Group 08
LET THEM FREE

Ryebank fields is home to 64 species of plant life, 60 species of birds and over 1400 trees, it is a natural oasis where locals enjoy the wildlife. The field is now at risk of being sold to property developers by Manchester Metropolitan University. The aim of our project is to bring awareness to Ryebank fields and essentially save it. Our team will be designing and building an outdoor exhibition where the locals and wider community will be able to gain knowledge about the rich biodiversity of Ryebank fields. By doing this we are giving the local community a voice to stand up for the nature and wildlife in our beautiful Ryebank fields.

Download Final Report

Muhammad Amir Safwan Bin M / Abdul Muaz Aiman Bin M / Queeny D / Aiman Hakim Bin R / Qinze S

Muhammad Amir Safwan Bin M

In the pursuit of knowledge, students will be able to learn by exploring various skills in regards to arts especially in designing the exhibition which is the main part of the project. Art-Griculture, sketching, model-making, and visual rendering workshops will be conducted to improve architectural students’ general standard of knowledge.

WHAT WILL WE DO?

Week 1
This is the phase of forming togetherness among the team members and learning software skills such as Photoshop, InDesign, SketchUp, and many more. Also, there will be a session with the collaborator in the process of get-to-know the site in depth.

Week 2
It's time to brush up on our wood-working skills. We will start to build the exhibition by reusing the materials provided by the collaborator and showcasing them to the wider community to bring awareness of the nature and wildlife of the site.

Posted 15 Mar 2022 00:01

Muhammad Amir Safwan Bin M

Social Impact
The project allows the local community to engage in their environment, it not only increases knowledge but gives them a chance to make and fight changes. The project creates a space where the community can share their thoughts and opinions.

Community
Our team will be designing and building an outdoor exhibition, that will hold information on the biodiversity of Ryebank fields and the importance of saving local wildlife and further exploring how this has an impact globally. “Think Globally , Act Locally”

Sustainability
The materials we will be using will be reused/recyclable materials such as wood pallets that the collaborator is able to access. This makes the exhibition space flexible to design as it also allows locals in the future to evolve and improve the design by the reusable materials if they wish.

Environment
When designing and making the exhibition we will be inspired by the environment of Ryebank fields and what the exhibition space can offer to the locals and the wildlife, by including elements such as garden beds and insect houses.

Posted 15 Mar 2022 00:01

Muhammad Amir Safwan Bin M

The Team with the Collaborator!

Posted 15 Mar 2022 00:04

Muhammad Amir Safwan Bin M

Stephen first got involved in protecting green-space when Turn Moss was under threat from development by Gary Neville. Since then he quit his job at a call centre and have been part of many Extinction Rebellion actions. He has become all too aware of the environmental crises we face as a result of our ecological overshoot. With a degree in history he believes the key to sustainable living can be found by studying our own past and listening to the worlds indigenous peoples. He was made aware of the camp on Ryebank by friends in XR and have find continued inspiration from the community of people intent of protecting this precious land.

Posted 15 Mar 2022 00:05

Muhammad Amir Safwan Bin M

MEET THE TEAM! MUAZ

Name: Muaz Aiman

Atelier: CPU (Ai)

Undergraduate: Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)

Skills: Revit, Photoshop, InDesign, AutoCAD, SketchUp, Lumion

Hobbies/Interests: Watching Netflix, Cooking fusion dishes, Dessert-hunt, Sleeping

Fun fact: I can binge-watching an entire season of a show in 1 day.

Posted 15 Mar 2022 00:06

Muhammad Amir Safwan Bin M

MEET THE TEAM! QUEENY

Name: Queeny Desouza

Atelier: Infrastructure space

Undergraduate: Leicester school of architecture

Skills: Using Revit, Photoshop, Indesign, SketchUp also sketching and photography

Hobbies/Interests : painting, reading novels, gardening

Fun fact: In my free time, I learn how to play guitar

Posted 15 Mar 2022 00:08

Muhammad Amir Safwan Bin M

MEET THE TEAM! AMIR

Name: Amir Safwan

Atelier: &rchitecture

Undergraduate: Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia

Skills: ArchiCAD, Photoshop, InDesign, AutoCAD, SketchUp, Lumion, Vray, Calligraphy, Manual and Digital Sketching

Hobbies/Interests: Travelling, Dancing, Playing Table tennis, Singing, Cooking, and of course Eating!

Fun fact: I can memorize KPOP dance steps in a minute.

Posted 15 Mar 2022 00:12

Muhammad Amir Safwan Bin M

MEET THE TEAM! SU QINZE

Name: Su Qinze

Atelier: Praxxis

Undergraduate: University of Liverpool

Skills: SketchUp, Photoshop, InDesign, AutoCAD, Watercolor Painting

Hobbies/Interests: Painting and Travelling

Fun fact: For me, bungee jumping is not scary at all!

Posted 15 Mar 2022 00:14

Muhammad Amir Safwan Bin M

MEET THE TEAM! AIMAN

Name: Aiman Hakim

Atelier: Infrastructure Space

Undergraduate: Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Malaysia

Skills: Adobe Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator), AutoCAD, Sketchup, Lumion

Hobbies/interests: Sketching, Watching Youtube videos

Funfact: I am really into Arts, especially music. I don’t play any instruments but I'd like to know how to play the piano one day.

Posted 15 Mar 2022 00:16

Muhammad Amir Safwan Bin M

DAY 1 | ICE BREAKING & SITE VISIT

The first day is complete. We get to know each of the team members and talked about our project LET THEM FREE. We introduced the site, and talked about the goals and mission for the next two weeks for the first 2 hours. Even though today's weather was not that good, we went to the site together by bus and walked for a few minutes in the heavy rain, but we made it to the site and discussed with Stephen the planning and materials for the exhibition.

Posted 17 May 2022 00:01

Muhammad Amir Safwan Bin M

DAY 1 | ICE BREAKING & SITE VISIT

The first day is complete. We get to know each of the team members and talked about our project LET THEM FREE. We introduced the site, and talked about the goals and mission for the next two weeks for the first 2 hours. Even though today's weather was not that good, we went to the site together by bus and walked for a few minutes in the heavy rain, but we made it to the site and discussed with Stephen the planning and materials for the exhibition.

Posted 17 May 2022 00:14

Muhammad Amir Safwan Bin M

MEET THE TEAM! ZHENG

Name: Zheng Zhang

Atelier: Trans

Undergraduate: University of Liverpool

Skills: Photoshop, InDesign, AutoCAD, Rhino, Lumion, Vray

Hobbies/Interests: Watching Movies, Skiing, Cooking

Fun fact: I have an extreme pursuit of food and I am also full of inspiration for homemade food.

Posted 17 May 2022 01:13

Abdul Muaz Aiman Bin M

Week 1 Schedule!

We started off with an ice-breaking session where we introduced everyone to the project and we carried out a site visit. We are proposing to do initial sketches of the exhibition and then complete a digital model of the design.

Posted 17 May 2022 14:25

Abdul Muaz Aiman Bin M

RYEBANK FIELDS HISTORY!

Ryebank Fields has a rich history which we have shown in our poster that goes back to the 1600s and continues to the present day. It is good to know the history of the site as it raises awareness of the importance of the land to the community.

Posted 17 May 2022 14:51

Abdul Muaz Aiman Bin M

DAY 1 ACTIVITY!

Stephen gave us a tour showing us around the site, highlighting special elements the field has to offer. We then measured where the exhibition will take place, collecting information on the sizes of the reusable materials provided.

Posted 17 May 2022 15:28

Abdul Muaz Aiman Bin M

DAY 2 !

Posted 17 May 2022 16:37

Abdul Muaz Aiman Bin M

DAY 2 | DESIGN BRIEF AND EXCHANGE IDEAS

Today we guided the groups into exploring potential design ideas for the exhibition. We covered the requirements and special features the exhibition aimed for. The day included sketching, 3D modelling software, presentation and discussion

Posted 17 May 2022 17:54

Abdul Muaz Aiman Bin M

DAY 2 ACTIVITY!

The second day is complete. We started off by sharing precedent studies of the potential exhibition spaces. We then Split them into 4 groups allowing them to design initial sketches, leading them to generate a final proposal. The proposal included requirements and special features that would be relevant I. the exhibition. After presenting the ideas we discussed the pros and cons which allowed us to move forward into choosing a final proposal.

Posted 17 May 2022 17:56

DAY 3 !

Posted 18 May 2022 15:44

DAY 3 | DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND CONSULTATION

Today we finalised the design of the exhibition and updated Stephen with the development. We then split everyone into themes for the poster designs.

Posted 18 May 2022 15:46

DAY 3 ACTIVITY!

Today the groups finalised their individual designs, and gave a presentation. We then chose the most appropriate proposal to move forward with, the chosen proposal was then developed as a team.
We then had a meeting online with Stephen updating him with the final exhibition design. We ended the day with preparing everyone with what to add Onto the exhibition posters by splitting them into themes.

Posted 18 May 2022 15:47

MEET THE REST OF THE TEAM!

Posted 18 May 2022 15:50

Aiman Hakim Bin R

DAY 4 !

Posted 19 May 2022 12:35

Aiman Hakim Bin R

DAY 4 | PROTEST POSTER AND DEVELOPING EXHIBITION

Today we made posters for the protest to save Ryebank fields. We then continued with the group photoshop workshop.

Posted 19 May 2022 14:56

Aiman Hakim Bin R

DAY 4 ACTIVITY !

We started the day off with creating some posters for the protest on Friday to save Ryebank fields, everyone had a chance to create their own message. Dominic gave a small presentation on future visions we should explore for Ryebanks. We then ended the day with a photoshop workshop, designing posters and information boards that would go into the exhibition space.

Posted 19 May 2022 14:57

DAY 5 !

Posted 20 May 2022 22:59

DAY 5| PROTEST DAY

We started the day off by finishing exhibition posters and information boards. We then headed to the protest to save Ryebank fields which took place on campus at All Saints Park. We engaged with the locals that were also protesting. We also spoke to one of the reporters for MMU news explaining the project and why the exhibition is important. The protest carried on at the rooftop of the Grosvenor East building.

Posted 20 May 2022 23:00

Abdul Muaz Aiman Bin M

WEEK 2 SCHEDULE!

Posted 23 May 2022 17:51

Abdul Muaz Aiman Bin M

DAY 6!

Posted 23 May 2022 17:52

Abdul Muaz Aiman Bin M

DAY 6 | CONSTRUCTION STARTS!

Today we finished building the base of the exhibition and started on the walls, adding bracing to some of them.

Posted 23 May 2022 18:12

Abdul Muaz Aiman Bin M

DAY 6 ACTIVITY!

We started the day off by collecting boots and gloves from the Chatham building. Some of the team met on-site and some at the MMU campus. When everyone reached the site we gave an introduction and the target for the day, Stephen then showed us where all the tools were. First, we cleared the site by removing wood, the extra crates, scrap wood, and a really heavy piano. We completed the base of the exhibition by detaching crates to create a smaller base, we then secured the base and addressed any safety hazards. We then started assembling the walls by securing them to the base and bracing them using scrap wooden panels.

Posted 23 May 2022 18:14

DAY 7!

Posted 24 May 2022 23:41

DAY 7 | BUILDING THE WALLS

Today we gathered materials and started preparing the walls and allotments plots.

Posted 25 May 2022 21:57

DAY 7 | BUILDING THE WALLS

We began the day off by collecting extra crates from platt fields for the exhibition and bringing them to Ryebank fields. We then started preparing the crates to use as walls by adding wooden panelling as a base. Half of the group started sawing and drilling wood pieces to make the allotment plots at the front of the entrance. The day ended with the base walls complete and a rough idea of the roof frame.

Posted 25 May 2022 21:58

Aiman Hakim Bin R

DAY 8!

Posted 25 May 2022 21:58

Aiman Hakim Bin R

DAY 8 | BUILD! BUILD! BUILD AND MORE!

Today we finished assembling the walls, started filling in the allotment plots with soil and created a willow arch for the entrance.

Posted 25 May 2022 21:59

Aiman Hakim Bin R

DAY 8 | BUILD! BUILD! BUILD AND MORE!

The day started with measuring out the framework for the roof. We then started assembling the second level of the walls, we did this by building the corner walls to provide stability. As we constructed each corner wall we added bracing for support. Half the group worked on the allotment plots by adding soil and creating a willow arch by intertwining the vines, the willow arch was tied to the front wall for support. We ended the day by discussing the beams and materials that will be needed to complete the roof.

Posted 25 May 2022 22:00

DAY 9!

Posted 26 May 2022 23:51

DAY 9 | PUTTING UP THE ROOF

Today we finished the roof and secured the partition walls.

Posted 27 May 2022 18:50

DAY 9 ACTIVITY!

We began the day by assembling one of the last walls, we had to extend the wall by using spare pieces of wood. We then began constructing the roof frame by adding the beams on either wall, after we added the central beams and secured them. The other half of the group worked on securing the partition walls to the exhibition. Some of the group also collected flowers to add to the allotment plots and willow arch. After the frame was secure we placed the corrugated plastic sheets as the lightweight roof on either side of the walls. As we did not have any corrugated plastic left we used a red vinyl sheet to cover the back centre of the exhibition to provide more covering. We then cleared the site ready for the exhibition

Posted 27 May 2022 18:51

Muhammad Amir Safwan Bin M

DAY 10!

Posted 27 May 2022 18:53

Muhammad Amir Safwan Bin M

DAY 10 | EXHIBITION DAY

Today we added some final touches, prepared and opened the exhibition.

Posted 27 May 2022 18:54

Muhammad Amir Safwan Bin M

DAY 10 ACTIVITY!

We began the day with fixing the red vinyl covering, we completed it by nailing the parts that were folded by the wind. We then attached the information posters, protest posters and photographs around the exhibition. After the exhibition was ready! we opened the exhibition to the public and spoke to the local community, making them aware of what we were doing and how it affects Ryebank fields. We also spoke to Paul Dobraszczyk an architectural writer and researcher who came to see the exhibition. We ended the day by taking pictures as a Group and of the exhibition

Posted 27 May 2022 18:55

Muhammad Amir Safwan Bin M

CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE OF OUR EXHIBITION!

With only 4 days of construction, we successfully built the exhibition from scratch by re-using the materials provided on-site.

Posted 30 May 2022 03:35

Muhammad Amir Safwan Bin M

THE TEAM!

Many thanks to all of the Group 8 team members for their great involvement in this amazing project! Grateful to have you guys on our team to help the Ryebank Fields Community Camp in its mission to save nature. Last but not least, thank you to the community who helped us with the 2 weeks' activities of designing and building this exhibition. Love you guys!

Posted 30 May 2022 04:24