Group 13
WHAT IF?

We are working closely with What if?. They're a fast moving and grass roots urban consultancy firm based in Stockport, taking in disused council buildings on the basis of generating ideas about how to repurpose them into social and democratic hot spots that give back into their communities. With a people first approach they stand as socially motivatived outliers in a field that is rapidly developing into a profit centred industry. Above all else, they always stand to ask the question, What if? Our collaborators would like the students at MSA to help them continue asking this question. Over the course of our action weeks we'll be designing a range of low-tech initiatives to help activate the area around What If?'s community hub; think urban farming, wayfinding, markets, play... This will culminate in the production of a 10-year vision for the site and beyond, showing where these low-tech interventions and ideas could be used all around Stockport and beyond. We won't just be designing; we'll be debating, researching, engaging and most of all having fun! Find out more about our collaborators here: https://linktr.ee/msalive2025_whatif

Akeefah T / Alexander A / Chennan Y / Max F / Tianxiang X

Hey, I’m Alex (he/they)

I’m a MArch 1 student in Continuity, an atelier I was drawn to due to its highly pragmatic, grounded and contextual approach to Architecture. I did my BArch at the University of Nottingham, where I particularly focused on inclusive education and housing, as well as adaptive design.

I did my Part 1 at WW+P Architects (formerly Weston Williamson), and continue to work there part time whilst I complete my degree. My work there on the Residential Mixed-Use team is predominantly focused on social housing and civic buildings, and I also get involved with education programmes like Open City’s Accelerate.

What If? particularly appealed to me as I have learnt the value of community is so important, particularly whilst working on social housing projects. What If? Is an exciting proposal to reuse a historically valuable local building and give it community value. It also ties into a bigger vision for the redevelopment of the region, promoting resilience for the existing and future communities.

A skill I bring to the team is my ability to quickly adapt to new situations and challenges, allowing me to get stuck into a short project, like in the upcoming Action Weeks.
Posted 10 Mar 2025 15:02
Hi everyone, I'm Max.
I’m currently in my first year of March and in the Continuity Atelier. Before this, I completed my BArch at the University of Newcastle. After that, I spent a year on placement in South Africa, where I worked on several large-scale office-to-residential retrofits and urban regeneration masterplans. Following my time there, I spent another year in London working with the firm Howells (formerly Glenn Howells), an AJ100 firm, where I focused on large-scale residential schemes and masterplans both in the UK and across Europe.

My group, Group 13, is working with the Company What if? They are led by a very dynamic and engaging team that have already introduced the MArch Students to a variety of Architects, Landscape Architects, Council delegates, Town Planners and Historians around Stockport who we can continue to work with throughout this project. The brief Is currently very open, but looking at structuring a program for sustainable retro fit to produce community centred buildings is something I’m really interested in and something I think could really standout in a interview portfolio.

A skill I bring to the team is that “I don’t deal in if buts or maybe’s, I deal in absolutes” equally to further this, when working on this project “I want everyone to go out there, enjoy it, but be fucking disciplined with it”. Channelling my ideologies into my digital workflow and team communications is crucial in allowing myself to add moderate, up to significant levels of additional value to any group work dynamic.
Posted 10 Mar 2025 15:12
Hi, I'm Chennan. (He/Him)

I’m currently in MA Architecture and Adaptive Reuse. I studied my undergraduate degree here at MSA.

I have two work experiences, one as an intern in an interior design company working on residential design projects and one as the personal assistant to the general manager of a green technology company.

I chose to be a part of ‘What if’ because joining this group will allow me to have the opportunity to work with a diverse team to contribute to sustainable development and social well-being.

Unique Skill: I will be able to focus on environmentally friendly design solutions suitable for human use.
Posted 10 Mar 2025 15:19
Hi I'm Akeefah ! (She/ Her)

I am in the & Architecture Atelier and studied my undergraduate degree here at MSA. The atelier & focus on creating common spaces, spaces which are inclusive and encourage diversity. I’ve always enjoyed designing socially cohesive and resilient spaces.

I did my Part 1 at AEW Architects, and I enjoyed it because it was very people driven. I got to experience alternative ways to use CAD and Revit and worked in the retail team. I was involved in many projects at different scales, ranging from commercial office spaces to small refurbishment projects.

Why What if? ... Because it provides a realistic insight into designing feasible spaces that can also increase community cohesion.

Unique Skill – I love communicating and presenting, because you get to express ideas and experiment with software like InDesign etc. I also found that I love talking which helps too!
Posted 10 Mar 2025 15:25
Hey, I'm Xu Tianxiang (he/they)

I'm an MA student specializing in Adaptive Reuse, driven by its potential to merge sustainability with creative transformations of existing structures. My BArch from the University of Architecture focused on Environmental Design (Interior), where I cultivated a passion for adaptive strategies in historic spaces.

Before the MArch program, I co-led a church renovation project, tackling challenges like preserving heritage while integrating modern interior solutions that comply with regulations. This experience honed my ability to balance historical value with functional innovation.

What excites me most about adaptive reuse is its dual power to reduce environmental waste and preserve cultural narratives. I believe this approach can create architecture that actively benefits both communities and ecosystems.

My key skills include collaborating with diverse stakeholders, conducting deep research to inform design choices, and adapting ideas across disciplines. I’m particularly eager to explore circular design techniques in our projects.

Thrilled to join this group – ready to contribute my expertise and learn from all of you as we build meaningful solutions together!
Posted 10 Mar 2025 15:32
THE COLLABORATOR

What if? is a fast moving and grass roots urban consultancy firm. Their interest lye in taking in disused council buildings on the basis of generating ideas about how to repurpose them into social and democratic hot spots that give back into their communities. With a people first approach they stand as socially motivative outliers in a field that is rapidly developing into a profit centred industry. Above all else, they always stand to ask the question, What if?
Posted 10 Mar 2025 15:36
🌱 MSA Live: Edgeley Resilience Project

A community-led experiment to reimagine forgotten spaces through low-tech solutions and hyper-local collaboration.

Core Focus

Wayfinding & Connection
Urban Farming + Micro-Market
Community-Built Instruments
10-Year Vision Map: Layer social connections + climate adaptations over the neighborhood
"First Intervention": A visible, playful installation to spark pride (e.g., painted pathways)

Get Involved
#EdgeleyRebuilds #PeopleNotBlueprints #GrowTogether
Partners: Stockport Council, Resilient Cities Network, Grow Edgeley
Posted 10 Mar 2025 15:38
Over the two weeks our main aim, alongside our ambitions, is to have fun and learn new skills.
We will not only visit the site and meet our collaborator, but we'll engage with the local community at a consultation event held at What If?'s community hub during the first week.
We're also hoping to visit a similar, highly successful, project in the heart of Manchester (more details to be confirmed) and see if we can apply any of this in Stockport.
We'll be analysing and critiquing existing proposals for the regeneration of the area and counter-mapping.
We'll be quickly getting to know the local, making sure that our final vision is ambitious, exciting, but most importantly hyper-local and for the community in which we are working.
At the end of the action weeks we'll have worked collaboratively to produce a vision for site and wider area. This will involve designing, debating, researching and ambitious thinking.
Posted 10 Mar 2025 15:40
"Exciting First Site Visit!"

It was wonderful to connect with individuals from Stockport Council, the Resilient Cities Network, Planit, and Shedkm. Our goal was to understand what this project could mean for the community while exploring ideas on how we can foster greater collaboration.
Posted 10 Mar 2025 15:42
A 'Hi' from us and the collaborators!

Quick morning meeting with us and the collaborator to share ideas on the upcoming 'What If' brief and design strategies!
Posted 10 Mar 2025 15:42
"Sharing a Walk and Talk with What If’s Partners"

A collaborative walk and talk with What If’s partners provided a more immersive understanding of the site and its potential.

Posted 10 Mar 2025 15:54
With a focus on sustainability, this initiative is more than just revitalising buildings—it’s about strengthening connections, fostering local resilience, and creating a future where communities thrive together.
Posted 10 Mar 2025 15:55
In the heart of Stockport, What If is a hidden space with the potential to become a resilient and thriving community hub. Tucked away behind a busy main road, it’s time to bring it back onto the map!
Posted 10 Mar 2025 15:59
We met our students at 10am in our space, gave a quick introduction to the team, a brief plan for the 2 weeks and the project.

Before we started designing, we wanted to break the ice and get to know our team, their skills and interests through their favourite (or best) work. All the students bought in a piece of work and presented it to the group. There was a wide range of skills on show, from computer modelling in Revit, Rhino and Blender, hand sketching, painting, collaging and physical model making. Our students presented work from a range of projects, often routed in community and driving change, which is well aligned with our work over the next 2 weeks for our collaborator.

We also got to know the skills our team might like to learn; digital skills, presentation skills – even learning about skills for practice, including understanding the RIBA workstages.

We'll be intertwining learning new skills with producing our outputs over the next 2 weeks.
Posted 12 May 2025 15:57
Meeting with the collaborator.

We had a meeting with Aoife from What If?, who introduced the demonstrator hub's ambitions and its home on Hardman Street to our team. Although she was not able to join us in person, we caught up with her over Teams. Online meetings are a key part of working in practice so this is a good skill to learn, to remain engaged despite not being in the same place.

In the meeting, Aoife discussed with us:
- her vision for What If?, its HQ and beyond
- some of the issues facing local communities around the site
- the key outputs she would like from us in these two Action Weeks

The meeting was valuable in providing the team with a solid understanding of what What If? is all about and how the MSA can help this vision come to life.

We can’t wait to visit What If?'s HQ on Wednesday 14th for a public design charrette!
Posted 12 May 2025 15:57
Quick Thinking - Our initial responses

The fantastic work produced on Monday afternoon by our team.
Posted 12 May 2025 16:48
Transferring Procreate Brush Library

To enhance the skills and resources of BA1 and BA2 students, I shared my extensive Procreate Brush Library, comprising over 1,000 brushes organised into over 50 folders. This initiative was in response to observing that many students use Procreate but were unaware of how to download brushes online or create custom brushes. Instructions for this where given as well as how to share these brush libraries to their future practices when they start on Part 1
Posted 15 May 2025 13:54
Illustrator skills tutorial

After speaking with our BA1 and BA2 students, it became clear that they wanted some tutorials on software. Following a democratic vote the day before, Max and Alex led a session on how to export from Digimap and edit the drawings in Illustrator. These skills will be vital, not only for our project but also for helping the BA students develop their employability skills.
Posted 15 May 2025 14:19
Sketch up 1 on 1’s

Following the success of the Illustrator session, feedback indicated that some students lacked any experience in 3D digital modelling. To address this skills gap 1 on 1 SketchUp sessions were offered ensuring all students got a foundational knowledge in 3D digital modelling to aid in some of the design tasks that would be carried out over the rest of this project.
Posted 15 May 2025 14:20
Three groups - Landscape - Beacon – wider site connections

In the afternoon we split our team into three groups to come up with initial ideas to show our collaborators on Wednesday.
Beacons take the form of tall way finders — multi-purpose structures that offer seating, shading, play and moments of reflection. Designed using local and recycled materials such as textiles and clothing, they would root the project in Stockport’s identity, fostering a sense of belonging.
For landscaping a rough sketch model (1:200) was created so that we can quickly iterate variations of landscaping throughout the next two weeks.
With wider site connections, a small group went on to iterate their illustrator maps detailing site processes into their drawings
Posted 15 May 2025 14:45
Site Neighbourhood Walk

We took a very long route to the site from Stockport train station. Along the way, we stopped off at Castle Street, which is Edgley’s high street, Hollywood Park, and an industrial neighbourhood off Ford Street (which is set to be demolished for the Stockport 8 development), before enjoying a leisurely walk back along the River Mersey to finally arrive at Whatif?
Posted 16 May 2025 10:37
Teaching LiDAR Scanning

Following discussions with BA1 and BA2 students, we discover that two thirds of the group all owned iPads, however none had used a LiDAR scanning. To address this, a brief tutorial was delivered, introducing the functionality and applications of LiDAR technology. Subsequently, the team successfully employed LiDAR scanning to capture the landscape relevant to our proposal, as well as the internal spaces of the Whatif? project.
Posted 16 May 2025 10:39
Engaging with Collaborators

Once again, we split into three groups focusing on Landscape, Beacon, and Wider Site Connections. There were six collaborators in total, and they rotated around each table in groups of two, ensuring all students were exposed to their different perspectives. We spoke to them about issues within the local area, the needs of the community and then went on to explain our design ideas, developing with them alongside the advice of the collaborators
Posted 16 May 2025 10:44
Group Crit

After extensive discussions with our collaborators, we pinned up all three groups’ work to demonstrate our current position within the design process. This informal crit created a valuable opportunity for reflection and development, with direct feedback from our clients.
Posted 16 May 2025 10:48
Landscaping in Plan

Following the last meeting with our collaborators, we started to explore landscaping changes to the current car park, in front of the What If site. The team developed ideas brainstormed earlier, including new arched entrances into the east-facing hedge, a intricate 'play road' mural, as well as designing circular planters.
Posted 19 May 2025 10:44
Beacon development

The ambiguity of the brief for the beacon was widely narrowed by the chat with the collaborates on the previous day. However many from the team were still wrapped up in the myriad of possibilities for the structure. To navigate this, we began by defining the key spaces, materials, and components. Then, as a team, we held a fast-paced design charette, where each member had 30 minutes to generate a design response. The charette proved to be incredibly expressive and insightful. It gave everyone the freedom to interpret the brief in their own way, revealing a wide spectrum of creative approaches.
Posted 19 May 2025 10:46
Signage

A group worked on creating new signage at two separate entrances to the What If site, following discussions with collaborators on the previous day. Tools used included Illustrator and Procreate.
Posted 19 May 2025 10:58
Local Plants Research

In the first half of the morning, part of the landscaping team researched local crops, scented flowers, and herbs with multiple uses. Strawberries, blueberries, and flowers such as sunflowers were identified as great options, given the limited space and their suitability for Stockport’s climate.
Posted 19 May 2025 14:55
Digital modeling the planters

Following Tuesdays sketch up 1on 1’s Tom (who had never used sketch up before this week) was able to create a 3D model of the planters, whilst correlating his design ideas with the landscaping team. The model will be used to create orthographic drawing later on.
Posted 19 May 2025 14:58
Landscaping in 3D

To develop the landscaping further, collages were created on photoshop and procreate to display our ideas in 3D.
Posted 19 May 2025 15:00
Beacon model making in the park

Friday morning was spent physically modeling (at 1:20) an initial design of a beacon, following Wednesday’s discussions with the collaborators. Not only were we able to bask in the sunshine, we were also able to better understand the structural integrity and constructability of the proposed design…Which, in all honesty, led us back to the drawing board showing the harsh realities of designing on paper versus physically.
Posted 19 May 2025 15:01
Beacon development + group crit

After the physical model was complete a crit was done by the landscaping team, we found that there may be some practical measures that include simplifying the construction process, reducing material complexity, and improving accessibility and maintenance. These thoughts led us to reimagine the current iteration of our beacon into a slightly more simplified structure that remains playful and engaging. The proposal thus becomes a mix of sculptural form and functional design that better integrates with the landscape and user interaction.
Posted 19 May 2025 15:03
Modelling the Beacon in Rhino + Rhino Tutorial Session

Once we reached a solid position, we shifted our focus to physically understanding the beacon, exploring how we could refine it further by engaging with it as a digital model.

Posted 21 May 2025 13:56
Scissor Gate

One of the interventions specified by What if? was for a removable gate to prevent children from leaving the play space, which could also be moved out of the way when cars were coming in and out. In order to ‘jazzy it up’, a set of different colour schemes were created, along with a 1:20 scale model.

Posted 21 May 2025 13:57
Group Design Session on Beacon

Is the iterating process ever-ending? This session focused on resolving the beacon, and we discovered there was always something to refine. But I suppose that’s the beauty of designing something so engaging, fun, and realistic!
Posted 21 May 2025 13:58
Orthographic Drawings for Planter

A set of measured orthographic drawings for the planter were created so that collaborators can produce them after the project has concluded.

Posted 21 May 2025 14:02
Local Motif Making and placing

To stay connected to the local symbolism of the area, six motifs were designed with assistance from What if?, focusing on local symbols. These were then mocked up in plan view to explore how the streetscape outside the site could be reclaimed and reimagined as a symbol for the tri.
Posted 21 May 2025 14:04
Materials and construction research and development

After completing the beacon, a small team began investigating the construction process and the materials that would be used for the beacon.
Posted 21 May 2025 14:13
Final Physical Model of Beacon

To finalise our ideas around the beacon, a final physical model was made at a scale of 1:20. Although we had already produced three other physical models, we had observed over the last few days that our group of BA1
Posted 21 May 2025 14:14
Beacon Views in Context + Tutorial on CAD Mapper + Enscape

The team working on the 3D Rhino model of the beacon were shown how to download context using the free software CAD Mapper. We then demonstrated to the BA students how to use Sketch View in Enscape to produce presentation-worthy images from their digital site models.
Posted 21 May 2025 14:15
Finishing off and photographing our final model

In preparation for our meeting later with our client, Pauline, we finished off the final bits and pieces of our model and began photographing it.
Posted 22 May 2025 15:08
Masterplanning

The masterplan looks at What If’s presence with a longer-term vision, exploring how the site can engage with the local area over an extended time span. Crucially, it considers how the site will connect with the forthcoming Stockport 8 residential development happening right on their doorstep.
Posted 22 May 2025 15:10
Final presentation to what If

As the project came to a close, we presented our amazing work to Pauline, who heads What If, in order to get feedback. Pauline was incredibly happy with the outputs — she was even reduced to tears at one point (which is actually true, we weren’t expecting it either).
Posted 22 May 2025 15:11
13GB Architecture resources file transfer as a thank you for hard work

As a thank you to the BA1 and BA2 students, I transferred over 6,000 architectural resources to them. This consisted of images of people, vegetation, etc., brushes for Photoshop/Illustrator, Revit families, Revit parameter files, software guides/manuals, stamps for Illustrator/CAD, and many more. This will help the students save hundreds of hours searching for these resources and encourage them to learn new software.
Posted 22 May 2025 15:12
Developing master plans

Master plans where developed further to ingrate our studies on local icons and symbols into the our drawings
Posted 23 May 2025 11:35
Orthographic drawing for beacon

After receiving feed back from our collaborator Pauline we created a set of measured drawings for the beacon so she can construct it on site!
Posted 23 May 2025 11:37
Follow up email from our collaborator

Really nice for the team and BA students to see the how much our collaborators appreciated
Posted 23 May 2025 11:38
Finishing off the publication and outputs

One the last day we let the BA students take the day off, allowing the MArch students to focus on the final documents for this project!
Posted 23 May 2025 11:42
Student Feed Back on MArch Students
Posted 23 May 2025 13:09
Student Feed Back on MArch Students
Posted 23 May 2025 13:23
Showing the impact of What If? across Edgeley in the next 10 years
Posted 23 May 2025 13:54
A recap of a fantastic 2 weeks. We want to thank all the students who were engaged with the process and helped us deliver something special to our collaborators.
Posted 23 May 2025 13:55