation were provided in 1860. Later it was separated in the same year, and gradually other districts were cut off from the mother parish: Whitworth opened 1860, Todmorden 1868, Littleborough 1879, Castleton 1879, Norden 1904. The parish has been governed by a succession of distinguished and eminent clergy Canon Edward O'Neill (1874-1895) came here after labouring for 17 years as chaplain to Manchester Infirmary and Workhouse; Canon John Boulaye, later Provost and Vicar General, was here for a time, and from 1898 to 1937 Canon Henry Chipp governed the parish and presided over the building of the present beautiful Byzantine church, finished in 1925. In recent years the parish has been under the care of Canon P. Kelly, Canon Theologian of the diocese. The church first appears on the third Epoch 1:2500 OS Lancashire map, published in 1930, when it has the same footprint as present. The campanile envisaged was not built at that time.
Built between 1923-25, the current church of St John the Baptist is a Grade II* listed building, upgraded in 2015 due to the importance and quality of the mosaics. The church was considered to be a notable Byzantine design which merited listing in its own right, but the quality of its mosaic decoration justified its upgrading to II*. The mosaics, which are the centrepiece of the sanctuary, are believed (by Oppenheimer scholars) to be one of, if not the best, the example of Oppenheimer’s work with international significance making it of artistic, historic and architectural interest.
Posted 8 May 2021 20:59
Zichen L
Religion-Roman Catholic Church and John the Baptist

St. John the Baptist Church is Roman Catholic Church which is the oldest, largest and continuously functioning international institution all around the world, and it dedicated to John the Baptist. John the Baptist was an important figure in Christianity. In addition to Christianity, other faiths, such as Islam, the Bahai Faith, and Mandaeism, John the Baptist is also considered as a prophet and saint. According to Christianity, John the Baptist baptized people in the Joran River and persuaded them to repent.

Decoration-mosaic

St. John the Baptist Church is know as Rochdale’s hidden treasure. Its beautiful Mosaic decoration has recently been reconstructed which was designed and manufactured by an Italian artisan company. In addition, the mosaic covered the entire wall behind the altar with color tiles, which took morn than a year to complete due to the exquisite craftsmanship. The theme of the oasis is eternal life, which was designed by Eric Newton of Ludwig Oppenheimer Ltd, cost 4000 pongs and was made by craftspeople in Manchester. As we know, mosaics have always played a very important role religious architecture, that is why our MSA Live group is particularly interested in it. In religious buildings, mosaics are composed of small stones to form a variety of religious figures and stories. The mosaics in St. John and Baptists Church is an excellent case. Therefore, part of our project will focus on the mosaics, through which we can deeply understand the religious culture and atmosphere of the church.

Building style- Byzantine Revival architecture style

The St. John the Baptist Church ‘s design began with the hope of replacing the brick church with something similar to the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. The architect of St John the Baptist Church was Henry Oswald Hill and Ernest Bower Norris, and the design of the church was influenced by Westminster Cathedral and John Francis Bentley deeply, both of them are associated with Byzantine architecture. The architectural style of St. John the Baptist Church of Rochdale is Byzantine Revival style (also known as Neo-Byzantine), a kind of architectural revival movement. This kind of architectural style is commonly found in religious, institutional and public buildings. It combines elements of the Byzantine style commonly associated with Eastern and Orthodox Quarterly architecture.
Posted 9 May 2021 18:15
Beena N
DAY 1 TIMETABLE:

10 AM - Introduction to Rochdale Revival and the team
11 AM - Creative Exercise

1 – 2 PM - Lunch

2 PM - Informal Presentations
3 PM - Presentations about Rochdale Revival and aims of project
4 PM - Questions with Steven Leech (Collaborator) and recap of the day
Posted 10 May 2021 08:51
Sze Jin L
The meet with our collaborators included representatives from Rochdale Development Agency (RDA), Heritage School Programme (HE) and St John Baptist Church (SJBC). The collaborators provided key insights and information that aided our understanding of both the church and Rochdale.

St John Baptist church has always been active in community engagement, organizing events in collaboration with local schools and hosting social events throughout the year. Apart from social initiatives, they aimed to establish heritage presence to a wider crowd, particularly the large modern mosaic hall. Therefore, they seek for ideas or intervention that could promote its heritage significance.

The final design output could be any form of creative solution. On top of that, they are looking to integrate key parts of the proposal in the future regeneration plan. Thus, the proposal is part of a place making strategy that could impact both the church and Rochdale all together.
Posted 10 May 2021 19:13
Zichen L
The Mosaic Task

Mosaic task is the first activity of our group!
Students can use any available materials to complete their Mosaic task, such as recycled materials, Post-it notes, cardboard and so on
Through the first attempt to Mosaic project to other members to show their strengths, preferences and anything else they want to show. Mosaic task is a bridge for group members to get to know each other and
it will also help BA students have a better understanding of the future activity plan of our Rochdale Revival team.
Posted 10 May 2021 22:11
Beena N
It’s Day TWO!

DAY 2 TIMETABLE:
10 AM - Introduction to objectives of the day, learning further about the barriers and issues of visibility
11 AM - Group Exercise 1: Precedent Studies, diagramming, sketching and documenting an initial strategy.
1 – 2 PM - Lunch
2 PM - Completing Group Exercise 1
3 PM - Short informal presentations of each group’s initial strategies
4 PM - Recap of the day
Posted 11 May 2021 09:00
Yilin Z
Kicking off!

The team was divided into sub-groups that were based on different themes of History, Community and Culture. Students started off by researching for precedent studies. They then required to synthesis relevant concept and strategy that could be applied in the proposal. These were documented in a mind mapping exercise and 400 words write up. For the second half of the day, diagrams were generated for each proposal to visualize their design strategy. A final drawing from each group was then produced. We wrapped it up by having students presenting their proposal to the larger group with the full set of research and drawings.

Students have shown great understanding of three themes. They progressed from having a basic understanding of site and aims, to synthesizing site specific solution. These ideas were then brought to paper where the final drawing encapsulates the space, the scenario and the intervention. The proposals presented were interesting. They show the different strands of approach dealing with the issue of heritage. We are excited to see how all these ideas would progress further!
Posted 12 May 2021 02:06
Yilin Z
Background

Oswald Hill, a man whose story needs to be told. He was an architect and a patriot, so much so that he died commanding a squadron in World War 1. Nevertheless, his work has managed to live on more than a century later, one such structure is St Johns Baptist Church in Rochdale. Initially built to combat a growing population of Catholics in the area, it has now become intertwined into the history of Rochdale and it’s people. It is therefore important that the church is as visible as could possibly be in the context that it can be embraced and respected as part of the rich heritage that is Rochdale.

Concept

To increase it’s visibility we came up with the idea of a path that would be created leading towards the church. The inspiration for the path was from a maze as the path would implore a similar design. Along this path we would have readings that explained the history of the church and Rochdale. One would be able to walk to the church and at the same time learn about it and Rochdale. Furthermore, the path itself could double down as its own attraction apart from bringing traffic to the church, as it is bound to attract intellectuals.

Strategy

1) Learn about the history of Rochdale and St Johns Church, this could be done by research from secondary material with information available in hard and soft copy. The same information will be present in the readings along the path depending on the gravity it weighs.

2) Show research methods and sources, this is necessary as most of the information we would be using would be secondary sources (journals, articles, books) therefore credit must be given to the original author. Use this information to map out a plan in solving the issue of bringing more people to the church, this will be where we now place the information into our designs for the path as this is the solution we conceptualized.

3) Think about materiality and how the history will be visualized, this can be done by providing a timeline for the church and Rochdale as for materiality, the best way to go would be with the materials that provide the most aesthetically pleasing structure/design.

With this strategy we aim to remind the people of the role the church plays in the history and heritage of the town.
Posted 12 May 2021 02:06
Yilin Z
Background

Rochdale has a rainy climate. Providing protection from the rain is something the church could do with a shelter to embed itself in the community.

Concept / Strategy

Creating a space for the people to come together out of the wet and cold. Furthermore, this space could be dynamic in its purpose. During the day the church could use this space to facilitate local entrepreneurs and hold a small-scale market for the local community to interact with the church. As the sun sets and the lights dim the structure is illuminated by projections of the mosaic inside the church giving this space an entirely new aesthetic.

In addition, this structure could be used to host events for the people and become a community hub. Using the projection system movies and shows could be plastered on the walls creating a viewing event under the stars. Bollywood movie nights to entice the Asian portion of the community and Christmas matinee in the winter for those who are in festivities.

This dynamic space brings the vibrance of the church into its exterior and is very malleable to accommodate for the community. Moreover, the church being the first building seen when entering the town by train this new façade would better embody Rochdale. An energetic and moving space was envisioned where people could interact and enjoy the space together all under the gaze of the church building. This solidifies the relationship between the church and the Rochdale community.
Posted 12 May 2021 02:07
Yilin Z
Background

Culture is defined as the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of society. Culture reflected in architecture helps create or maintain identity. We wanted to be able to add further identity to the town and its church in order to advertise Rochdale for tourism. We have looked at the motif of a mosaic as a key driver in this project, as mosaics covey the image of the Rochdale church.

Concept / Strategy

We looked at the idea of creating a decorative pathway or pavement made up of colourful mosaic squares going from the main exit of the train station to the main entrance of Saint John the Baptist’s Church. The colourful mosaic tiles on the pavement could intrigue and lead the visitors to the church and the tiles could become increasingly brighter and more colourful once getting closer to the church. This would draw attention to the church but would also make the mosaic artwork on the interior seem like the thing they have took a journey to reach. This path could also become a tourist attraction (along with the Cathedral) which would then be shared online and attract further tourists from seeing these images of Rochdale’s famous pavement.

Furthermore, we looked at adding simplistic Dome installations around Rochdale to represent the cathedral and its culture. They would be big enough for one person or so to step inside where they will be surrounded by a mosaic interior. This adds something memorable to the town and contributes further to the identity of Rochdale. Again, viewers may also take photographs of these installations and share them online which advertises the tourism of the town.

Finally, we would add QR codes near or on placards on the installations which would allow tourists to learn about the cultural identity of the town through mobile. When visitors want to educate themselves on the culture, for example through the minimalistic Dome installations, information is easily accessible to them, and even share the information that they have learned through social media with friends and family with the press of a button. This aids the viewers interest in the town's culture and allows them to learn more about it. This could further lead to tourists seeking out the church when they learn that it is key part of the town's identity.
Posted 12 May 2021 02:07
Beena N

It’s Day THREE!

After a great session yesterday, today we will start off with an Illustrator Tutorial to ensure all of you have the basic skills to place your strategies on site. We hope that you will go on to use Illustrator in your own projects at MSA in the future as it is very useful and easy to use for diagramming your ideas and creating maps.
You will all be developing some diagrams to further portray your strategy in the context of Rochdale and wider community.
Posted 12 May 2021 08:51
Zichen L
Culture Group

The church's visibility in Rochdale will be reflected through the mosaic as a key element. By creating a colourful mosaic walkway to lead people from the train station to the church and adding mini dome installations along the way for people to enter and experience.
Posted 13 May 2021 01:02
Zichen L
Illustrator Tutorial

On the third day, we arranged a tutorial about Illustrator. Our MA member, Yifan, demonstrated how to use some basic skills of Illustrator to clearly express strategies and ideas in maps by showing his previous work and using an example of a 3D view mapping of Rochdale that he had already drawn. By the end of the tutorial, the BA students will have used Illustrator to draw mapping that expresses their ideas and hopefully this tutorial will be of great help to future students when they complete their own work.
Posted 13 May 2021 01:11
Beena N
It’s Day FOUR!

We were really pleased with the strategies and mapping that came out from yesterdays session, today we will wrap up any loose ends on the diagramming exercise to make sure you have all completed them.
We will also introduce Storyboarding as a method to capture your ideas in still frames. You may want to show how your strategy changes by day and night or the different elements. We will also be working on some thin line drawings to capture your ideas further.

We look forward to seeing you all at 10 AM – have fun!
Posted 13 May 2021 09:07
Zichen L
Community Group

The position of the structures allows for people to have direct view and access, with circulation from all routes North and South of the Church. People visiting Rochdale will be able to see the installation when arriving via the metro, bringing attention and direction towards activities happening underneath the sheltering structures and around the Church.
Posted 13 May 2021 10:54
Zichen L
Culture Group

The first image shows a large scale 3D view of the symbols representing the church that one can see on the way from the station to the church, including the small mosaic dome, the fire station tower, the mosaic road, and the information about the church that one can see on one's mobile phone after scanning the QR code.

The second picture gives a closer look at the small mosaic dome pavilion. The signage takes one in the direction of the church. It is also possible to see in this picture how people move around inside the small dome exhibition pavilion.

The third image, the final image of the storyboard, makes it clear how the people are guided by the mosaic path to the even more beautiful church at the end. These three storyboards act like a book, gradually leading one to the best part of the story - the mosaic inside the church.
Posted 13 May 2021 20:54
Sze Jin L
Today, we run a photoshop workshop to demonstrate basic techniques and steps for image creation. Students are tasked to curate 3 images or collages that communicate their design strategy in both macro and microscale. The exercise allows students to revisit their design strategy and compose these in visual form. Throughout the process, composition, colours, scale and hierarchy of elements were explored for the communication of work.
Posted 13 May 2021 21:09
Yifan H
History group

The storyboards show how people are guided by these curved structures to the open square in front of the church. and a taste of Rochdale's history in the curved walkways.
Posted 13 May 2021 21:45
Sze Jin L
Community

The proposed pavilion functions as a shelter for the public. It considers the circulation axis to the church and addresses the arrival from the metro link. The symmetrical language established by the structure celebrates the church as the focal point of the square. During the day, pavilion shelters people from rain and allows for market stalls to operate. At night, the space is catered for mass events such as projection show or film screening. The scheme enhances the dynamics of the square and accommodates for multiple uses while paying homage to the church.
Posted 13 May 2021 23:30
Beena N
It’s Day FIVE!

After another great session yesterday, today we will be starting a new method of design development through speed model making. All of your installation proposals will have buildable elements and through a speed model making exercise you will develop and refine your design further in 3D.
You will need basic materials like paper, card and scissors to do this speed model making exercise. In your groups you will then refine your individual models into one group model that incorporates all of your models’ strengths, this will be then defined in perspectives and a final image for your group proposals.
We hope you all enjoy today’s exercises, which is great for getting ideas out and developed, without being too precious early on. Remember to have fun with it!
Lunch 1 – 2 PM

See you all at 10 AM!
Posted 14 May 2021 09:01
Yilin Z
Another productive day!
Today we have been running a speed model making exercise. In the session students are tasked to make their individual sketch model in several short intervals. The session allows participants to finalise their design scheme and quickly visualise their strategies in physical form. After completing the models students were encouraged to communicate and share ideas with their peers.
Posted 14 May 2021 17:17
Zichen L
Culture Group

Today, members of culture group combined the models and sketch, which was made during the speed model making exercise in a single drawing, continuing in the style of the previous work and discussing more specifically what the mini dome might look like and how the mosaic path leads people into the church. It was a very interesting experiment and the results were very creative.
Posted 14 May 2021 18:51
Yifan H
History group

Today the member of history group made the model, the outer walls are all painted green, the idea behind this is there would be vegetation growing on the walls such as Liannas. The inner walls are as colourful to create a bright aesthetic that could serve the purpose of attracting a youthful audience in addition to the people who would visit to learn more about the history. On each wall there will be readings on the history of the church and Rochdale placed on the wall in granite tablets, for grandeur.
Posted 14 May 2021 20:35
Beena N
Community Group

Today the members of community group iterated sketch models that allowed them to develop their strategy in 3D, exploring finer details of their design. They focused on the experiential elements of their roof structure, thinking about the way light enters, how rain and wind are treated through their proposal. Their final image shows their developed proposal which incorporates a curved roof design, tinted mosaic inspired glazing and a journey through the structure from the open air of the market to the more secluded side where light shows can take place.

Posted 15 May 2021 00:31
Beena N
It’s Day SIX of MSA LIVE 21!

Today we will start off with group presentations to our collaborators, Jack Youd, Steven Leech and Laura Sanderson. Each group will explain their proposals, design decisions and designs they have developed. We can’t wait to see you all show off your exciting work!
Lunch will be 1 – 2 PM

See you all soon!
Posted 17 May 2021 09:36
Beena N
We were joined by Jack Youd and Steven Leech, two of our collaborators we are working with for our project Rochdale Revival. BA1 and BA2 students presented their proposals within their thematic focus groups: Community, History and Culture. They talked us through their intentions, aims and inspirations for their design. We received great feedback from both Jack and Steven and students spent the rest of the morning responding to their feedback to strengthen their proposals further.
Posted 17 May 2021 17:54
Beena N
After receiving feedback on their proposals students were asked to design mood boards that capture the new elements they would like to introduce into their design and develop further. Each group considered the sustainability of their selected materials, use of colour, how it supports safer cities and how it encourages biodiversity. The mood boards created allowed students to gather images and inspirations for their final task of the day, creating a montage of their designs and new additions they would like to develop.
Posted 17 May 2021 17:55
Beena N
The History team created a montage that brings together their proposal with new elements which were developed in response to the feedback from the collaborators. Their compilation highlights the journey to through their installation from "Start to End" leading to the Church.
Posted 17 May 2021 17:58
Beena N
The Community team created a montage that brings together their proposal with new elements which were developed in response to the feedback from the collaborators. Their montage describes a journey a user would take when arriving at the tram stop or by walking into the area. They montage describes a journey and the activities that you would see when arriving to their proposal that leads to the Church.
Posted 17 May 2021 18:00
Beena N
The Culture team created a montage that brings together their proposal with new elements which were developed in response to the feedback from the collaborators. Their montage describes a journey a user would take following their designed mosaic footpath and highlighting the experiential elements of their installations, showing how they may look inside with suggestions for materiality.
Posted 17 May 2021 18:03
Beena N
Today we will be developing the montages created yesterday, refining them further to create a line drawing in the style of Dan Slavinsky. We will have a tutorial by Theo Fisher to walk you all through how you can make one within your groups. We hope that you all enjoy today's task and hopefully it will get you all thinking a little differently about compositions and abstract drawing!
Posted 18 May 2021 15:24
Yilin Z
Today, we run an abstract drawing workshop to discuss the techniques Dan Slavinsky presents in his architectural drawings. Students are tasked to create a thin line drawing as the base to add on abstract elements. By challenging the innovative artistic method to present their strategies, students are expected to have a deeper understanding of their schemes and be clearer of the aspects they would like to focus on.
Posted 18 May 2021 20:15
Sze Jin L
The team is tasked to select and reinterpret elements from the previous photomontage into loose line drawings. The hand drawing exercise prompts students to think about the relationship between form and geometry.
Posted 18 May 2021 23:04
Beena N
Today we will be starting at 10 AM and will be working further on the abstract drawings developed in yesterdays session. Students will take their piece a step further by picking out key elements they want to capture and highlight in their drawings. We will be finishing the day at 1 PM today.
Posted 19 May 2021 09:29
Yilin Z
Communitiy Group

Sketches from the previous exercise were overlaid and composed to form abstract architectural drawing. The loose nature of hand sketches prompts the team to break free from conventional building form. It explores how line weight , scale and composition of the individual sketches could structure the envisioned reality of the schemes. Juxtaposition of mosaics with walls and ground, relationship between geometry of the church and the proposed structure are translated into visual form.
Posted 19 May 2021 22:39
Yilin Z
History Group

Sketches from the previous exercise were overlaid and composed to form abstract architectural drawing. The loose nature of hand sketches prompts the team to break free from conventional building form. It explores how line weight , scale and composition of the individual sketches could structure the envisioned reality of the schemes. Juxtaposition of mosaics with walls and ground, relationship between geometry of the church and the proposed structure are translated into visual form.
Posted 19 May 2021 22:39
Yilin Z
Culture Group

Sketches from the previous exercise were overlaid and composed to form abstract architectural drawing. The loose nature of hand sketches prompts the team to break free from conventional building form. It explores how line weight , scale and composition of the individual sketches could structure the envisioned reality of the schemes. Juxtaposition of mosaics with walls and ground, relationship between geometry of the church and the proposed structure are translated into visual form.
Posted 19 May 2021 22:40
Beena N
It's our final day together over at Rochdale Revival! We will be reflecting on the project and all of your amazing work that you have made over the last two weeks. We will have a half day session today finishing before lunch.

See you at 10 AM
Posted 20 May 2021 09:09
Yilin Z
Last day!

Today is our last day to work together. The BA students have shared their comments on the project and how the MA students organised it. It’s a pleasure to work with all the BA students and hope you enjoyed MSA Live. Have a happy summer!
Posted 20 May 2021 12:26
Yilin Z
Culture group reflection

Elena Grozeva:
I really enjoyed the guidance that we were getting throughout the project. The tasks were interesting, easy to follow and led us easily through the whole process. Also, the advice from the masters students was very useful.

Isabella Mearns:
I readjusted enjoyed the work we were given and the progress I have made on photoshop and other programmes. However I do wish that the groups were slightly more integrated with each other so I could get know the rest of the group better.

Jay Hooper:
The brief for each task was extremely specific, which was great because I knew exactly what elements and what style to create the graphical pieces with. I just wish there was a lot more discussions to bounce ideas around the entire group instead of our breakout ones.
Posted 21 May 2021 01:21
Yilin Z
Community group reflection

Daud Ahmad:
I liked the how the project was solid and had real world implications.

Ziyi Wang:
The project was really well planned and I enjoyed the activities. The guidance from the master students helped me understand how to convey information through graphics which I thought was very useful and meaningful.
Posted 21 May 2021 01:21
Yilin Z
History group reflection

Isaac Ndung'U :
I enjoyed the learning experience, it was a chance to know more about a new place (Rochdale) and structure. I also appreciate the guidance I got from the masters students while working it. Thank you.
Posted 21 May 2021 01:21
Yilin Z
Today the MA students will be working on the publication for submission.
Posted 21 May 2021 15:06
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