Group 04
REWORKING WITHINGTON BATHS

'Community’ is at the heart of this project. Love Withington Baths is a rare example of a community led organisation that manages the only working Edwardian Pool in Manchester. Earmarked for closure in 2015, through successful campaigning by the surrounding community, the 110-year-old bathhouse situated on Burton Road, Withington, was saved from demolition. Through subsequent funding and successful community led management, Withington Baths today is a hive of activity. The aim of this project is to provide improvements to the external entrance area and internal reception space, that will offer tangible improvements to the users’ experience. We Group 04, ‘Reworking Withington Baths’ will provide opportunities, to express ideas through physical models, CAD drawings and visualisations a space that will be key to the organisations continued success.

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Keyuan Z / Kulsoom Q / Emmanuel Chimere E / Margaret H

Kulsoom Q
Name: David James Williams
Atelier: Continuity in Architecture
Undergraduate: Liverpool John Moores University
Arch Skills; Sketchup, Revit, Enscape, Adobe Creative Cloud
Hobbies: Football, Rugby, Running, Hiking
Fun Fact: I’m a massive Liverpool FC supporter
Posted 13 Mar 2023 12:35
Kulsoom Q
Name: Emmanuel Chimere Eze
Atelier: SKN
Undergraduate: Covenant University, Nigeria
Arch skills: Revit, Twinmotion, Illustrator, 3dsmax, Vray & Corona
Hobbies: watching movies, playing football, listening to music
Fun fact: I wasted most of my life watching movies and sitcoms
Posted 13 Mar 2023 12:36
Kulsoom Q
Name: Keyuan Zhang
Atelier: Making
Undergraduate: University of Lincoln, UK
Work Experience: China Northwest Architectural Design and Research Institute CO., LTD
Skills: Auto CAD, Rhino, InDesign, Photoshop, InDesign,  SketchUp, V-Ray, Physical Model Making.
Hobbies: Snowboarding, Travel.
Fun Fact: I regret not choosing a university close to the ski slopes.
Posted 13 Mar 2023 12:37
Kulsoom Q
Name: Kulsoom Qazi
Atelier: &rchitecture
Undergraduate: Manchester School of Architecture
Arch Skills: Sketchup, Revit, Twinmotion, AutoCAD, Adobe Creative Cloud
Hobbies: Hiking, cooking and arts & craft
Fun Fact: I have an unhealthy addiction to tea and spicy food!
Posted 13 Mar 2023 12:38
Kulsoom Q
Name: Margaret Hows
Atelier: Continuity in Architecture
Undergraduate: Manchester School of Architecture
Arch Skills: CAD, sketchup, archicad, vectorworks, vray, lumion, photoshop
Hobbies: Cooking, Drawing, Dance, Film Photography
Fun Fact: I performed in the olympics closing ceremony!
Posted 13 Mar 2023 12:38
Keyuan Z
Withington Baths is located in the Withington area, about 4 miles (approximately 6.4 kilometers) south of Manchester city center. Its address is Burton Road, Withington, Manchester M20 3EB.

The venue is housed in a historic building that used to be the headquarters of the Withington Baths and Wash-house company. It is situated near the intersection of Burton Road and Wilmslow Road, which makes it easily accessible by public transportation such as buses and trams from the city center.

The area is a bustling residential neighborhood with many shops, cafes, and restaurants around, offering visitors plenty of options. Overall, Withington Baths is situated in a convenient and lively location in the city of Manchester.




Posted 10 May 2023 11:38
Keyuan Z
Our project aims to combine collaboration, retrofitting, embracing heritage, and graphic design skills to renovate and revamp a historic building in our local area. Through teamwork, we will retrofit the building, combining traditional elements with modern design to meet contemporary needs while preserving the cultural and historical significance of the building.

In the project, we will utilize our graphic design skills to create visual elements and cultural content that highlight the building's history and cultural background and incorporate these elements into our designs. Our goal is to achieve a successful retrofit that turns the building into a unique landmark in the local area and provides practical and sustainable use for contemporary society.

Posted 10 May 2023 11:44
Keyuan Z
Day 1

The start of day 1 morning! Huge thanks to Paul and Emma for showing us around Withington Baths and giving us an overview of its historical importance.
Posted 10 May 2023 11:47
Keyuan Z
Day 1

After the tours, we undertook a heritage and demographic workshop to gain an understanding of the building and its users. This was key for us to create a socially and historically sympathetic design.

The Withington Baths in Manchester, one of the oldest heritage baths still in use today, has three pools: first-class for men, first-class for women, and second-class for men (only two were built due to lack of funds). The baths had different entrances, changing rooms, and pools for men and women. The first-class pool received fresh water every week, while the second-class pool received used water from the first-class pool. On Mondays, the water was refreshed, and on Saturdays, bath entrances were half-price, while on Sundays they were free due to the water being a week old. In addition to providing swimming pools and baths, the Withington Baths served as a cultural hub and community space for people in the neighborhood who didn't have baths in their homes. They also offered rentable bath towels for their clients that were washed in the basement.

In 1914, the Withington Baths were the first baths in Manchester to introduce mixed pools, but they were only available one day a week, and men and women had to swim on opposite sides of the pool. Since 2015, the Withington Baths has been run by the community group "Love Withington Baths." The Manchester city council's decision to withdraw funding for the baths in 2013 led to protests, a community march, and a petition with 8,000 signatures to keep the baths open.

Today, people can swim, exercise in the gym, take classes in the studios, rent office space, and enjoy the café space at Withington Baths. The baths exist not only as a swimming pool and gym but also as a charitable trust, with all profits reinvested into maintaining and refurbishing the building. The Withington Baths is located in the M20 quarter of Manchester, an area that was one of the city's most desirable locations in the early 20th century, known as "upper-class Olympia."
Posted 10 May 2023 15:08
Keyuan Z
Day 1

In the afternoon, BA students present concepts for the reception and entrance to Withington Baths.
Posted 10 May 2023 15:11
Keyuan Z
Day 2

In the morning, BA students partook in an ice-breaking activity. In this activity, the students sat facing each other and produced sketches of their paired partners. The students then shared their sketches with each other and discussed their art styles. This activity helped the students to learn more about each other and also built a sense of camaraderie.
Posted 10 May 2023 15:12
Keyuan Z
Day 2

Later in the morning session, BA students produced concept collages to depict how they wanted their spaces to look. The purpose of the collages was to help the students visualize their ideas. The collages included colours, furniture, and other elements that the students found desirable. After they produced their collages, they presented them to the group.
Posted 10 May 2023 15:13
Keyuan Z
Day 2

In the afternoon session, the MArch 1 students taught the BA students how to use Digimaps, AutoCad and Skecth Up. After this, under the guidance of the MArch students, the BA students produced solar study diagrams and demographic maps.
Posted 11 May 2023 10:46
Keyuan Z
Day 3

In the morning session, the BA students worked on their design proposals under the guidance of the MArch 1 students. They produced different design proposals to present to the clients. The MArch 1 students provided feedback on the design proposals and helped the BA students refine their ideas.
Posted 11 May 2023 14:05
Keyuan Z
Day 3

In the afternoon, the BA students continued working on their design proposals, discussing the merits of their ideas and testing the feasibility of their proposed designs. They then compiled their design proposals in a PowerPoint to prepare for the client meeting the next day.
Posted 11 May 2023 14:53
Keyuan Z
Day 4

The two Withington Baths groups met up for a mock presentation to discuss their respective ideas, concepts and strategies. The groups shared feedback and suggestions with each other.
Posted 15 May 2023 12:28
Keyuan Z
Day 4

Excerpts from the PowerPoint presentation showcasing two interior (reception) concepts and an exterior (entrance) proposal.
Posted 15 May 2023 12:29
Keyuan Z
Day 4

Initial presentation of the design proposals to the Love Withington Baths team. The team loved the proposals and gave feedback for further improvement and development. The feedback was noted by the group to be implemented in the following session.
Posted 15 May 2023 12:29
Keyuan Z
Day 5

The group was split into groups of two. One for the reception design and another for the exterior landscaping. Based on the feedback received from the initial client meeting on Friday, the students were able to refine their ideas in order to achieve a common design.
Posted 15 May 2023 14:06
Keyuan Z
Day 6

In the morning session, the MArch students conducted a Revit workshop for BA students. The workshop included teaching the students how to manoeuvre the user interface, create 3D models and other basic Revit design skills.
Posted 19 May 2023 11:15
Keyuan Z
Day 6

In the afternoon session, the BA students continued developing their final design. A review was held midway through this design development process. The review helped to identify any potential problems and to identify areas of improvement. The students then revised their designs and improved them.
Posted 19 May 2023 11:19
Emmanuel Chimere E
Day 7
A rendering workshop was conducted to teach the BA students how to use twinmotion. The workshop covered the basics of the software, from the user interface to the different tools and techniques available. The students learned how to create realistic 3D renderings. They also had the opportunity to practice their skills and produce renders.
Posted 19 May 2023 11:22
Emmanuel Chimere E
Day 7
The students created a 3d physical model to show the site exterior and landscaping
Posted 19 May 2023 11:23
Emmanuel Chimere E
Day 8
In the morning session, the group worked on preparing the final output for the presentation to the client. After this, a mock presentation was held to prepare students for the actual client presentation. The students received feedback from their peers and the M.Arch 1 students during the mock presentation. They then made necessary changes to their presentation and were ready for the client meeting.
Posted 19 May 2023 11:30
Emmanuel Chimere E
Day 8
Before the client presentation began, students gathered at Withington Baths for lunch. They discussed their ideas and strategies for the presentation. Everyone was feeling confident and energized. The team was ready to present their project.
Posted 19 May 2023 11:30
Margaret H
Day 8
The students presented their final outputs to the client, with 2 mounted boards and a physical model. After working hard for two weeks, it was extremely rewarding to hear that the client loved the proposals and have requested to keep the outputs produced for future reference.
Posted 19 May 2023 12:55
Margaret H
Final day!
After presenting our final designs to the client, we made the last few alterations to the designs to produce polished final images. Going back over all the outputs made us realise how much we've achieved in the past two weeks!
Posted 19 May 2023 18:31
Margaret H
Goodbye to the Team!
After two weeks MSA Live has unfortunately come to an end. We're immensely proud of the final outputs and the teamwork involved to produce them. From teaching one another valuable skills and the atmosphere of collaboration, it has been a pleasure to work with everyone.
We would like to thank the whole Withington baths team for introducing us to this wonderful building, we've enjoyed every minute working on it.
Posted 19 May 2023 18:56