MSA Live 26

SESSION 01: MEET THE COLLABORATOR

The team gathered for their first meeting, which began with brief introductions and an insight into the stages each of us was at in our architectural journeys. It was interesting to see just how varied our specialities are, and it provided an opportunity to understand the diverse array of skills each of us could bring to the project. We then delved into the brief, gaining a broad understanding of the requirements, the site and our collaborator: The Common Land Collective (CLC). With many questions still in the air as to how we could best approach the project, we broke into pairs to gather more information on a specific aspect of the project to later discuss, share and build a common understanding of the project's potential. In the hour before our meeting with our collaborator, we discussed potential team names, poster design, and questions we had for the CLC.

During our meeting with the CLC, we were given a presentation by two members of the organisation which covered the details of the site, the projected timeline, and their ambitions. We were all thoroughly engaged and met them with equal enthusiasm, asking many questions that gave us a clearer vision for the project. Finally, we attended to the last matter of business: the team name. After thorough consideration and a tough voting campaign, we landed on the name The Eco Dens Collective.

Overall, the first meeting was a rousing success and gave us the running start we needed. We look forward to the project's future and hope the sessions moving forward continue this momentum to achieve our collective ambitions.

Hello!

I am Fatima. An eager and adaptable foundation year student who is looking forward to working with more experienced architecture students in my group.

Hi everyone!
I’m Annie. I’m Czech, but I grew up in Cardiff. I’m currently in my first year of the Bachelor’s programme at MSA. I’ve developed a strong interest in how structure and landscape interact to shape human experience, which I hope to further explore through my MSA Live project, Growing Togetherness.

Hi I’m Cherlyn:) I’m currently a MArch1 student and part of the SKN atelier. After graduating from Newcastle University I spent sometime in the industry before starting my masters. Over the years, I’ve developed a strong interest sustainable, community-focused approaches to architecture. I’m looking forward to collaborating with our group and the Growing Togetherness CIC team and seeing how this project develops. 🌱

Hi i'm Phoebe, a first year masters student I am in PRAXIS atelier and have an interest in projects with community and cultural impact.

Hi, I’m Yasmine, I’m a first-year master’s student in the SKN atelier, and I did my undergrad at the University of Kent. Through studying architecture, I’ve really grown interested in community-focused projects, especially ones that are environmentally conscious. I’m excited to be working with Growing Togetherness CIC and to learn more about community gardens along the way.

I'm Rhys, a 5th year Masters Student studying on the Non Standard Habitats Atelier. I also studied my undergraduate degree at MSA between 2019 & 2022. I have an interest in Green spaces, Urban farming and Localised Circular Economies. Growing Togetherness is a great oppurtunity to learn about the design & operation of community allotments and their value to users and residents living nearby.

Hi everyone,

I'm Damla, a 5th year Masters student in the &Architecture atelier. I completed my undergraduate degree here at MSA too, where I became interested in user-centred design. I'm excited to continue developing my interest and creative thinking through this MSA Live project, working with the Growing Togetherness Community Garden

3/01/2026
Group 22 met for the first time for an introductory session and a deeply productive debrief of our task for the following weeks. After introducing ourselves and getting acquainted, we put forth the skills we thought we could bring to the group, breaking down the dynamics among BA1, M.Arch1, and MAAR and opening everyone up to the discussion. We exchanged interpretations of the brief, Ideas for the poster, idea on how to run the project, and formulated the questions to ask our collaborator later. We briefly exchanged views on roles and assigned current tasks, including who would design the poster, how it would be done, and what to do during the meeting with the collaborator. Later on in the day, we met with our collaborators from the Silk Museum in Macclesfield. Our discussion was very insightful; all our questions about outputs and the site itself were cleared up, and a date was set to visit the site next week. Our first meeting was definitely a success. We left with a clearer idea of the project, a group chat and drive, and a great group dynamic.

Hi Everyone!

I’m Saif. I’m a fifth-year part-time Masters student and I also work as an Architectural Assistant at SimpsonHaugh. I’m really looking forward to working with the team and working with the Year 4s at Oswald Road Primary School to make it a memorable experience for them!

Site Visit

Following our meeting with our collaborator, Group 27 took a visit to Wythenshawe Park to visit Blossom Charity. We were welcomed by Kay and her colleague John, who both gave us an in depth tour of the various facilities at the horticultural centre. The charity is home to a wide range of plants, and supports people facing disadvantages in life by offering them the opportunity to help maintain these plants. As well as this, Blossom offers cooking and food-growing classes. These activities help people by building their confidence, providing them with company, and improving their health. Kay has outlined that Blossom needs environmentally friendly and cost effective renovation ideas for their greenhouses and classrooms, and it is now up to us to help her achieve this. The site visit inspired us, and we are all very excited to get started!

First Introductory Meeting -

Today marked our first time each other as well as the collaborator. We hit the ground running at the first instance to the point that two icebreaker sessions in, we didn’t need them anymore as we were comfortable with one another to share our experiences as well as assess our strengths and weaknesses to harness further down the line.
We also worked on understanding each other’s schedules, establishing communication, points of contact and slowly the group went through the norming stage with quite ease even though we didn’t know each other 3 hours before the session.
As we went through trying to understand the brief and its requirements, we were also brainstorming some ideas for project names that could fulfil the key principles that the Life Leisure stands for. Seeing that the project name needed to be incorporated into the poster, there was a separate group established that would be working to create the design with development sketch ideas provided by all members of the team.
After meeting with the Life Leisure collaborators, our first stance with the principles involving the words Accessible, vibrant, community, greenery and cross generation has made it abundantly clear.
And therefore I introduce to you, Active Axis and its members that will be working on it. Check next blog pages!

Hi! My name is Kristen, and I am currently in March 1. I am excited to contribute to the group and the project for Oswald Road Primary School. I look forward to exploring, investigating, and collaboratively finding solutions to create a strong, positive outcome. I am eager to learn from everyone and work together!

Hello everyone！
My name is Shiya Zeng, I am from China and currently studying at MAAR. I am delighted to be part of MSA Live and work as a team with all of you. I believe we can leverage each other's strengths to solve the problems we encounter. I look forward to collaborating with you all!

Hello! My name is Eman, I’m currently in MArch 1 in Atelier CPU and I’m really looking forward to working with Group 25 and combining our perspectives and experiences to create something special and memorable with the Year 4s at Oswald Road Primary School!

Hey everyone!

My name is Nadine, I'm Egyptian. Im currently in BA1 and I'm looking forward to working with group 25 and combining our perspectives and experiences to create something with the Year 4s in Oswald Road Primary School!

FIRST DAY 03/02/2026
Today was the first meeting with our group members and collaborators. During the group meeting, we introduced ourselves and discussed our initial ideas for the project. This included our first impressions of the GM Ringway and our thoughts on its potential. Everyone shared their views openly, and the discussion was active and positive.

In the final hour, we met with members from CPRE and one of the founders of the GM Ringway project. They introduced the background of the project and their expectations. We also exchanged initial ideas between our group and the collaborators.

Overall, the aims of the first meeting were achieved. We look forward to working closely with the collaborators over the next four months and developing a strong project that can attract more people to engage with the GM Ringway.

Day 1

Today marked the beginning of MSA Live 2026! We received our project briefs, got together in our groups to do some ice-breakers and begin organising the project, and met our client. Safe to say that Group 27 are very excited to work with Kay from Blossom Charity in Wythenshawe Park over the coming months!

Hi everyone!

My name is Daria. I’m Russian and previously lived in Prague, where I completed most of my education. I’m currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture at MSA, where I’m learning more about how form, structure, and space interact to shape human experience. I’m looking forward to taking part in the MSA Live Project, collaborating with new people, and learning valuable skills from my peers.

Hi everyone,

I’m Atiqah, a fifth-year Master’s student. I completed my undergraduate degree in Malaysia, where I first became interested in how architecture can shape experiences and everyday life. I’m excited to continue developing my design thinking and to learn from the MSA LIVE community project.

Session 1 – Meet the team & the Collaborators
Hello! We are Group 10. We are collaborating with Hyde Young People’s Enterprise (HYPE) where we are working to create a youth sports complex for the Hyde Community. We are looking forward to getting stuck into this project and exploring our creative ideas to bring a positive change to the community.
In our first session today, we began with an icebreaker! We got to know one another and learnt about our background, architectural interests, hobbies and skills that can contribute to this project. We quickly discovered that putting our skills together will allow us to perform to high standards and create a collaborative working environment for the duration of this project.

Meet the team!
Hello we are group 25 and we are working with Oswald Primary School to collaborate with the Year 4 students, giving them the opportunity to share their ideas and creativity in the design of a new nursery built as an extension to their school.