Group 27
SENSESCAPE

‘SenseScape’ is collaborating with the Manchester Museum and the University of Manchester to design a dynamic, multi-sensory, and multi-functional educational space for children. The project aims to develop a series of atmospheric concepts and architectural plans that will serve as a design statement for future investment opportunities. We hope to design a sustainable, biophilic, and culturally relevant experience for future museum young visitors. We will work closely with the live client to refine and present this proposal, contributing to creating a new, exciting museum space. This is an excellent opportunity to partner with an established institution which is eager to embrace fresh ideas and perspectives.

Dominika W / Huaixuan T / Jessica C / Nour E / Yuran W

Dominika W
Dominika Wochowska, Continuity atelier, MArch 1

Brief background: I’m originally from Poland, but my architectural journey began in England, where I completed my undergraduate course at the University of Sheffield. I’ve always been passionate about designing spaces for children and participatory design, which I experienced first-hand while working as an architectural assistant in Leeds. I love model making and diagramming. I also enjoy experimenting with colours and materials that evoke emotions or influence users’ comfort. I chose this project for the museum because it combines my interest in children’s architecture with my passion for visiting museums and experiencing interactive, inspiring spaces.

Skills: Pencil drawing, model making, Adobe Suite, ArchiCAD

Interests: DIY, travelling, skiing, cooking
Posted 7 Mar 2025 18:28
Yuran W
Yuran Wang, Adaptive Reuse
Brief background: I’m from Beijing, China, where I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and interned at Tsinghua University's Architectural Design and Research Institute. Eight years ago, I visited the UK as a tourist and was captivated by its historic architecture and rich culture, inspiring me to pursue a Master’s degree here. I’m passionate about designing human-centered buildings and believe every project deserves enthusiasm and creativity. As a museum enthusiast, I believe they have the power to share so much more than just knowledge– I’m excited to collaborate and create fun, engaging spaces for children together. Let’s make something amazing!
Skills: Adobe Suite, Photography, CAD, Rhino, D5
Interests: Travelling, photography, music
Posted 8 Mar 2025 11:12
Jessica C
Jessica Coapes, SKN atelier, MArch 1

Brief background: I’m from the UK, originally from Newcastle and moving around a bit when I was younger. My undergraduate was at Oxford Brookes University and I graduated 2023, then spent a year in practice working in Oxfordshire at a company called Ridge and Partners. I have first hand experience with special needs requirements as I have an autistic family member, I’ve learnt about sensory rooms and their benefits for users. I chose this project for this reason as well as my previous undergraduate projects were mainly designed with younger people in mind so this challenge was a combination of my life and designing experience.

Skills: Sketching, Revit, Adobe Suite, AutoCAD

Interests: Music, Athletics, Reading and baking

Posted 8 Mar 2025 18:13
Huaixuan T
Huaixuan Tu, Adaptive Reuse
Background: Hi, my name is Huaixuan Tu. I'm from China.
My undergraduate study was in Xi'an, China and I graduated from Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts majoring in Environmental Design. I applied to study in the UK as soon as I graduated from university in order to further my studies and research. I expect design to be able to serve people, both physically and spiritually. I hope that studying in the UK will broaden my career, make more friends and create more ideas.
Skills: Sketching and photography, CAD, 3dmax, V-ary and D5.
Hobbies: sports, badminton, music, travelling, etc.
Posted 8 Mar 2025 22:26
Nour E
Nour Elzawi, CPU atelier, MArch 1

Brief background: I studied my undergraduate in Manchester School of Architecture whilst working in a small firm in my second year and directly continued Masters. I worked and volunteered in many museums and galleries across Manchester, including Manchester Art Gallery, Science Industry Museum, and Whitworth Art Gallery. I chose this project because I tutor secondary school children who may find this proposal appealing for education and play. I aim to keep my projects as sustainable and carbon-neutral as possible. I focus on improving software skills. I prioritise materiality and its performances in proposals.

Skills: Sketching and photography.
Interests: Hiking and outdoor activities.
Posted 9 Mar 2025 01:51
Dominika W
Hello everyone! Meet the collaborators!

We're excited about the upcoming Action Weeks and can't wait to share the effects of our collaboration with Manchester Museum! The museum's mission is to become the most inclusive, imaginative, and caring place you'll ever visit. As part of this project, we're working closely with Hannah and Wendy from Civic Engagement and Education, whose passion and dedication make this collaboration a true pleasure.
We are also closely collaborating with Pinc College, which works in unique ways with creative approaches to education. They have worked with groups such as the Greater Manchester Autism Consortium, which gives us a fantastic opportunity to create a space where every young visitor feels heard and valued. Through this collaboration, we aim to design a sensory room in one of the museum's spaces that will be accessible and supportive for children with different sensory needs. What's more, we hope to provide a space that supports and offers them comfort and the chance to engage in museum experiences fully.

We're looking forward to presenting the results of this exciting collaboration!
Posted 10 Mar 2025 20:13
Dominika W
This is the room!
Introduction to our project:

Our project, SenseScape, focuses on children, especially those in their early school years. We are creating the interior of a room in the basement of the Manchester Museum, which is right next to other educational spaces where children's workshops take place regularly. As the basement space is often used by schools, our room aims to not only serve as a place of engagement but also as a space where children can feel safe and supported. The project will bring together sustainability and culture, and the room will have a therapeutic, sensory focus, engaging children's senses of sight, touch, sound, and hearing.

What our Action Weeks will look like?

During the Action Weeks, you can expect an exciting workshop experience! As our project connects with the museum's collections, we can't wait to host a site visit where our collaborators will kindly show us the room and the exhibitions. We are also planning to collaborate with Pinc College, which will give us great insight into designing educational spaces focusing on different sensory needs. We're also thrilled to share that one of our future prospects might include an exhibition of our project outputs right in the room we are designing.
It's going to be an inspiring project with plenty of opportunities for creative exploration!
Posted 10 Mar 2025 20:40
Dominika W
First Site Visit -12th Feb

What an exciting day! After spending four hours in the museum, we still can't say we've fully explored all the rooms and collections! (4.5 million objects!) We were amazed by all the fascinating exhibitions within this building and their incredible educational value, which we would love to continue exploring in our project.

The site visit was our second meeting with Hannah and Wendy, following the December meeting that launched our MSA Live. During our discussions in the room, we learned that the planned room design should be pretty flexible, immersive, and functional.

After the meeting with our collaborators, we went for a coffee at the museum café, where we created our first drafts of the poster promoting the project. With excitement, we thought about the possibilities for the room, which we finally had the chance to see. We can't wait to return during the action weeks, this time with tape measures and even more ideas.

Take a look at the museum's collections here ->
https://museumcollections.manchester.ac.uk/
Posted 26 Mar 2025 20:51
Dominika W
Second Site Visit -5th March

This was our second visit to the Manchester Museum to have a look at our sensory room again.

This visit focused on talking to Jenny, who specialises in children's sensory needs. We talked about learning through play and learned about many sensory toys. It was an incredibly inspiring site visit!
Posted 26 Mar 2025 22:51
Dominika W
Hello from the collaborators!

Hi everyone! We can't wait to welcome our new team members, and in the meantime, we'd love to introduce our wonderful collaborators, who have prepared a few words about themselves.

Hannah:
''Hannah-Lee Chalk is Curator of Learning and has worked in the museum sector for 20 years in various roles including education, research, exhibition development, and as a curator. She originally studied Geology before undertaking a MA in Museum Studies and then a PhD in Social Anthropology. She has worked at Manchester Museum for many years, originally as a member of the Visitor Team and subsequently in a range of educational and project management roles before taking on her current role in 2016.

As Curator of Learning, Hannah oversees and supports the development and delivery of the learning programmes and is currently also involved in the development of the Wild exhibition. She is particularly interested in how the collections can be used to explore the intersection between social and ecological justice through programmes such as Carbon Ruins and the forthcoming Blazing World Escape Room.''

Wendy:
''Wendy Gallagher is Head of Civic Engagement and Education at Manchester Museum, part of the University of Manchester. She is an arts and heritage and education professional with over 25 years’ experience working across education, arts, health, culture, and heritage sectors. Wendy leads strategic initiatives in civic engagement, partnerships, and education. Coproduction, accessibility and inclusion is at the heart of our programming, exhibition making and redesign of our spaces. We want visitors to feel that they belong in Manchester Museum.''
Posted 21 Apr 2025 13:47
Dominika W
Third Site Visit - 7th May

Today we had our final visit to the museum (as a group of Master's students), followed by a tea meeting with the collaborators to go over the final details of the Action Weeks. Stay with us - exciting things ahead!
Posted 9 May 2025 19:35
Yuran W
Day 1 – May 12th: First Day On Site

What amazing and inspiring first day!

We kicked off our SenseScape journey by introducing ourselves and the project in Geoffrey Manton 3.33. It was a chance to meet one another, share excitement, and begin imagining how we could design a sensory room that is inclusive, engaging, and meaningful. We explored previous examples, reviewed the existing room drawings, and introduced the colour palette that will guide the mood of the space.

Around noon, we walked down to Manchester Museum where our client Hannah welcomed us and guided us to the basement space and the very room we’ll be transforming. Her insights helped us understand the importance of designing a flexible and immersive space.

Then came a playful and collaborative highlight of the day: the sensory icebreaker game. Blindfolded, mute, or listening through headsets, teams attempted to model clay animals through non-verbal and indirect communication. It was a chaotic, hilarious, and surprisingly touching way to reflect on sensory perception, teamwork, and alternative modes of interaction.

After lunch, we reassembled at the museum entrance and followed Hannah through selected galleries for a deeper sensory exploration of the museum’s exhibitions. The phrase “to be museumed” was introduced as a term: what does it mean to be overwhelmed, absorbed, or transformed by a space?

After briefly measuring the dimensions of the room. We wrapped up the day by gathering our first impressions and inspirations, and began noting initial ideas for sensory elements and precedents.
Posted 12 May 2025 21:31
Yuran W
Day 2 – May 13th: From Senses to Spatial Concepts

Today, we transitioned from playful exploration to structured design thinking. We began the morning by splitting into three sensory focused groups: touch, hearing, and sight. Each group tasked with brainstorming ideas tailored to their sensory theme.

Following that, we moved into collaborative space planning. Discussions flowed around how to organise zones within the basement room, and we mapped out potential layouts using diagrams. Practical constraints like ventilation and storage were identified and addressed creatively.

After lunch, each team sketched their own mock-up proposals. The variety of approaches sparked valuable debate, and we began to see our shared vision take shape. We ended the day by selecting a few promising ideas to take forward into tomorrow’s floor plan and section development.

From abstract senses to tangible sketches—Day 2 was a turning point.
Posted 13 May 2025 17:40
Yuran W
Day 3 – May 14th: From Analysis to Action

Today was all about deepening our design logic and giving form to our ideas. We began with a detailed site analysis, considering three different aspects: sensory experience, exhibit links and potential user groups. This helped ground our concepts in spatial reality.

The day continued with digital upskilling—Revit tutorials for 3D modelling and AutoCAD for 2D drawings. Meanwhile, some of us curated mood boards, articulating the vision through textures, colours, and materials that could shape the sensory atmosphere.

Building on the past two days, we moved into early modelling and layout drafting, translating group concepts into floor plans and initial design sketches. We also set the structure for our final booklet, planning how best to communicate our design narrative and decisions to clients.

Step by step, the sensory room is beginning to take shape—visually, spatially, and conceptually.
Posted 14 May 2025 16:26
Yuran W
Day 4 – May 15th: Giving Form to Ideas

Today was dedicated to visualising our design through different media. We split into three groups—Model, 3D, and 2D—to bring the proposal to life in physical and digital form.

The Model Group constructed the base structure of the sensory room. This model was designed as a flexible, adjustable base capable of accommodating multiple layout variations, aligning with our project’s emphasis on adaptability. We also crafted props for a proposed visual game, adding a playful and interactive layer to the design.

Meanwhile, the 3D and 2D Groups completed a set of drawings that included floor plans, isometric views, and perspectives, clearly illustrating how each sensory element would function in space.

We ended the day by preparing slides for tomorrow’s client presentation, bringing together our visuals, concepts, and design narrative into one cohesive story.
Posted 15 May 2025 20:39
Yuran W
Day 5 – May 16th: Presenting and Reflecting

Today was a major milestone as we presented our progress from the week to the PINC students and Manchester Museum team. We shared the results of four days of collaboration: concepts, drawings, models and sensory ideas. Highlighting how the design evolved through research, play and teamwork.

The feedback we received was invaluable. The PINC students provided insights from the perspective of young users, while Museum staff encouraged us to refine the design from a practical and safety standpoint.

We rounded off the day (and week!) with a well-deserved pizza lunch with the team! : D
Posted 16 May 2025 14:59
Yuran W
Day 6 – May 19th: Improving Design

After a weekend of rest, everyone returned to work with a new focus. We first reviewed the feedback given by our collaborators last week and refocused on the combination of user experience and spatial practicality.

Then, we continued on the drawings and visuals based on the division of tasks between 2D and 3D groups.

At the same time, the arrangement of the booklet was officially launched! We began to organise the design process, concepts, key visuals, and set about building a complete design narrative.

Today was a busy and fulfilling day! The team collaborated efficiently and took a great step towards the final results.
Posted 19 May 2025 18:01
Yuran W
Day 7 – May 20: Continuing Design Outputs

Today we continued to focus on improving the design output. We worked on the original 2D drawings, 3D models and conceptual diagrams. These images demonstrated the development in the past few days and how to cleverly integrate sensory activities into a restrictive space.

At the same time, a small group were in the B15 model studio working on the physical model.

This space is gradually becoming a reality, it's so exciting to see our progression over the last few days!
Posted 20 May 2025 20:41
Yuran W
Day 8 – May 21: Final Presentation to our Collaborators

Today was a successful conclusion of communicating our SenseScape design journey. All members worked together to complete the final work by unifying the style and color of all outputs, and applying this to our physical model simultaneously as well as the presentation for the clients.

In the afternoon, we showed the final design to Hannah and Wendy (collaborators). Every member participated in it and confidently presented their own parts. The atmosphere on the scene was relaxed and full of a sense of accomplishment. In the end, our results were unanimously recognised and was highly praised by them.

WHO ONLY HAD POSITIVE COMMENTS!

It's high time to finish our booklet : D
Posted 21 May 2025 16:40
Yuran W
Day 9/10 – May 22/23: Booklet Binding

The final days of this project were spent very productively in the completion of the booklet, which the collaborators were extremely excited about. We were so happy to see it!

We were hopefully optimistic and thought we could finish it on Thursday night, this was not the case. However, coming back well rested on Friday morning we had another look at the booklet and finished in a timely manner :P

Just want to say thank you for everyone involved in the project and we couldn’t have asked for a better group. You all did amazing work and we’re so proud of everyone and what you achieved. We created a fun and meaningful design which we hope can one day become a reality!
Posted 23 May 2025 17:44