PARTNER

The Whitworth Gallery
This is the Whitworth founded in 1889 as the first English gallery in a park. Part of the University of Manchester, the Whitworth is a gallery that is a place of research and academic collaboration, and whose education and learning teams have generated new approaches to working with non-traditional arts audiences. The Whitworth is also a gallery that has retained a sense of the personal, the intimate and the playful. It is a place that its visitors love, and feel that they own.

For more information, please visit:
https://www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk

MEET THE TEAM

Jessica Bell
Hi I’m Jess! I am interested in co-housing, social housing and public freespace. I am particularly focused on how design can facilitate a more equal and fair society for those who are marginalised which is something I am able to explore in my atelier &rchitecture. I’m from the New Forest and studied my BA at Manchester then directly continued my studies into Masters. My skills lie in photoshop rendering, AutoCAD and sketch planning.

MEET THE TEAM

Tom Roylance
My focus is on the power of buildings to contain memory and identity. I studied Undergraduate Architecture at The Bartlett, London, before working in London for a year and moving to Manchester to study Masters Architecture. I often use Rhino to design but love to make physical models.

MEET THE TEAM

Weining Luo
Hi everyone! I am Weining Luo from Atelier CiA. I am interested in "genius loci" and atmospheres in architecture. I also prefer to explore the relationship between architecture and its context. I studied my BA in two creative cities: Beijing and London, and finally graduated from Central Saint Martins. I am good at collage-making and graphic layouts through Indesign, Photoshop, Illustrator and AutoCAD.

MEET THE TEAM

Yasamin Salimi
Hi, I’m Yasamin and I am currently a part of the CPU Ai atelier. My interests lie within the development of social and urban infrastructures. I am particularly interested in how we can use design to create more ‘healthy’ and adaptable spaces as new technologies continue to evolve. My software skills include InDesign, Photoshop, Revit, AutoCAD and Enscape.

For me, this project is interesting as it recognizes the social value and impact a space can have on the immediate community and allows us to create something which can act as a model for improved social housing across the city.

MEET THE TEAM

Hanxiao Zhao
Hi I‘m Hanxiao. I am from China and finished my BArch in Dalian University of Technology. I am currently a year 5 student in CiA atelier.

My biggest interest in architecture is heritage and adaptive reuse, also paying attention to environmental psychology. My software skills lie in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, AutoCAD and Sketchup. Beyond architectural studies, I love reading and travelling. Looking forward to working and developing skills with you in this House of Negotiation project!

MEET THE TEAM

Michelle Majalang
Currently a 5th year in the Complexity, Planning & Urbanism (CPU) atelier, I am interested in the design and management of future cities through theoretical approaches and computational tools. My software skills include Revit, Adobe Indesign, Illustrator & Photoshop, Autocad and Enscape.When not thinking about architecture, I think about food.

I am excited to be part of ‘House of Negotiation’ as it is an opportunity to design an improved model for social housing in Whitworth Park. This project will provide a platform for negotiating public space and a pact between the city and its residents.

SOCIAL VALUE

Through this project, we will be creating the project as design participants. Focusing on the keeper's house, we will discuss the project's positive impact on the planning and the park environment with our collaborator. During the programming process, we will consider the interaction of the project with the neighbourhood and the city. A certain level of sustainability will also be a key concern for the collaborator and us.

SKILLS

The project will give us an opportunity to design a new park keeper's house in Whitworth Park together. We will communicate with each other about spatial programming, model-making and detailing through AutoCAD, SketchUp, Indesign and Photoshop. We will also gain more cooperation experiences with people from different backgrounds.

HIGHLIGHT
#DAY 1 - Introduction

10:00 Brief Meeting and Icebreaking
12:30 Meet the Partner
13:30 Meet the Guest Speaker
15:00 Debrief, Discussion & Talks

MEET THE PRESENTERS

Patrick Osborn, the landscape and sustainability technician, did a presentation of the Whitworth Gallery today earlier. The presentation including an introduction to some of the facilities in the park and a brief plan for the future. He patiently answered the questions from students and gave some advice.

Dominic Sagar had a talk on WOAH WorkHouse Project. An existing local example of the idea of providing homes for homeless people in exchange for small jobs in the community. Some student works were presented to show the project's aim and outputs which is really impressive.

OUR BRIEF
#Physical Requirements:

For this project, we plan to design a house for two people that contains plenty of space to live and meet guests. The house is expected to have a private garden or something similar to provide an environmentally friendly lifestyle. Some building material choices and passive strategies are concerned with climate changes or other environmental issues. Moreover, how to balance the privacy of the house’s users and publicity towards park visitors is essential. Private and secure upper floors with ground floors potentially being more public could be a solution.

Looking forward to seeing more creative ideas in the following days!

OUR BRIEF
#Social Requirements:

Due to the demand of everyday life, some sustainable strategies on utilities, like composting toilets and geothermal energy and solar, can also be focused on during research. This project also takes social responsibilities concerning housing problems and calls for affordable houses to build or rent. As is built in Whitworth Park, it can also be promotional while representing the voice of locals or having spaces for some posters of the incoming events of Whitworth. It would be lovely that a stage could be built up around the house which provides a platform for community integration.

SKETCHING

Let's have a look with creative concept ideas from BA students!

SKETCHING

Let's have a look with creative concept ideas from BA students!

SKETCHING

Let's have a look with creative concept ideas from BA students!

SITE ANALYSIS

After sharing precedents and sketching, we separated BA students into three smaller groups for site analysis: wider context, access and routes, climates and privacy. We annotated satellite maps and site plans in the Miro boards, highlighting our observations on the site.

HIGHLIGHT
#DAY 2 - Context

10:00 Sharing Precedents
11:00 Sketching
13:30 Meeting the Guest Speaker
14:45 Site Analysis

HIGHLIGHT
#DAY 3 - Diagramming

10:00 MArch - Sharing 3rd Year Works
11:25 Illustrating / Diagramming Ideas in the Site Analysis

DIAGRAMMING

Today we did some quick diagrams to see the ideas of the 'House of Negotiation'. Based on yesterday's site analysis, the works are established from different angles and all of them are impressive!

HIGHLIGHT
#DAY 4 - Spatial Moment

10:00 Discussion of Defined Users
10:30 Storyboarding
13:30 Drawing Spatial Moment
14:45 Spatial Relationship Diagramming

STORYBOARDING

We are working on storyboards to show a day in the life of specific characters.

STORYBOARDING

There are some great stories of various characters. Let's discover a day in the life of a musician, an artist, a disabled person or a homeless person in the 'House of Negotiation'.

SPATIAL ARRANGEMENTS

After following our tutorial on Illustrator, BA students made spatial arrangement diagrams this afternoon. All of them showed the clear spatial relationship for initial concept ideas. Well done!

To be developed in the 'spatial moment' drawings.

HIGHLIGHT
#DAY 5 - Modelling

10:00 Sharing Sketch Model Examples
10:25 Concept Modelling
14:00 Photography Session
15:30 Discussion

MODELLING

Based on previous concept ideas, we made sketch models with simple materials. After carrying out Photoshop tutorial for BA students, we introduced those creative models into the context from various perspectives and posted comments for each other.

Looking forward to seeing the further progress next week!

MODELLING

Based on previous concept ideas, we made sketch models with simple materials. After carrying out Photoshop tutorial for BA students, we introduced those creative models into the context from various perspectives and posted comments for each other.

Looking forward to seeing the further progress next week!

MODELLING

Based on previous concept ideas, we made sketch models with simple materials. After carrying out Photoshop tutorial for BA students, we introduced those creative models into the context from various perspectives and posted comments for each other.

Looking forward to seeing the further progress next week!

HIGHLIGHT
#DAY 6 - Refinement

10:00 Timber Expert Presentation
11:30 Group Discussion
12:15 Spatial Planning
14:00 Creating Plans and Models
16:45 Debrief

MEET THE PRESENTER

Peter Wilson at Timber Design Initiatives gave a presentation on several programmes in Scotland in the morning, such as Scottish Scenic Routes and the 1000 Huts. He talked about the role that timber design plays in sustainable development. Peter gave many exciting examples to show the charms of timber houses. He answered the questions from students and had a more in-depth discussion.

For more information, please visit:
https://www.timberdesigninitiatives.eu
https://www.masstimberacademy.com

CREATING PLANS & MODELS

According to the initial development last week, three teams for different users were assigned. 'House 1' (by Mathilde, Weng and Pak) is based on the idea of formerly homeless running a soup kitchen with produce from the community garden. 'House 2' (by Darya, Deekshita and Maria) is for musicians and artists who both provide workshops and use the park for performances or creating artworks. 'House 3' (by Jakub, Andreea and Eyob) starts with disability campaigners running workshops to raise awareness of accessibility issues. MArch students presented some examples and shared the key points of architectural drawings. After that, BA students in each team discussed proposals and divided tasks this afternoon. They worked on their plan drawings and sketch models through sketching, AutoCAD and SketchUp.

Let's have a look at their works in progress.
The draft sketches and drawings look great. Well done, everyone~

HIGHLIGHT
#DAY 7 - Refinement

10:00 Discussing Cladding Options
10:30 Refining Plans and Models
13:30 Rendering the Drawings
16:15 Debrief

DISCUSSING CLADDING OPTIONS

We discussed potential facade/cladding options this morning, such as terracotta baguettes, timber slats, copper and stone.

REFINING PLANS & MODELS

Every team refined plan drawings and created a perspective visual with surrounding context this afternoon. Let's take a look at BA students' great works!

House 1 - Formerly homeless running a soup kitchen with produce from the community garden

REFINING PLANS & MODELS

Every team refined plan drawings and created a perspective visual with surrounding context this afternoon. Let's take a look at BA students' great works!

House 2 - Musicians and artists who both provide workshops and use the park for performances or creating artworks

REFINING PLANS & MODELS

Every team refined plan drawings and created a perspective visual with surrounding context this afternoon. Let's take a look at BA students' great works!

House 3 - Disability campaigners who reside in a house that is exemplary for accessible design, running workshops to raise awareness of accessibility issues

HIGHLIGHT
#DAY 8 - Compilation

10:00 Compiling Group Works
12:30 Discussion and Check-ups

COMPILING GROUP WORKS

According to yesterday's feedbacks, all the teams finalised and compiled their house proposal. Apart from drawings and visuals, they created interesting character profiles explaining who the specific users are and how they use the house.

Looking forward to seeing BA students' final sheets for tomorrow's presentation!

HIGHLIGHT
#DAY 9 - Presentation

10:00 Preparing Presentation Sheets
11:00 Collation
14:00 Presentation to the Whitworth Team
16:15 Debrief

PRESENTATION

Today our team presented design works to the Whitworth Team, including Olga Gribben (Development and Stakeholder Management), Francine Hayfron (Cultural Park Keeper), Alistair Hudson (Collaborator and Director at Manchester Art Gallery) and Patrick Osborn (Landscape and Sustainability Technician). We are really delighted to have them joining us in reviewing what we have progressed in these intensive two weeks. During the presentation, we have talked about individual ideas of BA students in the first week and also introduced three different house options developed in the second week. We are glad to receive some positive feedbacks from our partner.

Many thanks for everyone's impressive works! Well done!

PRESENTATION

Today our team presented design works to the Whitworth Team, including Olga Gribben (Development and Stakeholder Management), Francine Hayfron (Cultural Park Keeper), Alistair Hudson (Collaborator and Director at Manchester Art Gallery) and Patrick Osborn (Landscape and Sustainability Technician). We are really delighted to have them joining us in reviewing what we have progressed in these intensive two weeks. During the presentation, we have talked about individual ideas of BA students in the first week and also introduced three different house options developed in the second week. We are glad to receive some positive feedbacks from our partner.

Many thanks for everyone's impressive works! Well done!

HIGHLIGHT
#DAY 10 - Final Day!

We want to say "THANK YOU" for everyone involved in these two weeks!