Group 07
TYLDESLEY SPARK

Our project aims to ‘spark’ high street regeneration in Tyldesley Conservation Area through the restoration of historic shopfronts. The focus of this project is to transform a historic, abandoned high street shop into retail space on the ground floor and social housing on the first floor. The property also features a courtyard with stables to the rear, ripe with community potential. By exploring possibilities, we hope to create a concept that serves the local community through social and economic growth. We aim to produce visuals and CAD drawings of an adaptive reuse scheme that will potentially be used by the client to secure funding and planning permission for the vision, meaning our work can have a real-world impact.

Harley F / Ibrahim Z / Jichuan D / Pinyi F / Taras M / Yufei S

Pinyi F
Name: Pinyi Fu
Course: MA Architecture & Adaptive Reuse

It is my first year in Manchester. After I finished my bachelor of forest degree in Vancouver, I did a four-month internship at a construction company. And then I worked as an assistant for interior designer for one year. I will bring my passion and skills into any group work.

I have a total interest in dance and music, which led me to get involved in relevant clubs during my undergraduate studies, which added a lot of fun to my life.

I chose this group in order to gain more experience of collaboration related to real projects and to understand the policies and regulations related to the conversion of buildings in the UK context.

Posted 9 Mar 2025 19:06
Yufei S
Name: Yufei Song
Course: MArch 1
Atelier: & Architecture

Hi everyone, I'm Fei from northern China, studying MArch in the & Atelier.
I completed my bachelor's degree in architecture, and my educational background and my work experience are all from China, focusing on projects in northern severely cold regions. This is my first year studying in Manchester, I'm looking forward to the new experiences and perspectives this opportunity will bring!
I'm particularly passionate about innovative design solutions that respond to environmental challenges. I'm excited to work with everyone on the Tyldesley project, embracing its collaborative approach and focus on real-world impacts.
Posted 9 Mar 2025 23:45
Jichuan D
Name: Jichuan Ding
Course: Architecture and adaptive reuse

I completed my Bachelor's Degree in Architectural Engineering in June 2019 in China and have been working for 4 years. During the four years of professional work experience I have accumulated, I have frequently travelled to building construction sites to conduct inspections and witnessed projects from initial conception to final completion. This practical experience has enabled me to assess the feasibility and innovative nature of projects. In addition, I qualified as a Class Ⅱ Registered Architect with technical knowledge in building structures, sustainability, materials, fire services and indoor environments.
I have a special interest in the practice of adaptive reuse and am committed to integrating the concept of sustainability into the conservation of historic buildings. Through rational structural reinforcement, material selection and spatial optimisation, I hope to revitalise the building while respecting its original character, bringing new social and economic value to the local community.
I am very excited to join this heritage restoration project. I hope to continue to learn through teamwork and work with everyone to explore ways to preserve heritage while incorporating modern needs for the Tyldesley community and creating a sustainable built environment.
Posted 10 Mar 2025 02:38
Harley F
Name: Harley Freeman
Course: MArch 1
Atelier: Infrastructure Space

I am particularly interested in architectural heritage, and how we can preserve it through adaptive reuse schemes. My professional experience and time at the MSA, have given me the necessary skills required for real-world projects like ‘Tyldesley Spark’.

I received my bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Nottingham, where I developed skills such as: AutoCAD, Sketchup, Adobe Suite, Midjourney and rendering engines. After completing my undergraduate degree, I worked for a small practice based in London called ‘Architect That’, where I contributed to a mix of residential and commercial projects focusing on adaptive reuse. This fuelled my passion for historic architecture, which I am excited to build upon throughout this project.

I chose this MSA Live project as it aligns with my interests in heritage and adaptive reuse. The potential for our work to be realized is something that attracted me. The collaborators at Tyldesley CIC are friendly and enthusiastic to make a change, something I would like to be a part of.
Posted 10 Mar 2025 10:44
Ibrahim Z
Name: Ibrahim ZIVRALI
Course: MA Architecture & Adaptive Reuse

I earned my Civil Engineering degree at Kırıkkale University, Turkey, followed by a master's in Structural Engineering. For 18 years, I worked on the restoration and conservation of historic buildings, applying engineering expertise to sustainable heritage preservation.

Now, I am pursuing a second master's in Architecture and Adaptive Reuse at the Manchester School of Architecture. This allows me to merge my structural strengthening and restoration experience with adaptive reuse strategies, exploring efficient building transformations.

My interests include material reuse, structural adaptation, and the sustainable repurposing of historic buildings. By integrating engineering and architectural perspectives, I develop a comprehensive approach to adaptive reuse.

I chose this group for its potential to enhance the urban and social dimensions of historic building reuse. I continue to explore adaptive reuse's role in cultural and social sustainability.
Posted 10 Mar 2025 13:21
Taras M
Name: Taras Mandziuk
Course: MArch 1
Atelier: Infrastructure Space

I studied Architecture & Planning at the University of the West of England, graduating with both RIBA and RTPI accreditations, meaning I am qualified to work as both a Part I Architectural Assistant and an Urban Designer/Town Planner.

After graduating, I worked for 18 months as a Part I Architectural Assistant at BoonBrown; a medium sized practice in Somerset working in multiple sectors, including residential, retail, medical, and industrial projects.

My key interests are in community-centric architecture and urban regeneration projects. My work experience gave me an opportunity to develop professional skills within these interests on real-world projects, and now in my atelier at MSA, I am further developing my skills and interests.

I chose this MSA Live project as it is a great opportunity to actively engage in a scheme that will likely be built, and that will serve as a template for future development along Tyldesley High Street. I think my skills will be very useful to the group, and I believe that this project could potentially become a model for future urban regeneration schemes in other areas of decline.
Posted 10 Mar 2025 17:33
Taras M
Name: Lucy Zivrali
Course: Dog
Atelier: Emotional Support

Meet Lucy, Tyldesley Spark's official mascot.

She's a critical member of the team who's skills are particularly useful for surveying the site.
Posted 10 Mar 2025 17:55
Harley F
Posted 10 Mar 2025 18:07
Taras M
Getting to site...

Tyldesley lies just beyond the outskirts of Greater Manchester.

Conveniently, the V2 bus runs directly from outside Manchester Technology Centre to Tyldesley High Street and takes about 40 minutes.

We can cover the cost of your site visit if you use this method!

Posted 10 Mar 2025 20:31
Harley F
Meeting the Collaborators

We are collaborating with Tyldesley CIC, an organisation that intends to develop a prosperous and attractive community, retain and promote heritage, and ensure the sustainable future of Tyldesley and its historic buildings within.

Collaborators Website: https://fortyldesley.co.uk/
Posted 10 Mar 2025 20:47
Taras M
Part of a wider initiative...

Our project sits within a wider effort to regenerate Tyldesly High Street, which over time has seen low-quality shopfronts and businesses find their way into the conservation area.

Our scheme (highlighted orange) sits centrally amongst a number of sites highlighted by Historic England (blue) as opportunities for projects to restore the high street to its Victorian roots.
Posted 10 Mar 2025 20:56
Taras M
First site visit...

We met on-site with the collaborator to discuss the project, and conduct a LIDAR survey of the existing building.

Although showing signs of being unoccupied for 15 years, the building is in much better condition than we had initially thought, and the client talked us through their requirements for the renovation. We were also able meet the prospective tenant that will occupy the retail unit upon completion, so there are multiple layers to consider when designing the adaptive reuse scheme.

To the rear of the building is a courtyard and former stable building which are accessible from the street. It is clear that these have lots of potential, and as the collaborator is keen to see ideas for how this space could be converted into an exciting, community-based initiative.
Posted 10 Mar 2025 21:00
Yufei S
Tyldesley High Street Shopfronts — Reviving Victorian Charm
Posted 26 Mar 2025 11:19
Ibrahim Z
Meet Lucy – our emotional support superstar! 🐾💖

Lucy may not have a title, but she’s the real MVP of our group! As an emotional support dog, she’s always there with a wagging tail and a warm heart to brighten everyone’s day. Whether it’s a stressful meeting or a tough day, Lucy knows how to make us smile. 😊

Here’s a little glimpse of her in action, bringing comfort and joy wherever she goes. 📸
Posted 30 Mar 2025 22:09
Yufei S
Final Tutorial With Lindsay

Following our final meeting with Lindsay, her enthusiastic guidance on the EthOS Application, Action Plan, and Risk Assessment has us buzzing with anticipation for Action Week. We're excited to unite with the rest of our team and dive into the design process. Keep an eye out for updates as we begin our creative journey!
Posted 22 Apr 2025 10:30
Taras M
Days 1 & 2 Roundup

Tyldesley Spark is well underway! After meeting the team, our first couple of days have been spent understanding the brief and researching the site before we conduct our site visit.

We split into groups to research the history of the site, the planning and policy context, demographics and potential users, and precedent analysis, with each group producing a poster to summarise their research.


Tomorrow…

We will meet on site tomorrow to meet the client, explore the site, discuss our work from the first couple of days, and start generating ideas for the project.
Posted 13 May 2025 13:08
Taras M
Day 3 Roundup

Yesterday we visited the site so that our new members could meet the client, understand the current condition of the buildings, and sketch and discuss initial ideas.

For many of our group this was their first time meeting a client to discuss a brief and have a chance to share their spatial ideas in-situ. We even had the chance to teach some surveying skills!


Next steps…

On Day 4 we will begin developing our initial ideas as well as produce the existing drawings of the buildings.
Posted 15 May 2025 10:48
Taras M
Some sketches from our site visit, looking at Victorian facades on Tyldesley Hight Street
Posted 15 May 2025 17:27
Taras M
Day 4 roundup

Following the site visit yesterday, today we started recording and discussing our ideas for the site.


Tomorrow…

We will continue to develop these ideas, starting to hone in on a proposal to develop next week!


Posted 15 May 2025 17:33
Taras M
Day 4 roundup continued

Some facade proposal sketches following our site visit. These will be refined further and presented to the client
Posted 15 May 2025 17:35
Taras M
Day 5 roundup

The end of Action Week 1, and we’ve achieved a lot so far! Today we started to refine our initial ideas from day 4, and began to look at the designs at a more technical level, understanding the feasibility of our proposals.

Floor plans, facade designs, and concepts for the courtyard were all discussed, and we have begun to narrow down our scope to help focus our work in Action Week 2.


Next week…

We will work together to take the feasibility studies from this week and refine them further, creating a few final proposals that will be presented to the client.
Posted 16 May 2025 16:14
Taras M
Days 6 & 7 roundup

To start off action week 2 we took the two key concepts presented at the end of last week and iterated further. Splitting into groups, each began to develop more realistic versions of their concepts, whilst a separate group took on the task of drawing up potential internal floor layouts for the main building.

Next…

Continuing to iterate the designs, progressing them towards high-standard visualisations for the client presentation on Day 9!
Posted 21 May 2025 19:44
Taras M
Day 8 roundup

Final preparations before our client presentation on Day 9! We are polishing up the drawings and visualisations ready to discuss our proposals with the client.


Day 9…

The culmination of our work across the preparation and action weeks: the client presentation! We are excited to show the client how we have responded to the brief, and are looking forward to getting their feedback on our proposals.
Posted 22 May 2025 13:26
Taras M
An internal render of our proposal. The yoga/fitness studio space being proposed will act as a satellite space for the nearby Pelican Gym and Wellness Centre, offering a more private, accessible environment for the community.
Posted 22 May 2025 18:15
Taras M
Day 9 roundup

Client presentation day! Today we presented our proposals to the client, talking them through our design process and inviting feedback. They were impressed by the amount of work we had managed to produce in the short timeframe, how well we had worked together to produce a coherent output, and how thoroughly we had considered the various options.


Tomorrow…

Following the clients’ selection of the proposal to extend the existing building to accommodate two larger apartments, we will produce a full suite of drawings from our presented proposals, which will then be incorporated into the upcoming Full Planning Application.
Posted 22 May 2025 18:21
Taras M
Day 10 roundup

The end of the action weeks and the conclusion of Tyldesley Spark as an MSA Live project!

Today was spent updating the drawings to the clients’ comments before packaging them and sending them over, along with the CAD file and our design development work.

The drawings we have produced will now be taken forward by the client and incorporated into a Full Planning Application for the scheme, and be used to secure funding for future phases of the regeneration of Tyldesley High Street.

Although this is the end of the action weeks, the project is far from completed, and we look forward to seeing our scheme be realised in the near future!
Posted 23 May 2025 14:08
Harley F
And that's a wrap!

A huge thanks to all the members of Tyldesley Spark for contributing to the project. Thank you to our client, 'For Tyldesley', for collaborating, engaging and supporting us throughout the Action Weeks. Finally, a special thanks to the MSA Live staff who have worked hard behind the scenes to organise such an amazing programme.
Posted 23 May 2025 15:51