Our First Site Visit!

At the beginning of February, we had a chance to meet with Nathan, one of our collaborators, a head grower who takes care of the rooftop garden at The Landing. We discussed some of the primary ideas for the project and the possible output to achieve. It was a mind-opening site visit that inspired a creative design approach, utilising natural materials, repurposing waste from the Where The Light Gets In restaurant and engaging with the local community.

Nathan told us more about the activities they have on-site. These include workshops with school students, volunteer activities such as weaving locally sourced sheep wool to protect some of the plants in winter, and collaborations with artists and craftsmen.

The Shed is to provide the shelter where the workshops could be organised, providing the space to cook with the selfgrown ingredients and a communal table to gather and craft.

Course: MArch 1
Atelier: Infrastructure Space

Hi, I’m Zofia!

I am from Krakow, Poland, where my passion for architecture began, but my studies continued in the UK. I completed my bachelor’s degree at the University of the West of England in Bristol, where, for my final year, I was part of the regenerative design studio.

Before my master's degree, I returned to my hometown to undertake 1.5 years of practical experience at Ingarden & Ewy Architects. My work involved industrial, residential, and interior design as well as various architectural competitions, including the redevelopment of the Saxon Palace in Warsaw, where our design received a second award.

My interest lies in designing a responsive and inclusive green environment that promotes well-being and adopts a regenerative approach. I look forward to working on-site alongside the local community and engaging in hands-on activities. I can’t wait to start crafting a prototype of a mycelium brick!

When I'm not focused on architecture, you’ll find me traveling, skiing, doing watersports, or behind a camera.

Action Weeks: Day 1

Today, we had our first full team meeting! It was a great opportunity to meet the rest of the group and officially start working on our Shed project. First, new team members were introduced to the collaborators, the project brief, its aims, and expected outcomes. Then, we all headed to the site so that everyone could get familiar with the location and context. We documented the remaining missing information by taking measurements, photos, and each of us sketched initial ideas for The Shed at the Landing. We're looking forward to developing our visions further tomorrow, starting with a discussion of everyone's sketches.

Action Weeks: Day 2

Today, we divided ourselves into groups of 5 and started discussing our initial ideas, building on sketches and observations from yesterday's site visit. After exploring various possibilities, each group started designing an individual proposal that will be presented to stakeholders on Thursday to create then a final design based on the feedback received, combining our ideas from a few proposals we made.

Action Weeks: Day 3

Today, we continued working on our proposals in groups in preparation for the presentation to our collaborators on Thursday. Throughout the day, we also shared our progress and exchanged feedback between groups, which helped us gain a fresh perspective on our designs and refine our ideas. Even though we divided ourselves into small groups, we maintained a collaborative atmosphere to push our proposals forward and get the most out of them.

Action Weeks: Day 6

Today, we continued to develop our final design proposals within our smaller groups, focusing more intently on refining the details. Before lunch, we spent the majority of our time discussing the structural aspects of the shed, including construction methods, necessary insulation, and how to incorporate water collection into the design. We collaborated to enhance our ideas, ensuring that functionality and feasibility align with our creative vision. The design is truly beginning to come together as we transition into more technical considerations.

A closer look at our collaborator!!

The Landing is an urban garden and community growing space built by Where the Light Gets In and Manchester Urban Diggers. It supports sustainable food production for the restaurant (Where the Light Gets In) and the local community. The space promotes wellbeing, food sovereignty, biodiversity, and community engagement, offering a place to learn, grow, and connect through food. The Landing organises a variety of workshops, such as the Responsive Resource Series with natural dyeing and wool weaving exercises, weekly volunteering to help care for the garden, parties with music, and many more.

Site Location

Our site (The Landing) is located on the rooftop of the Merseyway Shopping Centre Car Park in Stockport.

“The Landing is an urban garden. Facilitating wellbeing, knowledge, and confidence within and beyond food and farming systems.”

https://www.thelandingcic.co.uk/

Action Weeks: Day 7

Today, we focused on further refining the practical aspects of our shed, particularly regarding water collection and the foundations of the shed's structure. We spent time collectively thinking through and sketching ideas for how the shed could be elevated—both to ensure structural independence and to protect it from moisture. These conversations were particularly relevant for landscape students, helping us to think more deeply about water collection solutions, as well as bringing in experiences from practice around the world regarding the structure.

Action Weeks: Day 8

Today, we focused on preparing for the on-site workshop with volunteers on Thursday. At this workshop, we will be making mycelium bricks. We spent the day getting everything ready, including creating the forms for the bricks and sourcing all necessary materials, such as mycelium spawn, coffee grounds, and wood shavings. Alongside these preparations, we researched the properties of various natural building materials and their applications. The Landscape Architecture students shared their perspectives on how these natural materials can complement the existing and designed landscape. The day was highly collaborative, blending our insights from various courses of study.

Action Weeks: Day 9
Post 1

Today, we returned to The Landing to meet our collaborators and host a hands-on workshop with their volunteers, focusing on creating mycelium bricks. We also had the opportunity to finally share our process and the final design with both our collaborators and The Landing's community. It was incredibly valuable to receive feedback from those who use the space regularly and are deeply invested in caring for it. It was great opportunity to engage in discussions among volunteers and students from different cohorts regarding sustainable approaches in architecture and the necessity of community involvement in built environment.

Action Weeks: Day 9
Post 2

Each participant of the workshop at The Landing had the opportunity to prepare their own mycelium brick to take home, using the forms and materials we had prepared earlier in the week. We also explained mycelium's growing requirements and the following steps they need to undertake once they take it home. The workshop created a great atmosphere for exchanging ideas. It was a chance to introduce sustainable construction techniques in a tangible way and for the community to get involved in one of the core aspects of the project for the space they will be using once it is built.

Questionnaire for The Landing's Volunteers

We prepared the questionnaire for The Landing's volunteers, community, and collaborators to complete in order to help us understand their needs and requirements for the shed. The questions included the atmosphere and style of the shed they would like to see created, the building materials preferred, the core elements they consider most important, and their defined purpose for the structure. The results of this questionnaire were then taken into account while working on the final design and presented alongside our final presentation on Thursday (Day 9). It helped us all to gain a deeper understanding of the space and to appreciate the different perspectives people had on the project, particularly when their roles at The Landing varied.

Action Weeks: Day 10

Our final day focused on bringing everything together. Everyone was extremely helpful and dedicated to completing their tasks—finalising drawings, refining ideas, and contributing to the publication. We worked collaboratively to compile and present our work comprehensively, ensuring we captured the full scope of the past two weeks. Once everyone wrapped up, we took well-deserved time to celebrate and socialise by sharing pizza. It was a great end to our MSA Live Project.

THANK YOU!

The Final Post to Our Blog...

After 10 incredibly productive and inspiring days, we have officially finalised our MSA Live project for The Shed at The Landing. During the Action Weeks, our team progressed from initial introductions, site visits, and analyses to detailed design development, experimentation with building materials, and community engagement.

Throughout the project, collaboration was central to our efforts. The diverse mix of students from five different cohorts brought a wealth of perspectives and skills. This interdisciplinary approach not only enhanced our design process but also ensured our design choices were holistic, practical, and sensitive to the site's social and environmental context.

A heartfelt thank you to our collaborators at The Landing, the volunteers who participated in the workshop, and all the students who joined us for the Action Weeks and dedicated their time, energy, and creativity to this project.

We are proud of what we've accomplished as a team and can't wait to help build The Shed at The Landing one day.