MSA Live 25

Course: MA Architecture & Adaptive Reuse
Hi, I’m Baiyun Sheng.
I am from China and completed my undergraduate studies in Interior Design at Shanghai Normal University, where I developed a strong foundation in spatial design and material exploration. Now, I am pursuing an MA in Architecture and Adaptive Reuse at MSA, further expanding my understanding of architectural transformation and sustainable design strategies.

During my academic journey, I have worked with various design software, including Rhino, AutoCAD, SketchUp, Enscape, and Photoshop, allowing me to efficiently translate concepts into visuals and technical drawings. My passion lies in reimagining spaces with a focus on adaptive reuse, breathing new life into existing structures while preserving their essence.

I am excited to work with the Canal and River Trust to bring their vision for the pontoon to life, creating adaptive, modular, and innovative designs. Engaging with real-world projects like this allows me to explore the potential of adaptive reuse in meaningful ways, transforming existing spaces into dynamic and functional environments that respond to contemporary needs.

Posted 7 Mar 2025 18:27

Course: MArch 1
Atelier: Infrastructure Space

Hi, I'm Angela!

Having completed my undergraduate studies in MSA, I spent my last two years working back home in Hong Kong. My previous works in practice revolve largely around public architecture, ranging from large-scale transit oriented developments to footbridges and water outposts.

I particularly enjoy projects cultivating everyday spaces and engaging with the community and its stories. Stories of all kinds fascinate me and nourish my approach to preserving touch and connection in my works.

Looking forward to working with the team and the Canal and River Trust to explore the dynamic cultural landscape of the Docks and the pontoon's many potential within it!

Posted 7 Mar 2025 20:13

Ka C

Course: MArch 1
Atelier: &rchitecture

Hi, I’m Karlas Chao. I completed my BArch at the University of Nottingham where I focussed on urban regeneration and placemaking. Following my undergraduate studies, I spent my year-out in Hong Kong, my ‘home away from home’, where I worked as a Part 1 assistant. My experience in practice mostly focussed on rendering and designing private residential developments. As a result, I have lots of experience with SketchUp, AutoCAD and Lumion. Throughout my architectural career, I’ve been heavily influenced by the works of Tadao Ando, Renzo Piano and Kengo Kuma to name a few.

Outside of my architectural studies, I’m interested in film, graphic design and cooking! I try to regularly engage in honing my graphic design skills through experiencing and learning new ways of designing.

I am thrilled to be a part of this project alongside our experienced peers and hope to deliver a meaningful design of the Canal & River Trust’s pontoon, whilst engaging in the existing social and architectural landscape.

Posted 8 Mar 2025 18:26

Priya DN

Course: MArch 1
Atelier: CPU[Ai]

Hi, I'm Priya!

I completed my Bachelor's degree at the University of Hertfordshire, followed by two years in the industry as a Part 1 Architectural Assistant. Before joining the practice, I participated in the ILS Summer School in Italy, where I gained a deep appreciation for the collaborative design process.

During my two years as a Part 1 Architectural Assistant, I had the opportunity to work as part of a team on a diverse range of projects, including commercial, retail, and residential developments. I was involved in projects from early feasibility studies through to RIBA Stage 4. One of the most exciting experiences was designing a front lobby extension for an existing store and witnessing my design come to life within a few months.

I am excited to collaborate with the Canal and River Trust, helping to visualize a new space that will bring the local community together within such a historic setting.

Posted 9 Mar 2025 00:15

Course: MArch 1
Atelier: FLUX

Hi, I’m Eleanor!

I completed my Bachelor’s in Architecture at the University of Liverpool, and after graduating in summer 2023 moved to Manchester for my Part I Architectural Assistant experience. After a year of working in practice, I joined the MSA to start the Masters course.

During my year in practice, I worked on a variety of projects specialising in social housing, estate regeneration and community projects. One of my highlights of working in practice is attending and running community engagement events, getting to interact and hear feedback from residents. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in practice and continue to work part-time here alongside the course.

I am really looking forward to this project collaborating with students and The Canal and River Trust to create an exciting new space on the water, helping to celebrate the local community and the docks!

Posted 9 Mar 2025 22:21

Introducing our Collaborators!

Excited to collaborate with The Canal & River Trust on this upcoming design initiative at the Salthouse Dock! As the charity responsible for caring for 2,000 miles of waterways in England and Wales, the Trust plays a vital role in maintaining Liverpool’s docks through daily operations, historic conservation, and major engineering projects. Their work supports boating communities, enhances water quality, and fosters engagement through learning opportunities.

The Trust’s floating stage at the Salthouse Dock has previously hosted a variety of hybrid activities, bringing the local community, students, and visitors closer to the water. From jellyfish spotting to canoeing, paddleboarding, and family days, these initiatives have encouraged a focus on aquatic health and understanding of ecosystems.

By redesigning this space together, the project continues the tradition of connecting people to the water, ensuring the dock remains a thriving asset for the community.

Posted 18 Mar 2025 13:18

Introducing our Collaborators!

Thrilled to have Donald Insall Associates on board as consultants for this exciting project at the Salthouse Dock! With over 65 years of pioneering architectural conservation and heritage consultancy, their expertise ensures that historic places not only endure but thrive amid an ever-evolving world. Specializing in conservation architecture, heritage consultancy, and townscape advice, they bring invaluable insight to projects that balance preservation with innovation.

Their recent work on Liverpool’s waterfront includes the upcoming International Slavery Museum and a regeneration scheme at the Canning quaysides and dry docks that features a contemplative space and overall improvements to the public area. As advisors on this project, their guidance will help shape a floating space that respects the dock’s rich heritage while creating new opportunities for community engagement.

Posted 18 Mar 2025 13:43

Our first Site Visit!

Last month, we travelled as a group to visit the Salthouse Dock in Liverpool, the site for the new floating activity hub. In the morning, we met with the Canal & River Trust team based in Liverpool, who took us on a boat tour around the docks! It was a great opportunity to hear more about all the work they do around the docks; the life underwater that they encourage, and their ambitions for the future. We were also able to see the condition of the existing floating structure which was damaged beyond repair after a storm in early 2024.

In the afternoon, we had the chance to sit down with Donald Insall Associates alongside the Canal & River Trust, who talked us through the work they're currently involved in on the docks, such as the International Slavery Museum and the Canning dock. This was a valuable insight into how the docks are evolving and gave us important context to consider when designing the new floating activity hub.

The site visit was a great team day out, allowing us to get to know the collaborators better and situate the project in its historic surroundings. We look forward to starting design work and, hopefully, another site visit to the Docks in May!

Posted 20 Mar 2025 16:24

Action Plan!

This two-week plan follows the complete trajectory of a design project, from initial research to final presentation.

The first week emphasizes early-stage exploration and preparation, including site analysis, teamwork, brainstorming, sketching, and initial modelling to define the project direction.

In the second week, the focus shifts to design refinement and presentation. Teams will develop their ideas further, improve models and drawings, and prepare clear, well-structured final outputs for review and submission.

Posted 29 Apr 2025 23:47

Reintroducing the Group!

FLOAT welcomes our BA students to the team as we kick-start the 2-week-long design period!

Posted 13 May 2025 11:14

Day 1!

We launched our design week with an energising site visit to the Liverpool Docks for an up-close inspection of our site and the existing pontoon. Marcus from the River and Canal Trust welcomed us in the beautiful weather with an insightful introduction to the area, outlining key features of the site and the important themes to keep in mind throughout the day.

From there, we met Rob on the slipway to get strapped into our lifejackets before hitting the water in our boats and paddles! Approaching the pontoon from the waters gave us a completely new and immersive perspective on how the pontoon interacts with the water-side neighbourhood and marine life. Jellyfish spottings and signs of other aquatic life as we paddled across the waters sparked curiosity and excitement for the upcoming design work.

The day ended with a nap on our coach ride back. All charged up for the week ahead!

Posted 13 May 2025 15:01

Day 2!

A day of site explorations through sketches, historic desktop analysis and starting to map the site! We split into focused groups to explore different methods of site analysis, understanding the site’s significance and its main opportunities and challenges, such as its sensitive heritage setting.

From our immersive site visit yesterday, we took plenty of photos on the water and the surrounding context around the pontoon to bring back with us to Manchester. We collected these together and used these to capture the atmosphere of the site through sketches, serial visions and mixed-media collages.

Meanwhile, our history team delved into the rich history of the docks, unearthing stories of their significance to the city, as well as the background of our clients, The Canal & River Trust.

Lastly, our mapping team got stuck into the technical side and worked hard to learn on the spot. Our Master’s students mentored the BA students in the tools Digimap and AutoCAD, to produce key base maps to sketch and annotate over. This spontaneous peer learning brought a great energy to the room.

It was a great day to come together to reflect on the site visit and get to know each other better. We’re looking forward to continuing this momentum tomorrow.

Posted 13 May 2025 15:23

Day 3!

Midway through the week, and the momentum is building! We kicked off the day by diving into the design process, starting with a site model digital modelling tutorial, easing into a more comfortable relationship with the digital tools we’ll be using throughout the project. We also revisited the project brief, unpacking its key themes and goals to ground our ideas in context and purpose.

In the afternoon, we took our sketchbooks and headed to the park for an open-air creative session. Surrounded by greenery and a lot of sun, we shared thoughts, exchanged early concepts, and put pencil to paper in a relaxed, collaborative setting. It was a chance to reset, reconnect, and let ideas flow freely, jump-starting our creative minds and setting the tone for our next design days.

The refreshing mix of focus and flow that we needed!

Posted 14 May 2025 19:07

A closer look at our site at the Salthouse Docks.

The existing pontoon structure is right off the shore and accessible via a retractable ramp. Before getting damaged, the structure housed a mix of creative programmes, including school visits, interactive marine studies, cultural performances, and water sports.

The current structure consists of chained concrete and foam-filled plastic by InterMarine that is adaptable with temporary canopies and furniture.

Posted 15 May 2025 13:53

Day 4!

We began the day with group presentations, reflecting on the findings from our site visit and desktop research. The presentations were divided into historic analysis, mapping of key views and access, and site serial visions and collages. It was exciting to see the work come together and build confidence with presenting in front of the group.

In the afternoon, we introduced a new task: storyboarding the potential key actors of the site. We showed different methods to convey this, such as through a comic book style or Sarah Wigglesworth's dining table before use, in-use and after use. We also discussed who these key actors may be, from fish in the docks to students and the key design considerations these each pose. This was a great task to get the creativity and conversation flowing.

Posted 15 May 2025 15:46

Our key design drivers!

Keeping "context", "materiality", "interactivity", "sustainability", and "engagement" in mind as we continue to develop our ideas and concepts into tangible designs.

Posted 16 May 2025 17:52

Day 5!

To end the week with something fun, we wrapped up and reviewed our storyboards from Thursday, then moved on to our performance prototype model workshop!

We built the ideas gathered across the week into prototype models using recycled and reused model materials, including plastic bottles, lolly sticks, cardboards and cereal boxes. The hands-on creative session helped give more spatial awareness and consideration to their designs. It was exciting to see how everyone's ideas manifested into different forms and design features each with their own flair.

We then went on to testing them on the water...

Posted 19 May 2025 12:26

Getting wet!

Our models got their first dip in the water as we tested out their floatability, structural stability, and weight distributions. Most of them stood fast to our 20-second test, but some unfortunately had more water ingress than others :(

We have our water bottle platform barges that made the waterscape accessible for everyone, as well as toothpick performance spaces, buoyant circular piers, organic-partitioned platforms, swimming in the water with our jellyfish (not to scale!)

All hands on board for more designing now!

Posted 19 May 2025 15:13

Day 6!

To kick-start the design week, we developed our conceptual designs from last week, beginning the process by drawing sketch plans, elevations, and sections. To warm up and bring some energy in the morning, we also played a few games such as the time guesser and food guesser!

In the afternoon, the Masters students each showed their portfolios to help the undergraduate students get a feel for each of our different ateliers; from [CPU]ai and Infrastructure Space to &rchitecture and FLUX. Lastly, to help set up the activities for tomorrow we held an introductory AutoCAD workshop as we take the sketch designs into the next, more technical stage.

Posted 19 May 2025 15:47

Another look at our project brief ahead of our interim design presentations.

We are creating a set of drawings and visualisations that can effectively convey innovative and aesthetically pleasing proposals for a replacement floating structure. This project is intended to substantially aid in securing funding opportunities for the River and Canal Trust and to help promote the ongoing development of this initiative.

Outputs include plans, sections, elevations, and renders/ visualisations.

Posted 20 May 2025 13:56

Day 7!

Today, we focused on finalising our sketch proposals and taking these into technical drawings and 3D designs on AutoCAD, Rhino and SketchUp. Seeing the proposals take shape is exciting, from organic jellyfish-inspired shapes to more function-led designs. This task is key in communicating our designs confidently in our catch-up with Donald Insall Associates tomorrow!

We look forward to presenting and getting feedback / support on our work-in-progress designs, with a heritage emphasis. This will help to progress our designs towards completion for the client presentation on Friday.

Posted 20 May 2025 15:45

Day 8!

We had a great day meeting with Jack from Donald Insall who are our heritage consultants on this project! In the morning, we prepared our presentations for the informal review, scanning in sketches to show our process and work-in-progress designs to evidence the development of these initial concepts, from jellyfish to Scandinavian-inspired pontoons. This illustrates the array and variety of designs and the different scales of ambition these present for the client to consider.

After lunch, we walked over as a group to their Manchester office in the Northern Quarter. Some of the feedback we received in the meeting was to diagram our ideas more to show the flexibility of the spaces, which is key to the brief. Jack was also keen to see the human activity in plan and section to show the different types of uses that the designs afford.

This visit was a great opportunity for the undergraduates to present in a professional setting and ask any questions, both project-wise and career-wise! We’re looking forward to implementing this feedback and finalising our designs over the last two days.

Posted 22 May 2025 11:00

A scroll through the group's work in progress!

We are building up on some nice drawings and graphics for our final designs.

Posted 22 May 2025 13:13

Day 9!

This is the last push towards our final outputs and client presentation tomorrow! Our master's students delivered an introductory tutorial on rendering in Lumion and how to situate designs in more context and with more textures. We then went on to put our different designs into the software, bringing them to life as key visuals in our proposals.

Some of us are also developing collage visuals for a more hands-on aesthetics to complement the dock's as a cultural and creativity hotspot.

Posted 22 May 2025 14:54

Pizza lunch!

We headed to YES for half-price pizzas. Crust too big. Bit salty. Overall great company. 7/10.

Posted 22 May 2025 14:58

Day 10!

We presented our final ideas to the representatives from the Canal and River Trust, James and Marcus, today. They were really pleased with the students' outputs and were surprised by how well the designs had come in as little as two weeks. They praised the range of ideas produced and liked the idea of storyboarding the different perspectives of different types of pontoon users.

They are going to take the range of ideas forward to achieve funding for a new floating platform within the Salthouse dock, which will house a range of activities for many different types of users. The students brought a different perspective that both James and Marcus were unaware of, which was that students aren’t familiar with the Canal and River Trust. They proposed some ideas to expand their user focus towards students by giving them space to study or even have a DJ platform. It was also important to give the pontoon a representation at nighttime, a couple groups did this simply through illumination.

Thank you to the Canal and River Trust for coming to see our presentations, and we hope you might use some of our ideas to gain funding and develop an adaptable and inclusive floating pontoon.

Posted 23 May 2025 16:20