Course: MArch 1
Atelier: CPU
Hi, I'm Yang Pengcheng.
I was born in Shandong, China, and graduated from Wenzhou-Kean University. During my undergraduate studies, I had some work experience in construction companies in both places, so while I have some architectural knowledge, I am familiar with both ancient and modern Chinese architecture.
Environmental issues are also very serious problems in China (for example, the coastal areas of Wenzhou are seriously polluted), and we are also looking for better solutions. So I am very interested in this event because it provides a simple and direct way of thinking about the recycling of plastics. The whole process does not actually require professional skills to participate or even lead, and this method of watching and participating in person actually plays a role in establishing people's concepts.

Team Intro

We are Group 39, working in collaboration with the non-profit organisation Plastic Shed to explore the potential of community donated recycled plastic as a material for innovative, bespoke furniture and shop design. Our goal is to transform waste into functional, creative, and sustainable pieces that showcase the possibilities of circular design while promoting environmental awareness and community collaboration.
Developing modular furniture crafted from recycled plastic, emphasising functionality and replicability. Our aim is to produce IKEA-style assembly instructions for our designs, promoting plastic recycling at a wider scale, increasing our social impact. Locally, we seek to engage the Stockport community in recycling and create meaningful interactions, while showcasing innovative solutions for plastic waste.

This is an exciting opportunity to help a small business reach its maximum potential by collaborating together with a range of skills, pushing the boundaries of design, sustainability, and material innovation, which in turn will create a positive real-world impact.

Partners Intro

Plastic Shed, the UK's first high-street recycling centrea.
Its creative inspiration comes from two outstanding projects, Precious Plastic and Men Sheds. Rachel Lewis, the founder of Plastic Shed, is eager to build solidarity and empathy in the community through these projects, bringing different people together and providing opportunities to do something meaningful together to solve the plastic problem.

Plastic Shed unites people to tackle plastic pollution. They do this by providing a variety of ways for people to participate in the reuse of local plastic waste. When they help people in the community work together to transform plastic waste into new and useful items through social activities, their approach also helps to strengthen community cohesion, empower people to take action, and support personal health and well-being when people use materials creatively and contribute to meaningful projects. At the same time, the spread of Plastic Shed's deeds will also effectively make people aware of the seriousness of the plastic problem and the diversity of solutions to the problem.

In the past, Plastic Shed was based in Stockport, where they completed the UK's largest mural made from 100% recycled plastic bottle caps. In 2025, they are about to take the next step in the development of the business to the next stage - moving into their own space in Manchester. This is why Caitlin, the owner of the organization, wanted to work with MSA Live this year.

Project Intro

Plastic Shed is very open-minded about what we are going to produce based on using recycled plastic and what waste plastic could be brought. As they are planning to rent a new place in the future, they want us to provide ideas and design for the new space, with both interior and exterior. Which might involve installation of furniture and display to improve the promotion of using plastic sheets. To find out more about the possibilities of these plastic sheets by applying them as an additional part of the space, for example using them as material for the walls, floors or ceiling.

In addition, they also want to explore the potential of using plastic sheets to make furniture. Turning the plastic sheets becomes more functional. To create some new furniture such as chairs, tables, desks and workshop benches to support the daily operation of the workshop, and promote the usage of plastic waste to the community.

Therefore during this MSA Live, we need to give out some examples or ideas towards the display of plastic waste. Studying the plastic sheets to test or find out if there is any possibility to use the plastic sheets as part of decorative material for the interior of space. Also, we need to create furniture prototypes using plastic sheets to make scale models and assembly methods to allow them to adapt for the future.

March 13
SITE VISITVISIT
We met with Caitlin at her new store on this day. She enthusiastically introduced to us the large wall art she had previously made near the store using various discarded plastic bottle and can lids. She also introduced the machines she currently uses to process plastic waste and the success she has achieved with this process. During this visit, we learned more about her space needs (such as the tight storage space she showed us) and the people she contacts and serves on a daily basis. This information will help us better help her plan and design the new space.

ACTION PLAN: WEEK 1

We have prepared an activity plan for the furniture making activity in May. The picture shown is a simplified version of the plan for the first week, which mainly focuses on members' understanding of the project site and furniture design. Come and see if you are interested and join us!

ACTION PLAN WEEK2

This week we will focus on making more detailed plans based on the design and installation of the solution selected last week, making the solution feasible. These actions will help Plastic Shed better activate this community!

May 12

Tday, all the students gathered at MTC in the morning. After a quick introduction and some icebreaker activities, we took the bus over to the site to meet with Caitlin. She showed us the tools and the specific steps she uses to make the Plastic Shed, and we even got to join in and try out some of the manufacturing process ourselves.

During this, we learned about the dangers and safety precautions, especially related to high temperatures and equipment. We also got a feel for the hardness, size, and other properties of the material, which will be super helpful for our future furniture designs.

At the end, Caitlin showed us the finished product — a sleek, marble-like slab in a greenish hue. We’re thinking we might use it for some furniture down the line, so stay tuned for more updates!

Questions to get you thinking!

What spatial issues will our design improve for the Plastic Shed?

How can the recycling of plastics as a material be meaningfully used in our design?

Who will benefit from these changes and uses of materials?

How does it improve the social, environmental and economic value of the reused space?

These are the key questions Caitlin faces before she starts work next month, and hopefully we can answer some of them in this small project.
Please upload any ideas you have into the designated space on the board. Here is the link:
https://miro.com/welcomeonboard/OXVaS3VVZWdaTzVSd0g4S2twL3YwL3R0SU1nR3NXbllvTlplR3hIUVBydWd3U3ZmLzZaZ25PUEduTG5NLzdOMXZnbTBYUzNwYStNamhNU2ZNcTJyZ3oyZDVmRFFLcm9UamZHeVpMbGdNSDdUSzhPK0tJcHQyQnZ2SXFITzZoU0tnbHpza3F6REdEcmNpNEFOMmJXWXBBPT0hdjE=?share_link_id=652229270206

We will present and discuss them tomorrow after the meeting.

Images courtesy of Agnieszka Kula, designer: Tomek Rygalik.

May 13th (morning)

After coming back from Stockport, today we split into groups to design furniture using plastic as the main material. During the brainstorming session, we tried out different ways—hand sketching, computer modeling, and making hand massing models—to explore all sorts of possibilities with the material.

This wasn’t just a chance for the BA students to bounce ideas around, but also a crucial moment for the MA students to help them try out new methods and improve their designs.

May 13th (afternoon)

In the afternoon, we shared our ideas as groups and kept refining them along the way. Then, we picked four projects to focus on and got ready to make physical models or even actually build parts of them to bring our ideas to life.

May 15th (morning)

Today, we headed back to Stockport! In the morning, we helped clean up Caitlin’s awesome bottle cap mural from last year.

Not only did this bring the artwork back to life, but it also caught the attention of more people in the community. One passerby told us he’s lived here for years and said he only just noticed the beautiful mural today! This activity really inspired the local residents to pay more attention to plastic recycling and caring for their neighborhood.

May 15th (afternoon)

After lunch, we jumped in to help Caitlin sort through the raw materials. Then, the master’s students lent a hand to the undergrads, helping to refine the physical model of the design and figure out the exact sizes for each part. Finally, with Caitlin guiding us and all the tools and materials in the Plastic Shed studio, we got to build the actual model together. It was a great team effort, and we loved being hands-on in creating something real!

May 20th (morning)

Today in B15, work kept rolling, and another group is nearly done with their product models! The Master’s students are busy putting together store interior models so Caitlin can see exactly how these products will look in the space. Things are really coming together, and it’s exciting to see everything take shape!

May 20th (afternoon)

In the afternoon, two groups showed off their product assembly manuals. These IKEA-style guides could really help Caitlin reproduce the products more easily in the future. Our goal is to make our products both reproducible and high quality for the long run, and seeing these manuals come together is super encouraging!

May 22nd (morning)

We finally finished all the models as planned! They all turned out amazing — whether they’re ready to go on sale or used as functional furniture for the new store.

May 22nd (afternoon)

In the afternoon, we arranged the products in the store model to see the final overall effect. We also put together everything we’ve worked on over the past two weeks into our publication. Plus, we printed the product guidebooks and made a video of the products in the new store to hand over to Caitlin tomorrow. Can't wait to see how she reacts to the final look!

May 23rd

Today we had the final handover with Caitlin, and she absolutely loved the designs! Every student is super proud of their own work and contributions — I really believe everyone’s learned a ton over these two weeks. Honestly, it’s been an awesome two weeks!

This blog record starts with our introduction and expectations for the two weeks. On the last day, we hope to end the time with the introduction and reflection of each BA student. Let's start with Sean:

Sean Mcgrath
The past two weeks have allowed me to develop my design skills in an alternate fashion, focussing on interior design and pieces slotting together to make furniture. Collaborating with master’s students has enhanced my digital skills with extra tools building upon my previous abilities whilst introducing me to new ways of working. Sessions with Plastic Shed has built environmental awareness with explorations of potential uses of the boards.

Oscar Sortwell

The past two weeks working in MSA Live have been invaluable to my experience at the MSA and architectural education. Working with a real client made my process in design grounded, as I worked toward a real and tangible final product, which I would produce by the end of the two weeks. I found a symbiosis in collaborating with other architecture students across the different years at the school; we learnt from each other, with varying abilities across our different skill sets. I enjoyed working with the Stockport community, and am excited to participate in MSA Live again next year.

Manon Evans

Hiya, my names Manon and I’m a first-year student at MSA. Over the last couple of weeks, I have thoroughly enjoyed working on our MSA live project with the Plastic Shed. I really loved all the different activities we did in the first week, such as visiting Caitlin’s studio and helping her create her recycled pieces. Cleaning the mural was also such a fun activity that we all loved. Designing the chandelier and getting the chance to create it, really helped develop my skills and learning from the other students was really valuable. Particularly, the master’s students taught me lots about photoshop and creating visualisations and I’m really pleased with how they came together. Working with everyone from different years was such a pleasure and was such a lovely way to end my first year at MSA.

Shek Wing Chi

Hi, is Joy here, a postgraduate student in Landscape Architecture at MSA. I completed my undergraduate degree at Birmingham City University and spent two years working across both interior and landscape design fields before joining MSA. While some might think studying landscape architecture is just about gardening, it’s so much more. We explore how to create sustainable environments and design spaces that support harmony between people and nature.

One exciting aspect of our MSA live is giving materials a second life—like developing new furniture from recycled plastics, which reflects our commitment to innovation and environmental responsibility.

Jessica Dillon

Hi my name is Jessica and I’m a first year student at MSA. During MSA live, I have loved working with the plastic shed, specifically on the chair. A highlight of the two weeks was working as a team to clean the bottle lid mural in Stockport. I felt we really got a sense of the community through chatting to members of the public passing by and encouraging them to be involved. It has been extremely interesting learning about  reusing plastic and using our existing knowledge to create pieces and a new studio space. Overall, this project has aided me in many skill sets and I’m looking forward to MSA live next year!

Iqbaal Kusi

Over the course of the last 2 weeks, I worked alongside my peers in BA, MLA & MArch to deliver a proposal to our client, the owner of the establishment known as Plastic Shed. We engaged in various activities during the span of the project and eventually designed pieces of modular furniture for the new shop that the owner is going to be moving into. I mainly worked on the development of a chair to complement her workshop table (that we also designed). This was done using Rhino and Photoshop. Overall, I am satisfied with the work we have developed.

Ilham Noor Jamal Shamji

This project gave me a chance to try out a bunch of new things like injection moulding, growing mushrooms, and weaving a chair. I also got to build on some older skills, particularly with 3D modelling and printing. Overall, I had a great time and loved seeing everyone’s ideas come to life.

Adam Batts

Hi, my name is Adam, I’m a BA1 at the MSA. Working with the MSA Live team for Plastic Shed has been such an exciting, inspiring process that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. Exploring Stockport, talking to Catlin and coming up with imaginative ideas for her new workshop allowed me to delve into the process of real-world design, taking in many new perspectives and skills of the entire team. Being a part of this project has been such a privilege, giving a great opportunity to help the community and support an organisation with incredible initiative and aims. I’m looking forward to seeing where our designs will take Plastic Shed and will miss working with the team!