Group 15
STREET AND A HALF

In the heart of St Helens lies an underused urban canvas ready for renewal. Our Street and a Half MSA Live group aims to transform this dormant space into a vibrant hub - ‘Sun Street Social’ and ‘Moon Street Creative’ - energising the community. We seek BA students to help craft an ad campaign driven by playful experimentation, blending artistic flair with architectural thinking. You’ll explore imaginative ways to reshape space, working with various mediums to develop compelling narratives that highlight Street and a Half’s social essence. By designing installations and communication pieces that encourage community involvement, you’ll join us in bringing this space to life. Through inventive techniques, we’ll create advertisements that embody creative regeneration, bridging big ideas with tangible engagement. We’re excited to experiment - physical, digital, or otherwise - and invite you to help shape a vibrant vision for St Helens.

Alexandra Cristina I / Chenyi Z / Manish Manojbhai P / Merly SW / Ryan DR / Shao-Yu W

Shao-Yu W
Hi, this is Zoe.

I am in the FLUX atelier for MArch 1 and completed my Part I studies at the University of Nottingham. Before joining the Manchester School of Architecture, I spent about a year in Taiwan, gaining work experience in both residential and commercial buildings.

I am particularly interested in community projects that bring people together, allowing them to share their interests and explore creativity. Architecture has inspired me in many ways, both in life and academics. During my free time, I enjoy travelling and drawing inspiration from astonishing architecture around the world. This passion connects two of my personal interests. Beyond architecture, I enjoy meeting friends or simply brewing a nice cup of coffee and savouring my personal time.

Really looking forward to this exciting project and the upcoming brainstorming weeks.
Posted 7 Mar 2025 11:27
Chenyi Z
Hi, this is Chenyi.

I am currently studying in the Architecture and Adaptive Reuse Studio, pursuing a postgraduate degree. Prior to this, I studied landscape design in Tianjin, China, and gained experience in landscape design.

I am very interested in community projects. I hope to create an equal and open social place for people to escape from high-pressure work and study, and get a breath here, while being able to make more friends. Usually, I am very happy to make friends with different personalities, and I look forward to working with you on projects and becoming friends! In addition, I am also very interested in football and often watch games. If you also have this hobby, I believe we can communicate and cooperate happily!

I am really looking forward to working with you!
Posted 7 Mar 2025 14:22
Ryan DR
Hi, I'm Ryan, a Master of Architecture student currently in the Infrastructure Space Atelier. I completed my BA (Hons) in Architecture at Hull School of Architecture, graduating with first-class honours and receiving a nomination for the RIBA Bronze Award. During my undergraduate studies, I researched the influence of phenomenology on Steven Holl's design processes and critical thinking, which helped shape my approach to architecture today.

My interests include exploring how large language models (LLMs) can be integrated into architectural workflows to improve efficiency in documentation, CAD processes, and feasibility studies. I've developed a solid skill set including Vectorworks, AutoCAD, Rhino3D & Grasshopper, a multitude of Adobe products, and various programming languages. I've already gained experience working on residential and commercial projects, and I'm looking forward to collaborating with others during MSA Live, where I hope to continue developing innovative architectural solutions that merge technology with thoughtful design approaches.
Posted 9 Mar 2025 14:17
Manish Manojbhai P
Hi, this is Manish.

I’m M.Arch 1 student at MSA, studying in atelier Some Kind of Nature. I completed my bachelors from Manipal School of Architecture, India. After graduation, I gained work experience for a year where I mostly worked on residential and commercial projects.

Apart from Architecture, I love outdoor activities and always up for playing sports especially volleyball and cricket. I’m really excited to work on this MSA live project, since it can help us develop an understanding of how community engages with the space that we create and how it improves the image of that street.

I look forward to working with my team and making this a fun collaborative project.
Posted 9 Mar 2025 14:17
Merly SW
Hi Everyone, I am Merly Sara Wilson currently doing the Adaptive reuse program offered by MSA. I have completed my bachelors of architecture from College of Architecture Trivandrum from Kerala, after which I gained experience in various architectural companies both in India and Middle East within a year. I have gained work experience having done commercial and residential projects in these respective countries which helped me develop a context based design ideas and analogies.
I think architecture should be fun and my favorite part about it is the ideation and the collaboration phase. I love the feeling of being a part of something big which makes me most interested in community related projects that could help them in a longer run, creating a sense of oneness within the community.
Apart from architecture I also involve myself in painting and reading. I also love travelling and exploring different art and architecture of the world. All of which seems to have helped me in my architectural visualization journey.
I look forward to the MSA live collaboration, hoping that it will help us create ideal and practical architectural solutions.
Exited to meet with you all soon!!!
Posted 9 Mar 2025 16:00
Alexandra Cristina I
Hi, I’m Alexandra!

I’m an MArch 1 student in the [CPU]ai atelier, having also completed my BA (Hons) at MSA with first-class honors (CPU girl through and through!). My work currently focuses on adaptive reuse, and my experience across various sectors in practice has deepened my passion for AI in architecture, emerging biomaterials, and sustainability initiatives.

Beyond architecture, I’m inspired by art, photography, and travel, always looking for ways to embed climate action into my work. I’m particularly interested in AI’s role in sustainability, exploring how it can drive low-carbon design and more engaging architecture, and I'm also excited to develop my digital skills while supporting others as part of the ADD team.

I also love visual storytelling—whether through graphic design, photography, or interactive media—and can’t wait to explore how these elements shape our MSA Live project together!
Posted 9 Mar 2025 23:53
Ryan DR
Situated just a couple of minutes' walk from St. Helens station, the site sits on the corner of two streets, aptly named 'Street and a Half'. The opportunity here offers near complete freedom to reinvent the existing space, either digitally or physically. As a town, St. Helens has a deep cultural identity for the locals, so any engagement (or lived experience) with the space must be meaningful to the local people, bringing them in to be a part of the high streets they hope to reinvigorate.
Posted 10 Mar 2025 09:22
Alexandra Cristina I
Find more about the project here!

You can see the live progress on the brief and the key details, context, partnerships and objectives for Street and a Half from the collaborators! At its core, we as a team want to ensure that the project delivers real, tangible benefits to the St Helens community through SnA.

Access our presentation through the following link, or paste into your browser: https://prezi.com/view/oZ9MRc6jwUdMWZjt6SSR/
Posted 12 Mar 2025 15:03
Alexandra Cristina I
Meet our collaborators!

Claire Weetman is a visual artist in St Helens and one of our key people for the project. Claire has also expressed interest for the one of the tenancies for creative businesses at Street and a Half!

Christine Spriggs is the Kindred Place Lead, and main coordinator for the Street and a Half vision.

Key Partners for Street and a Half are St Helens Borough Council (SHBC), with Anthony Burns as Leader/Councillor; Kindred LLC, with Helen Heap as Deputy Chair of Kindred, and the Liverpool City Region’s social economy network.

Join out team to make the collaborators' dream come true and deliver real, tangible benefits to Street and a Half and the surrounding communities of St Helen!
Posted 12 Mar 2025 15:38
Alexandra Cristina I
What’s Next for Street and a Half:

After a great discussion with Claire and Christine, we’re excited about the next steps for the project!

We’re now shaping up the schedule for our upcoming action weeks, planning activities that will help us explore, create, and collaborate in meaningful ways. From workshops to hands-on experiments, we’re eager to dive into the creative process and bring our ideas to life.

Most of all, we can’t wait to meet and work together with you - sharing ideas, sparking conversations, and making the most of this incredible opportunity!

Stay tuned for more updates as things take shape.
Posted 12 Mar 2025 15:51
Alexandra Cristina I
We can’t wait to meet you all! 🎉

Here’s the game plan for our two weeks together as we dive into the MSA Live project soon!
Posted 6 Apr 2025 20:49