MArch Atelier: USE
Part I Placement: 1yr 6months Hyphen Archi, London
BArch: Manchester School of Architecture (CIA)
Interests: Travel / Gym / Football / Pub
Skills: Autocad / Archicad / Sketchup / InDesign / Photoshop
About: During my placement I worked on a range of projects from retail fit out to data centres, seeing many projects through all stages of design across Europe and the UK, before returning to MSA for the MArch.

COLLABORATOR:
Founded by Rob Toon, who will be working closely with us, we are working alongside “This is Change”, an event and social media movement that wants to challenge the perception of the construction industry. Rob has a passion for innovation and has a wealth of experience in the construction industry working on a variety of projects. From design management, to corporate strategy, change management, to innovation management and, more recently, digital construction, Rob has always been keen to explore different opportunities and champion change within the industry. Working with the belief that people make construction a great place to work, This is Change looks to celebrate the people that work in the industry whilst pushing for enhancements in social, mental and physical wellbeing in the workplace.

Find out more here:
http://thisischange.co.uk
Instagram: photos.by_this.is.change

SKILLS:
This MSA Live project will pull back the curtain and offer insight on the construction industry. BA and MLA students will work alongside the MArch students in a collaborative effort to redesign construction site accommodation. Despite being online we are offering plenty of opportunities to get stuck in and to learn with hands on work. There will be technical software workshops which will be used to improve and expand on existing presentation and design skills. There will be opportunities for students to engage and communicate with construction professionals, gaining an insight into the work and conditions of on site work. Additionally, throughout the two weeks, the project will be actively supported by the project collaborator, Rob Toon from ‘This is Change’. The aim of the project is to develop an exciting design proposal supported by coherent research and visual outputs, created over the 2 week period, resulting in a scheme which will benefit students but also make a lasting difference within the construction industry. We appreciate that some tasks and the thought of communicating with construction professionals may seem daunting, however, as a group we have a wealth of experience in industry and will help guide you through your first steps into understanding and being a part of the wider construction industry!

SOCIAL VALUE:
This project will provide a service to the wider construction industry through the development of a new design for on-site accommodation. The current standards of temporary on-site accommodation do not embody a professional working environment, despite this being the place of work for numerous professionals whilst a project is on site. The construction industry has not evolved and in comparison to other industries there is a significant difference in workplace environments. This project hopes to address the existing issues of on-site accommodation and create a scheme which the whole construction industry and wider community could benefit from. In creating a healthier and overall, more positive working environment this project will foster better relationships and attitudes within the community of the construction industry.

Day 03: Precedent Research

We have been researching the current working environment in non-construction industries. Looking at examples from across the world, such as Acciona Ombu offices by Foster&Partners and Paddington Works by Threefold Architects, the team has been able to analyse these spaces and create adjacency diagrams. It became abundantly clear that there is a disparity between the construction industry accommodation and almost all other industries. This led to discussions concerning which elements our scheme can bring across from other sectors to increase health and mental wellbeing as well as creating conducive working environments.

Day 05: Design Development and AutoCAD

Further advancements have been made in the design of the site accommodation. We have designed kitchen/breakout spaces and flexible offices. The CAD session was another productive collaborative way of progressing the design from initial sketch ideation to refined plans that comply with the Approved Documents. We look forward to our meeting with an architect next week where we will go through our designs and ask questions about site and the architects role in the construction process.