Name: Junfan Zhou
Course: Architecture and Adaptive Reuse
Skills: AutoCad, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Enscape, Lumion, D5, Rhino, Sketchup
Personality:INFJ

Hi, I am Junfan Zhou! I studied Landscape Architecture in my undergraduate life but my real passion always lies in architecture. I aspire to become an architect and adaptive reuse is what I am interested in. It is quite exciting for me to undertake a real life project in the UK and I am looking forward to the interesting experience I may have.

Day 3: Site Visit

We visited the Portland Basin Museum for a site visit. We examined the workshop space while discussing our design ideas. Later, we explored the museum to understand its context. There were many engaging exhibits, models, films, and displays showing what life was like in Tameside during the 1920s.

Before moving on to further brainstorming, everyone shared their initial concepts with our client, Rachel. To encourage collaboration, B.A. students were asked to team up with others who had similar design ideas. M.Arch and MA.AR students listened to the presentations and offered helpful feedback.

Also, Patrick 3D-scanned the sheepfold and the sheep model inside, creating a complete digital version. Rachel mentioned that the sheep is a favourite among visitors. Patrick also brought a drone to capture aerial photos of the museum, which was a great addition to the visit.

The day ended with a group discussion. B.A. students were given the task of developing their design proposals further.

Pictured: Group photos taken by the drone!

Day 5: 3D Modelling and Rendering

Today marked an exciting milestone as we began testing our designs through 3D modelling! It was great to see such a diverse range of software choices—Blender, Rhino, and Shapr3D were among the favourites. Some students also experimented with rendering tools like D5 Render and Blender. It turned out great!

It was an intensive day filled with focused, independent work from the B. A students, while the M. Arch students were on hand and ready to support whenever needed.

By the end of the day, everyone uploaded their drawings to Miro and gave individual presentations. It was a real pleasure to see the amazing work produced.

We're clearly heading in the right direction—well done and keep up, everyone!

Day 7: Further Design Development and Illustrator Workshop

Today was a productive day focused on advancing our design work. In the morning, a specific solution was proposed to address the lighting issues. Additionally, the wall of the workshop space was reimagined with a creative concept inspired by the iconic canal beside the Portland Museum. We also have two design schemes for modular furniture now.

In the afternoon, we started to try to make some visuals. Aillustrator—a widely used and powerful software among architecture students—was the obvious choice. As a lot of students had never used it yet, an Aillustrator workshop was held, covering essential skills such as converting models into clear line drawings, organising layers, and adjusting line weights and colours.

Pictured: Illustrator Workshop in action!