In the morning, the BA/MLA students were divided into two groups led by MArch/MA+AR students to work. One group went to B.15 to take photographs of the final physical model, while the other group stayed at MTC to work on the final outcome. In the afternoon, the students learned and experimented with stop-motion animation making by using models and Lego Minifigs.
After a final debrief and discussion with Simeon, we finalised the design of core game materials and companion resources such as case studies booklet and a trifold glossary which would be included in a complete game kit.
Today is the 3rd day of the construction of the eco-shed. Unfortunately, the construction of the shelter had to be cancelled since the City Council did not complete its approval. After discussions with the client, it was decided that the green roof initially planned for the shelter would be adapted to the roof of the eco-shed. The main work done today was the installation of the flooring, the installation of the window frames, the fitting of the walls, the fabrication of the doors, the installation of the air barrier supports and the start of the roof. We had already acquired a good knowledge of timber construction techniques through practice in previous builds, so we were able to carry out the work today with ease. It is worth noting that as the construction of the eco-shed was not carried out on the actual site, we needed to consider the design to allow it to be packed and reassembled. This required us to consider how to position the screws and which ones could be covered up without disassembly and which ones needed to be exposed so that they could be unscrewed. After careful deliberation, we put together the existing walls, which gave us a prototype for the eco-shed.
It was a shame that we couldn't continue with the construction of the shelter, but we were excited and benefited from the work that had been done. Eco-shed made everyone in the BUILD TEAM feel very proud, so much so that we all wanted to take a photo with the eco-shed. A big thanks to John, Steve and Nick for their advice and guidance, which has been crucial in the construction of the eco-shed.
Getting there! Today the team focused on different activities all targeted toward the publication. Rendering plans, experimenting with renders elements and so much more.
In the afternoon of the eighth day, the exhibition was successfully held and members of March1 and BAs gave speeches to express what they had learnt during the event.
The morning of the eighth day was devoted to the preparation of the exhibition.
1. Setting up the projector equipment.
2. Printing the relevant drawings and pasting them on the boards.
3. Bringing the finished pgysical model into the venue and taking photographs.
Today was our final prep day before presenting our ideas to Tameside Metropolitan Council tomorrow morning, so it was a busy one with lots of collaboration ensuring all our drawings were consistent. Here is a sneak peek of our design, shown through a section cutting through the site showing our landscape proposals with the new tram stop in the background.
it’s the final push! an intense photoshopping day to finish off all the renders and visuals for the project. collaborating to ensure all outcomes were consistent and followed a clear style.
BOOKBINDING
This morning started off with binding our Methodology booklets, tackling how to create safer streets for females, using architectural solutions. This will be presented to the clients, and hopefully create precedents in understanding safer streets for the Trafford local council.
The day then concluded with finishing the publication document and creating proposed renders to the client.
After a week of building, we have assembled the main structure of the model. With a plywood foundation, and a silver mannequin, the sculpture is wrapped with metal wires and wears a majestic, wired wing.
Tomorrow we will begin moving the sculpture to site, the model will be dismantled into three parts upon delivering to site, and will be put together on site, including planting in the soil and plants.
Week 02, Day 03
We started the production and post-production of the first designs through various software such as AutoCad, Rhino and Illustrator with great attention to the project design process.
We were honoured to have member of Southway Homes come and listen to our proposal presentation with our collaborators. After two days of drawing, we have completed the master plan and the landscapeand and architectural collages.
We are delighted to be able to share the output of our design and to exchange our views.
The day begins with the model being completed, including the placement of the stands, clubhouse, park, and roof with all of the surrounding site elements.
Today a group of us printed out the posters, transporting the model to the site, and interacting with the community and informing the exhibition with flyers. The other group was setting up the exhibition space.
18.05.23 - Day 8: Today we focused on finalizing the renders based on the feedback that we got and started putting everything together in our publication. Tomorrow we will export the final publication files, submit our work and send all the outputs to our collaborators.
17.05.23 - DAY 7: Today was the day of presenting our project to the community. It was a very successful day, we answered questions from the children and we received lots of good feedback from everybody including the staff and the collaborators. After the presentation, we went upstairs and had a meeting with the collaborators to discuss any changes they'd like. Tomorrow we will focus on the changes along with preparing for the final submission.
Day eight- With a completed design it is time to finalise the 3D model in ready to be rendered. We divided the students to work on creating some final visuals of the design which depict both the event space, garden, and moat. We also wanted to capture the excitement and attraction within the engaging spaces which we have created. We are approaching the final day so today is all about creating high quality images which we go into our publication; the second-year students are doing this. At this point everyone is cracking on with their tasks, we have first years Working on creating parts for the model as well as illustrating our master plan for the design.
In the afternoon everyone continued with the same tasks from the morning. We also worked on our presentation for the following day which we are excited about. We hope that our client and the friends of Clayton like our design, as the project is so personal to them.
As we enter the penultimate day of our MSA Live Action Weeks, the focus, the excitement and even some nerves are definitely rising! The team have produced a fantastic range of work across different mediums.
Today was a day of huddling together, sharing our thoughts and ideas across the board and sculpting a fantastic collection of drawings. And the day ended with a great high as we could finally see the body of work together as we prepare our publications, which we are ecstatic to share!
The Westcroft community greatly appreciated the presentation and expressed their delight with the re-imagined vision for Westcroft. Our proposal allowed them to envision the potential of the current spaces and what the center could become. Given their aspiration to enhance the existing spaces to accommodate more activities, we hope that our final proposal serves as a solid starting point for Westcroft in their pursuit of a better space for the community.
We showcased our final proposal to both the collaborators and the communities at Westcroft Community Center. Our comprehensive proposal included two design options featuring detailed floor plans, interior and exterior renders, program analysis, and a bin storage area design.
Some students were working in B.15 whilst the others stayed in Geoffrey Manton to continue the drawings. The plan for model making was to make a context model on day 1 and a more detailed model for the second day in the workshop. Here are some pictures of the process!
All drawings and sketches were meticulously documented in an online folder, simplifying the process of compiling the project materials. A dedicated presentation slide team was responsible for gathering the drawings created by the rest of the team members and consolidating them for our final presentation.
At the conclusion of each day, we held feedback sessions where each group member presented their work to review the progress and receive constructive input from one another. These feedback sessions played a vital role in keeping everyone informed about the project's progress and ensuring that it remained on schedule.
The images depict the process of the BA students using SketchUp to create 3D models of the interior spaces. The success of our tutorial session is evident as they were able to visualize the interior spaces based on the provided floor plans and reference the material concept board during the design process.
We performed a program analysis for both design options to ensure that the spaces function efficiently and facilitate the intended activities in those spaces.
After finishing the existing context, the students worked on creating the final design in the workshop. As a group they worked on creating accurate materials for each part of the design.
Today is the second last day of MSA Live, our incredible journey is nearing its conclusion. We are now diligently preparing for the grand publication, where we will proudly exhibit the remarkable work accomplished by our talented students. We are eagerly awaiting the outcome of the project.
The 8th day focused on finishing the final drawings and preparing our publication ready for our submission. We finished our digital model and plans and the students created visuals for the client.
This afternoon, we assembled our pergola model. We started by assembling the structure using the pre-cut pieces prepared by Sam in the morning and then began by constructing the pergola facade. The model assembly experience throughout this MSA Live project has taught us a lot, including teamwork, meticulous planning, and execution skills. This model will be a source of pride for our group.
This morning, our team’s task was to add trees and some shrubs to the model. The trees used for the site model were first measured to ensure that they accurately represented the positions and sizes of the real trees within the green space in Tyldesley.
Addressing the primary concerns of Westcroft regarding the unsightly bin storage area and insufficient storage space within the building, we developed initial sketches and ideas to tackle these issues. These concepts were incorporated into our design proposal, which we presented to the collaborators.
Before progressing to the production of the 3D model, we crafted a collage of materiality concept boards for each space, allowing us to visualize the intended aesthetic. Our design approach centered around creating a homely ambiance, which aligns with Westcroft's initial concept. The color schemes and material selections from the concept boards served as a reference for our interior 3D renders.
Once we finalized the overall design and layout for the final proposal, we assigned specific tasks to each group member based on their respective strengths. We collaborated as a team and provided guidance to the BA students to ensure the desired output. The assigned tasks encompassed drafting floor plans, conducting interior and exterior 3D modeling, designing presentation slide layouts, creating blog posts, developing materiality concept boards, producing storage area design, and preparing a publication booklet.
WEEK 2 // DAY FOUR: Everything seemed to come together today! The team who has spent the past few days working on building the prototype completed and brought their work up to the studio for everyone to see. We are all extremely happy with how it turned out – to think the design was just a sketch this time last week! The curation team completed the final poster layouts and has now begun printing some examples to pin to the prototype frame. After speaking to our collaborator Sue the other day, it was raised how important the exhibition title is. We threw out some ideas for the title and then after a democratic vote we landed on Beneath the Surface: Architectural Visions for Repurposing Florence Mine.
After a strenuous two-week effort, we have successfully completed the conceptual drawings and finalised our presentation. We are now gearing up for the client meeting scheduled for this evening. Working as a team has been a delightful experience, the undergraduate enthusiasm and fresh perspectives have added value to our work. It's been a pleasure working with this talented group, and we are excited to showcase our collective efforts during the presentation. See you at 5pm!
We dedicated the afternoon to the plans of our proposal, both for the client outputs and our own. We let the student experiment with skecthup to model the new intervention on the building.
Taking into account the feedback received from the previous presentation, we gathered as a group to develop a comprehensive design that addressed the input provided by both the collaborators and the community. Through rigorous idea exchange and collaborative discussions, we reached a consensus on the finalized design.
Taking into account the feedback received from the previous presentation, we gathered as a group to develop a comprehensive design that addressed the input provided by both the collaborators and the community. Through rigorous idea exchange and collaborative discussions, we reached a consensus on the finalized design.
We applied changes to the plans, to satisfy the needs of the users of the community centre. Moreover, the students started to explore a few landscaping interventions.
We started the day by working on the feedback that Emma, has provided us. It was a great opportunity for the group to understand how to improve the design proposal.
We commenced the session by conducting a SketchUp tutorial delivered by Eva to the BA students. This tutorial aimed to equip them with the necessary skills to assist us in the subsequent 3D modeling process. The enthusiastic learning attitude of the BA students facilitated quick learning and resulted in a highly productive session.
After a refreshing weekend break, we kicked off the new week with an energizing icebreaker session that involved a karaoke session. We made full use of the university-provided equipment to enhance our project experience. The BA students delivered electrifying performances that uplifted everyone's spirits, alleviating the Monday blues.
We developed two design proposals for the backyard area, incorporating the concept of using shipping containers to house the existing food bank on the upper floor. Additionally, we maximized the open space in both proposals to create outdoor areas that can be utilized by Westcroft to expand their programs beyond the indoor space.
After the meeting, we moved on to produce, in groups, the conceptual elements of our publication. We focused on highlighting who our actors were and what the centre represents for the community.
We also enjoyed the view onto All Saints Park, while watching a good movie.
We connected online with Emma, our collaborator, to present the plans we have worked on, providing them with a few options they could choose from.
She was excited to see the progress and discuss it with the rest of the staff at St John's Centre.
We went to our last site visit! We had the chance to meet an elderly exercise class and share our ideas with them, while they were enjoying their weekly tea and cake.
On Day 8, we continue to work on our design proposal and develop our drawing of the design plan, elevation, and sections. Then, we accumulate and organize all the work that we have done so far in order to present it to the client tomorrow.
We started our 3rd day with a workshop on AutoCAD, to offer the students an overview of the software and start drafting refined plans to show the collaborator.
In the afternoon, after the initial site visits and site analysis, we applied our findings onto spatial arrangements exercises, producing bubble diagrams.
On the morning of the second day, part of the team visited the centre again to be able to meet one of the ESOL classes that are thought at the centre. It was an inspiring insight into the needs of the users and it informed our design approach.
At the same time, the part of the team that stayed back, undertook a workshop on the use of site analysis as a design tool.
In the afternoon of our first day, we all went for the first time to the community centre to meet the staff working there and our collaborator, Emma. She showed us around the building and talked to us about the opportunities the centre offers to those who visit it.
On the first day, we got to know each other and shared our experiences about architecture. Moreover, we did a small presentation on St. John's Centre before going to our first site visit.
In the timetable, we have highlighted the main activities we will do every day. In the first week we will get to know each other and the collaborator, going to site visits, to develop initial approaches for our design.
In the second week, we will focus on developing those ideas and work on the publication as well as the client's outputs.
During these two weeks journey together, we will focus on developing and enhancing design skills, that we as architecture students employ every day and that are fundamental to our architectural careers.
Atelier : Infrastructure Space
Skills : Rhino, sketchup, rendering, anything adobe, procrastination
Hobbies : Eat and sleep, and a bit of exercise
Undergradudate: City University of Hong Kong
MSA Live Role: Adobe Softwares and Presentation Coordinator
Architectural interest: Japanese architecture, housing and residential