Name: Aparna Jayanti
Course: MArch Architecture
Atelier: & Architecture

I am particularly interested in conceptual design and space planning, for all scale of projects. My professional experience of 3+ years gave me a better understanding of construction techniques, and detailing.
My expertise lies in bridging a gap between the past and the renewed styles, while retaining its essence.
I received my bachelor’s degree in architecture from India, where I developed skills such as; Revit, BIM based workflows, Adobe Suite, and other rendering engines. And further handled projects from India & USA.

I chose this MSA Live project as it aligns with my interests in flipping existing space to act more functional and diverse to its community. The idea of giving something back to locality, is definitly inspiring and exciting to work on.

Hello reader.
Welcome to the Half-Time Hub, our MSA Live Project! With our amazing collaborators at the Gorgeous Gorse Hill, we aim to give a refreshing transformation to an unused site in old Trafford. The site in focus is a former toilet block, currently sitting idle, with an incredible potential to be transformed into a thriving ‘hub’, which gives the centre stage to the local community.
We want to re-imagine this forgotten space by exploring design strategies through creative placemaking, that prioritize sustainability, social engagement, accessibility and urban renewal. The projects would bring together students from diverse backgrounds and experiences, making it a wholesome process to develop empathic and effective solutions.
Follow our journey as we work closely with our collaborators at the Gorgeous Gorse Hill and develop a vision for an amazing and vibrant neighbourhood.
Stay tunes for updates!

Meet the collaborators !!!!
Gorgeous Gorse Hill

For this project, we’ve had the privilege to collaborate with Gorgeous Gorse Hill, a passionate community group based in Old Trafford, Manchester. Made up of local residents, their mission is simple yet impactful: to make their neighborhood a more beautiful, welcoming, and vibrant place for everyone.

Gorse Hill, home to Manchester United’s football ground and Lancashire County Cricket Club, is a diverse and well-connected suburb. However, like many urban areas, it has its share of underutilised spaces, neglected greenery, and opportunities for community-driven transformation. That’s where Gorgeous Gorse Hill steps in.

Through a combination of gardening, public art, and community events, the group is actively revitalising the area. They transform waste ground, abandoned flower beds, and forgotten verges into thriving green spaces filled with insect-friendly plants, colorful flowers, and even fruit trees. Volunteers from the local community help maintain these spaces, ensuring they remain beautiful all year round.

Art also plays a big role in their work. Collaborating with local artists and schoolchildren, they’ve brought creativity to the streets of Gorse Hill—decorating bollards, roller shutters, and utility boxes with nature-inspired artwork, as well as commissioning large-scale murals that celebrate the area’s identity.

Through their ongoing efforts, Gorgeous Gorse Hill is proving that small, community-led initiatives can have a lasting impact. Their work not only enhances the local environment but also strengthens social connections and civic pride—making Gorse Hill a more engaging and inspiring place to live.

Site Visit: Exploring the Potential for Transformation

As a group, we recently had the opportunity to visit our project site in Old Trafford, just a short walk away from old Trafford stadium. This location, especially lively on match days, presents both an exciting challenge and a great opportunity for regeneration.

We were met by Ruth, a member of Gorgeous Gorse Hill, who guided us through the site and shared insights into its history and potential. The site itself is an abandoned toilet block that has been out of use for many years. While it currently stands as an overlooked structure, efforts have been made in the past to improve its appearance—most notably through artwork painted onto its exterior. However, with this project, we now have the chance to go beyond surface-level enhancements and completely reimagine its purpose.

Our brief is to transform the space, breathing new life into it and creating something that benefits the local community. Given its prominent location in a high-footfall area, the site holds great potential to become a meaningful and functional space that integrates seamlessly into its surroundings.

This visit allowed us to not only assess the physical condition of the site but also to begin envisioning its possibilities. Seeing it in person helped us understand its context within the urban fabric of Old Trafford and consider how our intervention could contribute to the area’s ongoing regeneration.

With this first step complete, we’re now ready to begin developing ideas that will turn this forgotten space into something truly impactful.

Invitation to the community of Gorgeous Gorse Hill !