MSA Live 26

Jia En L

By today, the MAs are wrapping up all the 6-site context modelling. They have been working very hard as the large task has only been divided between the two of them. If they manage to finish that today, they will help the MArchs with the rest of the digital work. So far things are looking very bright and going at the exact pace we hoped it will. Let's keep moving Group 33!

Posted 13 May 2026 13:02

Adam I

Action 3 - 13/05/2026

After yesterday's engagement with Co-Op Academy Medlock, we continued today by summarising our learnings at the Geoffrey Manton Building and putting forward our efforts to develop the proposals further. With the help of the fruitful discussions we had with the kids and parents yesterday, we are much clearer about our way forward. In addition, we received many valuable insights into what should be included in our designs. Today's tasks focused on improving the quality of the modelling, sketches, presentations, and overall organisation of the work.
To begin with, we started off with a team discussion to reflect on our experiences during yesterday's engagement and to share the insights gained. Thanks to the children's drawings and the comments from parents during drop-off and pick-up, we have gained a much deeper understanding of what the daily street experience looks like and how community members would like to see it changed. All of this formed the basis of the next steps we would take and ensured that all the design decisions made today were rooted in what the users actually want.
The smaller working groups had already been formed before our visit to the school on the 11th of May, so today we were able to dive straight back into our respective tasks with renewed energy. The team responsible for modelling was busy working on the furniture, building elements, and surrounding structures within the software, considering all the details of their placement within the project. Simultaneously, the team working on the presentation developed the layout of the slides and drew up a timeline of the project's implementation. Both teams worked in parallel, which made our work much more efficient, as several tasks could be progressed at the same time without losing the integrity of the overall project.
In summary, today has been about modelling, sketching, presentation, and organisation, but everything remained focused on preparing a strong proposal grounded in the outcomes of yesterday's engagement. Picking up where we left off before the school visit allowed us to gain real momentum and complete our tasks quickly and efficiently.
Overall, today has been a very productive day, and we have managed to get through a lot of work. Working from the Geoffrey Manton Building gave us a calm and focused environment to push the project forward, and by the end of the session, we left with the feeling that the project is slowly but surely taking shape.

Posted 13 May 2026 12:53

Natrada Y

On the third day of our intensive week, the BAs are continuing to assist on any possible tasks. As per usual, I am looking over and editing all the vlog posts, then helping Jason with writing up information for the presentation after I finished the presentation’s visualisation of the project time line from yesterday. Rodrigo is finalising the material lists and searching for collaborators in Manchester or anywhere nearby. Carrie is working on Harvard referencing for all the information. Silvia is editing the visuals for the project timeline while Kai is finishing up his graphs. We are boosting morale by taking more expressive photos for the vlog!

Posted 13 May 2026 12:48

Dingchao X

Action 2 - 12/05/2026

Today, we visited the Co-op Academy School. We brought some chalk with us for an activity with the children. Our plan was to invite them to draw on the school street, allowing us to observe how they responded to taking back the street. This could potentially inspire our design, while also attracting the attention of children and parents.

The activity was a great success. Everything went smoothly when we arrived at the school in the morning, and the division of labour within the group was clear. Some members guided the children as they began drawing on the ground, which encouraged other students to join in, and even some parents joined in too. Others took photographs and observed the different ways students travelled to school.

We received some wonderful feedback, including one child who said, “I want to do this every day in the morning!” It was honestly a fantastic experience and a real success for the group.

Posted 13 May 2026 12:47

Group 10 / HYDE COMMUNITY COURTS

Wai W

Continuing from yesterday, Jason is continuing to finish the presentation, Jie En is making diagrams for design development and Alexandra is rendering the final designs. We are moving quickly and working very well as a team. If we finish what needs to be done early today, the MArchs are going to show the BAs a few software that would be useful for the later years.

Posted 13 May 2026 12:26

Group 01 / ALTAR-NATIVE

Bryanna Q

Hi, I'm Cayden, a first year architecture student. I grew up in Malaysia and, so far, studying in Manchester has given me an entirely new outlook on architecture on top of my previous perspective.

In this project, I am excited to gain some insight into the experience of working in real-life industry and the dynamic of between collaborating parties, in this case between MSA and The Rossendale Digital CIC.

Posted 13 May 2026 11:58

Mahek Romil V

action week day 02- 12/05/26

In this session, we decided to resume the same work pattern as before by dividing tasks.
We had one team working on adding more detail to the site model, such as the surrounding context and landscape elements, while others continued work on the 3D modelling of our site and the technical documents for the building. Alongside this, we made the site/ contextual analysis and focused on bringing everything together for the main presentation and publication.
In addition to these major tasks, we made final refinements to the design poster and reviewed our progress with our collaborators at HYPE.

Posted 13 May 2026 11:50

Group 17 / SEEDS TO SEATS

Iris F

21/4/26 Sixth Meeting

In this meeting we reflected on our public participation event and the topics it had raised. For example, we decided that dogs should be allowed but not encouraged and that the fox den can be saved by moving our social area to the other side of the orchard. We also concluded that it would be out of our budget range to make designs with rain shelter as this is not modular and will require heavy duty materials and tools.

We then assigned roles for the following week such as creating two designs: one bench and one planter

Posted 13 May 2026 11:39

Group 17 / SEEDS TO SEATS

Iris F

3/2/26 Third meeting
In this session we thought further about planning a public participation day to present and visualise our plan for the benches clearly. We decided to build a site model and use post it notes to encourage volunteers and visitors to engage in the design process a fun and interactive way.

We also finalised our budgeting and discussed the practical aspect of construction such as which tools we will need and where to acquire them.

Posted 13 May 2026 11:12

Intensive week session 2 saw us split off into groups, starting work on developing the sketches from the previous session. Each group had a different focus area for the publication. Developing our findings from the original meetings with the collaborators, site visits, community engagements, and idea-generating sketches, translating them into our final outputs and the way in which we are planning to present and communicate them. Some of us worked digitally, using 3D modelling software and others made physical models and drew by hand. We met half way through the session to consolidate our work and to check that time was being divided and managed efficiently, before splitting off again and continuing work. It was a very productive day for everyone in Cyan+.

Posted 13 May 2026 10:50

In the first session of the intensive week, we met as a whole group and worked collaboratively. We went through the work we had so far for the presentation and highlighted what still needed to be done. We noted which tasks took priority and where to dedicate the most time. Together we created an action plan for the rest of the week, dividing into groups to split the workload. We started sketching out initial ideas, frequently coming back together to discuss. This meant that we had multiple iterations of each idea, allowing us to create strong, final concepts derived from multiple different ideas. It was a great collaborative practice! Towards the end of the session Emily checked in with us and gave us some examples of the publication booklets, we looked through them together and made note of ideas that we could take inspiration from, for our own development. We ended the day with a plan of how to start the next day in the most productive way.

Posted 13 May 2026 10:49

A few members of our group met and carried out a community engagement at a litter pick event in Platt Fields Park. We spoke to the members of public in attendance and asked them answer how they travelled to the park on that day, we used a pixel diagram and asked them to colour in a square in the appropriate area in order to easily visualise which the most popular mode of transport was. We also asked them to fill out our questionnaire, answering how accessible they feel that green and blue spaces are to them. We asked about how safe they felt in these areas and if they had any suggestions for improvements and development. It was a great insight into how the public views their green and blue spaces around our area of interest, and how we might use this data to plan the proposal of our CyanLine 3 extension into Platt Fields Park.

Posted 13 May 2026 10:47

Group 14 / BUILT TO BELONG

On the 2nd of March, we met, as a group, with one of our collaborators, Megan Brown from Manchester City Council. We presented our work so far, in order to showcase what our ideas are and how we plan to further them. We then discussed the requirements of the brief and CyanLines generally. It was useful to get the collaborator’s insight on the progress of our project so far and to hear Megan’s thoughts and opinions on the work. The meeting allowed us to focus on key aspects understand which of our ideas and concepts were worth spending the most time developing. It was great to speak to Megan and hear her outlook on the project, and it put us in a strong position to continue the project.

Posted 13 May 2026 10:25

Chengshuai Y

Session 11: The Synthesis and Refinement Session
Today’s session was highly productive as we undertook several critical tasks to propel our project forward. First, we took the time to review and reflect on the sections we completed yesterday, ensuring that our overall trajectory remains aligned with our core objectives. A major focus was revisiting and refining the historical timeline of Brookfield Church. We recognized the need to correct specific historical details to guarantee their accuracy, as any misinterpretation of the past could potentially mislead our future design decisions. This rigorous fact-checking process ensures that our proposed scheme is built upon a solid and authentic foundation.
Secondly, we dedicated a significant portion of the meeting to unifying our drawing and graphic styles. By establishing a standardized visual language across all our diagrams and plans, we are not only presenting ourselves as a more cohesive and professional team, but also ensuring that the publication reads as a complete, unified body of work. This harmonization of aesthetics is crucial for eliminating any disjointedness between individual contributions, ultimately elevating the overall quality and clarity of our final presentation.
Finally, we shifted our focus to the digital models, engaging in continuous adjustments and refinements. This phase was deeply collaborative, as we actively brainstormed and tested different spatial solutions together. By pooling our diverse perspectives and constructively critiquing each other's ideas, we are constantly pushing the boundaries of our design. This collective effort and shared dedication reflect our ongoing commitment to achieving the best possible outcome for the final project submission.

Posted 13 May 2026 10:20

Group 30 / HARTLEY HUTTERS

Jitisha S

12/05/2026
Today, we focused on finalizing the site location for the proposed Holt Town Travel Hub bus stop. We evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of each option, considering factors such as accessibility, available space for amenities, and proximity to residential areas. After detailed discussion, we collaboratively selected the site that best supported accessibility and community engagement.
With the site confirmed, we shifted our attention to refining our proposal and preparing publication and presentation materials for the upcoming presentation day. One group developed a narrative to communicate our design philosophy, while another worked on visuals, including slides and graphics.
We also brainstormed features to create a welcoming environment for users, such as passive surveillance, nearby amenities, and green landscaping. As we prepare for the presentation day, we look forward to sharing our vision and seeing our hard work come to fruition.

Posted 13 May 2026 02:21

Yiran H

Action Week D1
11 May 2026

Welcome to Day 1 of our MSA Live Intensive Week! We kicked off this Monday morning by reviewing our core objectives and mapping out the remaining tasks. With the final presentation coming up this Friday, we knew we needed a highly structured approach.

After a productive group discussion in the studio, we officially distributed the workload. Some team members are focusing on finalizing the site plan and 3D modeling, others are crafting detailed architectural sketches on the iPad, and the rest are structuring our final publication in InDesign. The studio is buzzing with energy and focus. It feels incredibly rewarding to see everyone collaborating so effectively. It’s a busy and intense start, but we are fully geared up for the challenge ahead!

Posted 13 May 2026 00:46

Group 30 / HARTLEY HUTTERS

Yiran H

1st Client Meeting--Unlocking the Potential of Hartley Huts
31 March 2026

Today we had our 1st Client Meeting and presented our initial 3D models. The feedback was incredibly positive and gave us a clear direction for the weeks ahead. Here are the key takeaways:

·Phased Strategy ("Bronze/Silver/Gold"): We will present our full vision (the "Killer Image") as the ultimate goal, but also provide scalable options to adapt to different funding levels without losing the site's heritage value.

·Storytelling Facades: To ensure security and engagement when the huts are closed, we will use perforated metal panels. These will act as secure grilles while visually telling the dock's maritime history.

·Flexible Public Realm: The landscape around the ramp will be kept natural and flexible. Instead of fixed functions, it will easily accommodate runners, cyclists, and pop-up events year-round.

We are heading back to the studio to refine our 3D models and prepare for the final presentation in May. Stay tuned!

Posted 12 May 2026 22:56

Shao Xuan J

Action 1 - 11/05/2026

During the final action week, which was also our engagement week. We were all excited to sit down together and have a discussion about the engagement, publication, and presentation with full passion and enthusiasm. We began assigning groups according to different tasks, focusing on the modeling, sketching, and drafting of the questions that we are going to ask during the engagement session.

Everyone was highly energetic and showed their passion for contributing to the idea in the proposal, ensuring the publication and presentation process would run smoothly and efficiently. Not out of duty or responsibility, but out of passion. The healthy and supportive environment encouraged everyone to actively engage with the team and work together. Most importantly, everyone tried their best to contribute to the success of the team.

By the end of the day, everything was well prepared for the engagement with the students and parents from Co-Op Academic. We were all very excited and looking forward to tomorrow's engagement!

Well Done!

Posted 12 May 2026 22:26

Group 24 / THE SECOND ACT

Conrad G

After we discussed our next steps with the group, we went to the maker space in MTC during the afternoon to update the model and focusing on the interior partitions.
We made some structural changes with the additional walls for the storage unit as well as an extra door in the mid section of the building to create a fire safety corridor.
Tomorrow we plan to finish creating the different partitions then bring the model to discuss the placement with the rest of the group as well as take perspective photos inside the model.

Posted 12 May 2026 21:17

Juwan EG

ACTION WEEK: day 2.
Today was all about developing our final outputs. We started by revisiting our engagement reflections, identifying key interactions that could help inform and develop our design proposal. Dividing the workload like visuals, plans, sections, and concept sketches between us proved efficient once again. We each began producing individual outputs before gradually combining and building on one another’s work throughout the day. Our main focus was finalising our spatial zoning and determining what alterations to the existing theatre would best support the concept, working specifically on the refining the existing plans and sections.

Posted 12 May 2026 21:06

Group 07 / HART HAT CAFE

Ai Jia Angelove L

Cultural Engagement: Site Visit (Snack-Based Community Research)

Two of the team drove down to Pendle (in Rahat’s 4 Series, because fieldwork can apparently be done in style) to visit the Pendle Rise Shopping Centre area in Nelson. They met Saj from 3B Systems, a previous collaborator with This Is Nelson, and spent time walking the site and surrounding streets to get a real sense of the place beyond maps and screenshots. Being there helped sharpen what the project is actually responding to, and gave a clearer feel for the town centre atmosphere and the community priorities on the ground.

They also took time to look closely at local businesses and the everyday economy around the site, which opened up useful conversations about how the project could support existing independent activity rather than landing as a standalone pop-up. Rahat fully leaned into “cultural engagement” by briefly popping behind the counter at a sweets shop, which was both a hysterical moment and a direct way of thinking about local business models, community interactions, and what makes a small, approachable setup work.

They brought back local sweets and treats, and we all had a taste of the place in the most literal way. What was unexpectedly useful was the packaging itself - the patterns on the bag felt like a small piece of local identity, and we started talking about how that kind of everyday ornament and graphic language can be translated into the cafe’s panels and signage. It’s a small gesture, but it helps keep the project rooted in the culture it’s meant to serve.

Posted 12 May 2026 17:36

Group 23 / HOUSING WITH HERITAGE

Olatokunbo F

Intensive Week Day 1
11/05/2026
Intensive week is here and it’s time for action!!
Our day started off by sharing our findings from our last meeting. We had discussions on town planning and potential zoning options, sharing research that had been done since our last meeting.
Once we had our discussions, it was straight to the workshop where we began working on our model context and creating a base where we can map out our final plan of action, in response to the brief.
Overall Mood(s): Creative

Posted 12 May 2026 16:10

Group 19 / PHASE TWO

Sean S

12/05/2026

Today kicked off with Nick showing us the work he had completed after our scheduled time tomorrow ‘prettying up’ our publication. With some more group input we completed pages together with each group member providing useful input into the design. This was followed by an Adobe Illustrator workshop lead by Jake, polishing up a Site Plan and Elevations for use in the presentation and publication. This provided challenge with Sean’s microphone being as useful as a chocolate teapot having to communicate through the group WhatsApp instead of the convenient Microsoft Teams call. This was hurdle was overcome, as PhaseTwo confidently moved into the rest of the week.

Posted 12 May 2026 16:01

Group 07 / HART HAT CAFE

Ai Jia Angelove L

Back in the Room, Back to Work
/Intensive Week Day 1/

First day back after the break (submissions), and it was basically a big group reset. We finally caught up in the same room, compared where everyone’s at, and switched from “planning mode” to actually getting on with the work. Proper action week oomph.

Massive shoutout to Rahat - he got the structure in place before we even properly sat down, so we didn’t waste half the day deciding how to decide. We shared precedent studies and references (projects, materials, structural systems, layouts, circulation, etc.), and having everyone’s preferences on the table really helped. It meant we aligned quickly and kept the design language consistent.

At the same time, we started setting up the publication properly: layout, structure, colours, and how we want the graphics to look and read. Once we saw everyone’s working styles in action, we started assigning tasks in a way that actually makes sense, matching people to sections, visuals, and production roles so the workload stays clear.

Then we got into the practical design ideas. We pulled out site drawings, started talking materials in a more “real” way, with actual dimensions, how it would be built, and what’s feasible. From there it quickly turned into spatial decisions: what the experience should feel like when you approach and enter, how the cafe/bar and event space might sit together, and how the layout can flex between everyday use and pop-up activities. We started sketching rough plans for function and circulation, thinking through thresholds, queuing/serving, storage and back-of-house, and how people move through the space. We also began testing form and massing ideas, including flat vs pitched roof options, and how the structure could stay lightweight and movable while still feeling inviting and proper in the town centre. Still early, but Day 1 felt like we went from references, to decisions, to a shared direction for the proposal.

Posted 12 May 2026 15:52

Group 22 / (RE)WEAVING ACCESS

Alicia B

Last weekend, the group did our engagement activity in Macclesfield. A group of 4 set up some tables in one of the exhibition rooms for visitors to come and give us feedback. We tried to set up thought-out activities that were interactive and would also give us specific answers to the questions we had about access in the museum. We set up a pinboard with the floor plan laid out, with a pin in each room and doorway, and asked visitors to use a string to show us the access route they took. This clearly shows the most obvious current pathways people are taking and highlights the more blocked and problematic areas. The map is quite confusing, showing a maze of movements, and suggests the building doesn't have a strong program, which was identified as the main issue in our initial consultation. We also labeled hot spots around the site that would be ideal locations for sign posting, and we also mapped out what routes people took to get to the museum, and found out that people don't have a straight, obvious route to the main entrance, and come from all around the building, which is also useful when trying to choose a new entrance point. General written feedback on the targeted question was also collected from the public; most responses aligned with our original consultation feedback. The last activity we set up, where people could choose which of the three issues, between access, signage, and spatial reorganization, was the most important. Overall, we had a very successful engagement day, received useful feedback, and targeted the exact questions we had about the building.

Posted 12 May 2026 15:01

Group 14 / BUILT TO BELONG

Jiage G

Session 10 : The Publication Preparation Session
This session marked our first meeting after the intense assignment submission period, giving us a chance to regroup and reflect on the progress we had already made. We began by discussing our previous work, particularly our experiences during the site visit and the key observations and insights we gained from it. It was useful to revisit these discussions together, as they helped reconnect us with the project and clarify our overall direction moving forward.
The main focus of today’s meeting was preparing the content for our publication. We outlined the key sections that needed to be included, such as the historical background of Brookfield Church, site analysis, demographic research, design concepts, and our proposed scheme. Once the structure was agreed upon, we split into smaller groups to begin producing the different sections.
Throughout the process, there was a very collaborative atmosphere. We regularly shared ideas, reviewed each other’s work, and made adjustments together to improve the clarity and quality of the content. By the end of the session, we successfully completed the initial research and analysis section of the publication, giving us a strong foundation to build on in the next stage of the project.

Posted 12 May 2026 14:49

Group 07 / HART HAT CAFE

Ai Jia Angelove L

Loading… Intensive Week

This is our final session before Intensive Week, so today is basically about alignment. We’ve also welcomed a new member, Kiki, which is perfect timing for some fresh ideas just before the sprint starts.

We kick off by getting super clear on what we need to deliver in the coming week(s): the publication, the presentation, and the exhibition upload, plus what Action Week is going to look like day-to-day. We break down what needs producing, what needs simplifying for the presentation, and what evidence we should be collecting as we go (photos, process, visuals) so we’re not digging through folders at the very end.

From there, we move into task allocation, but not in a random “everyone pick a page” way. We match roles to strengths and interests, and keep some parts collaborative so the project still reads as one voice rather than a stitched-together group assignment. By the end of the session, the goal is simple: go into Intensive Week with a clear structure, fewer unknowns, and a team that’s ready to actually produce.

Posted 12 May 2026 14:46

Group 23 / HOUSING WITH HERITAGE

Olatokunbo F

Preparation for Intensive Week
21/04/2026
After our site visit, we met to begin discussing our final outputs towards the brief. In preparation for Intensive week, we set out multiple tasks that needed to be completed, dividing the workload between the group. In doing so, we began considering site zoning and precedence for different housing typologies.

Overall Mood(s): Analytical

Posted 12 May 2026 13:50

Chu Yang S

Today, the BA1s are continuing their delegated work. Rodrigo is finishing up his visual work and material research. Natasha starts with checking and editing the vlog as usual and will soon work on brushing up our timeline. Silvia is looking for good inspirations for the timeline's visuals on the presentation; she will work with Natasha on making it later on. Kai is continuing the publication work and soon will be helping Jason with the presentation.

Posted 12 May 2026 12:32

Aleksandra N

Today we moved over to MTC, where we continued our combined efforts to meet this week's deliverables. Yesterday, we planned the locations of our schemes to fit within the site context. We left the site context to our landscape professional: Karina, as she continues to add landscape features. The MArch students are continuing their work as Jia En has been editing material for our presentation. I have completed the renders of the scheme yesterday, and today's agenda includes finishing the architectural drawings. Yesterday, Jason has been delegating the group work and working with the BA students to include them in the design and presentation process, as he starts on the presentation, and he will continue to do so today.

Posted 12 May 2026 11:34

Ruiyu P

Today specifically, we are dividing our tasks according to our individual strengths. The MArchs are leading the team, guiding each person's tasks. Jason is leading the presentation, Alexandra is leading the publication, and Jia En is supporting both while filling completing any other tasks. Karina is working on the site's geographical information while the MAs are modelling the site contexts. The rest of the BA1s are supporting the MArchs and completing the presentations and gathering information. With our tasks allocated, we all set sail to complete as much as we can. Let's go Mobeelity Hubs!

Posted 12 May 2026 11:05

Yirong X

Welcome back everyone! Good work on your intensive deadline week! Today we are bringing the gang back together to complete our designs and presentation. This whole week, we all are putting in 100% and more to ensure this project comes out polished and perfect.

Posted 12 May 2026 11:04

Group 24 / THE SECOND ACT

Jemima F

Week 5, 21/04/2026

This week was our final session as a group together before our action week. Some of us had met with our collaborator earlier in the week, which gave us a good insight into our possibilities in the action week.

Being our last week, we focused on planning our action week to ensure we were prepared to use our time effectively. We looked at ways to involve and collaborate with a school, and got some positive news that we would be able to join a school street event at Co-op Academy Medlock. This was a great step for our development, and we hope to be able to utilise this to gain parents' and children's opinions to involve them in our design and creative process.

With a clearer picture and timeline of our action week, we left feeling hopeful and excited for the week!

Posted 12 May 2026 10:20

Juwan EG

ACTION WEEK: day 1.
We came in today knowing there was still loads to do, but we quickly began organising the week ahead by distributing tasks and assigning content for each publication page. Once everything was planned out, the workload felt far more manageable thanks to our teamwork.
Although we each had individual responsibilities, working together around the same table created a really helpful and collaborative atmosphere. Where we were constantly involved in each other’s work, exchanging feedback and ideas throughout the process, which helped make the overall output process feel much more cohesive.

Posted 11 May 2026 21:14

Group 20 / DENS OF DISCOVERY

Olivia T

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT!

To continue developing our concept designs, we took our ideas for the “Dens of Discovery” project out into the public in Chelford, where our site is located.
We set up at the local café, Tatton Perk, and spoke with members of the public about our proposal. This gave us valuable insight into how the project is perceived by the community and allowed us to gather genuine feedback on both the design and intended purpose of the dens. We also went to discuss to the community about companies that produce waste that could possibly recycled to help build these Dens.

Overall, the response was very positive. Many people expressed strong support for the idea of creating dens that promote recycling and sustainability. They all liked the unique concept designs and thought that it worked well for the area of Chelford. They also highlighted how the activities planned within the spaces could benefit a wide range of users, including children and people with disabilities.
A key takeaway from these conversations was the idea of inclusivity and accessibility is a really important theme for this close community.

Posted 11 May 2026 20:09

Group 10 / HYDE COMMUNITY COURTS

Mahek Romil V

Action Week day 01- 11/05/2026

Today we began Action Week by working out the design and planning for the site, preparing to start the physical model for our presentation. We also researched precedents and explored the materiality of the design.
After lunch, we organized a list of tasks for the day and divided them among the team to maximize efficiency. We completed the context buildings on the model and started modeling the floor plans.
This session helped us realize how teamwork contributes to time management and organization when working towards tight deadlines.

Posted 11 May 2026 18:25

Group 19 / PHASE TWO

Sean S

11/05/2026
Today was a day based upon delegating tasks to each group member and work towards completing our published booklet and presentation. Once tasks had been completed, we were able to drop our separate information from the OneDrive into the InDesign document and start working on the booklet. A confidence boost in the middle of the day came through Emily Crompton as she liked the direction the final stages the project was taking and complemented Sean and Jake’s confidence in themselves (and a little bit of their confidence in the project). This boost saw us through one of the most productive 10-5s the MSA has seen in many years.

Posted 11 May 2026 17:41

Wai W

With everybody present and working, we worked up to reaching our goal of 50 routes very quickly and retained very useful information. We then carefully moved our map to the MTC for safe keeping, avoiding damage to the delicate board. Good work everyone, and welcome to the team Karina!

Posted 11 May 2026 15:27

Edward K

11/05/2026
Today we began action week by meeting with the collaborator at TfGM HQ, bringing with us more developed prototypes for our design, including a preliminary exploded diagram for the modules, as well as site analysis & strategy. We discussed where to place the travel hub in the site, as well as materiality and lighting of the design. We received constructive feedback from the collaborators, outlining the pros and cons of each site placement, considering a 400m buffer around the tram stop, as well as accessibility between travel stops. The feedback has informed us on how to move forward during action week to a complete design and site strategy.
In the afternoon we planned out tasks and timelines for the week and split into three groups based on our individual strengths. One group will focus on the presentation and booklet, one on technical drawings and modelling, and one on research and mapping for site analysis and strategy. Each group will come together to synchronise ideas at the end of each day.

Posted 11 May 2026 15:19

Silvia G

Using two pins, the students were able to help us find the most travelled routes and decide the location of our Mobeelity hubs. The first pin is gold, placed on where they first set off in their journey. The second pin is a coloured pin, placed on their destination. We then used a red string to highlight the route, using density of the strings to locate the most travelled route, and therefore, the most suitable roads to place our Mobeelity Hubs. Managing the pins, strings, and map carefully was necessary to keep the data accurate and readable, avoiding possible errors and confusion in mapping the data.

Posted 11 May 2026 14:43

Kai M

Our engagement activity starts with inviting students and staff over to explain our project and show them our huge map, then we ask them to sign our consent forms as we explain to them the short task. The busy and fast-paced environment within the library at times limited opportunities for sustained engagement with participants, but we collected a wide range of data through direct approach and clear communication with participants.
21/April/2026

Posted 11 May 2026 14:30

Final Seminar

21.04.2026

With a busy academic submission period we were few on the ground but those that attended worked through the feedback we obtained from the engagement activity and worked to summarise the findings and begin working on design proposals for the hall, focusing on Ground floor level.

Posted 11 May 2026 14:25

The Engagement Activity! Pt.3

10.04.26 Closing for the day

After an exhausting couple of hours, the students decided to pack up for the day and head home. We had complied lots of feedback and responses from the community and were eager to translate this into the design work going forward.

Posted 11 May 2026 14:20

Group 27 / BLOOM WELL

Hala Tarek Safwat Z

During our first meeting during Enhancement Week, we focused on completing our individually assigned publication tasks before reviewing them collectively to ensure consistency across the final output. This collaborative review process allowed us to exchange feedback and refine the work together. We also analysed previous MSA Live publication examples to gain insight into effective layout, structure, and presentation approaches.

Posted 11 May 2026 14:14

The Engagement Activity! Pt. 2

10.04.26

During the activity:

Various participants engaged with us and helped us to get a good understanding of the needs of the community.

One thing we did notice was that there was a confusion about what building we were referring to. The students worked had to emphasise that we were looking at the Victoria Hall and not the Market Hall that some participants had provided feedback on.

Posted 11 May 2026 14:10

The Engagement Activity! Pt.1

10.04.26

Setting Up:

8 Student attended Glossop's Market Hall to conduct an Engagement Activity with the local people. There were 3 activities planned for the day; Q&A sheets, Sketches/diagram sheets, and a model with preassembled partitions for participants to play with.

On arrival the students gathered in the main hall to discuss the arrangements and expected outcomes for the day, along with deciding what roles everyone wanted to take during the activities.

Once the collaborator arrived, we set up tables, put up posters and laid out the activities and began inviting participants to engage.

Our collaborator kindly got us all a hot drink from the food hall.

Posted 11 May 2026 13:57

Group 01 / ALTAR-NATIVE

Joseph K

Hi, I’m Joe. I am a well accomplished designer with a BA in architecture; currently studying at MSA in Non Standard Habitats.

Much of my professional experience was spent at WATG in London, where I had the opportunity to contribute to large-scale projects like NEOM and other Saudi Public Investment schemes. Beyond architecture I am looking to enrich my skillset in design through avenues of fashion, set design and art direction.

Posted 11 May 2026 13:46

Group 24 / THE SECOND ACT

The engagement preparation

09.04.26

A group of us worked on preparing for or engagement activities. Ensuring we have adequate resources on the day to carry out each planned activity with the community of Glossop. As arranged with FOVH, the engagement activities will be held at the market hall with stalls provided. Our activities require a 1:50 model of the site to be interactive during the day. These included ‘mock-ups’ of different partition options we’ve observed from precedents to propose a series of options for spatial planning with the community.

Resources prepared:
5 posters
5 opinion (plan+writing sheets)
10 partitipation forms
20 photo consents
1:50 Model

Posted 11 May 2026 12:45

Dominic F

Hi, I'm Dom - a master's student from Leeds.

I have a keen interest in the restoration and retrofit of heritage structures which is why I was drawn to the Victoria Theatre project in Salford. I worked mostly on historic galleries and market halls in practice last year and I found this very rewarding. I'm also doing an adaptive reuse project for my studio module, so I think my learnings from these can inform each other, and help with future work I complete.

Posted 11 May 2026 12:27

20/04/2026

Prior to the 20th of April, we communicated with our collaborator to help us invite a group of writers to our engagement activity. We put together a questionnaire and some MCQs that we intended to give to writers all centered around what they like about the spaces they use already and what they want to see in future spaces.

We then hosted our engagement activity in the MTC and got an insight into the writers' minds who would be the primary users of our space. We provided refreshments while they answered questions with short paragraphs before engaging in conversation with them to hear their ideas.

Posted 11 May 2026 11:57

30/03/2026

After submitting the ethics application and risk assessment, we organised and carried out a site visit, we invited our collaborator to help us gain a better idea of what he envisioned for the site. We collected photos, measurements, and an overall feel for the site so we could then start visualising possible ideas for the site in context.

Posted 11 May 2026 11:51

17/03/2026

For this session, we developed our publication and started our site analysis by delegating aspects of it to a subsection of the group. Simultaneously, other member of the group also developed our design concept with renewed consideration to the site.

Posted 11 May 2026 11:47

17/02/2026

Today was our second scheduled meeting. Starting with the poster we discussed the current design and suggested improvements to be made before the submission. We uploaded our project description, completed our first few blog posts and started to talk over our: project timeline, budget, risk assessment and ethics application. Finally we divided up the tasks for the next two weeks.

Posted 11 May 2026 11:44

03/02/2026

After the first session it was time to meet our collaborator, during the meeting we were able to: get a better sense of what kind of space they wanted us to create, ask and discus any questions we had and orginise a date and time for a site visit.

Posted 11 May 2026 11:41

Rodrigo CL

After our long break, the Mobeelity Hubs have returned to start our engagement activity. We all gathered at the MMU library to set up our small stand, which includes a large map, pins, consents forms and activity information flyers. As we quickly set up, we meet with our master's in landscape architecture student, Karina Boza for the first time. We quickly gave her a warm welcome, introduced ourselves and gave her a quick catch up of the task and the project. Karina was very quick to settle in and went straight to work with the rest of us. 21/April/2026

Posted 11 May 2026 11:28

Karl David Raphael G

Hi, my name is Karl Gellamucho, a first year Master student in Architecture. I also did my undergraduate degree here in Manchester at MSA. I love the outdoors and mainly play basketball. MSA Live is one of the great aspects of the course as it allows students from all levels to work together on a project which will hopefully please the client. Through this module we will gain some industry perspective

Posted 11 May 2026 10:51

11/05/2026. We met up as a group this morning to finalise our route for distributing the flyers. We plan to conduct this engagement event to chat to the public about the GM Ringway and encourage as many survey responses as possible!

Posted 11 May 2026 10:48

Group 25 / DREAM BUILDERS

Freddie G

Hi I'm Freddie,a first year undergraduate student and an infrequent hiker. Despite this I love the outdoors as my grandparents live on a farm and I grew up visiting the countryside consistently throughout my childhood, despite living in the heart of Birmingham. This gave me a unique experience of loving the countryside and the city and so, I’m excited to be working with GM ringway to be able to promote the outdoors to all the city lovers. I hope to use my skills in BA1 to get more people using these trails to share my love for the countryside with as many people as possible.

Posted 11 May 2026 10:34

Nadin ER

21/04/2026

Workshop day! We went to the school and split up between 3 classrooms to lead the day long workshops. Our first workshop was to design your own playground, where the students had to place stickers and draw anything they feel they would want and need in a playground. This was to strengthen their abilities to organise a space. Our second workshop was for them to create their own 3d model playground item, like a swing, slide, or anything else they had in mind. We gave them straws and clay and let their creativity run wild. For the last and final workshop, they designed buildings of a city out of recycled items and the whole class came together and placed all their creations onto a map, creating a combined city. It was a successful day and they all enjoyed and were more cooperative than we expected.

Posted 11 May 2026 10:32

Group 03 / PETRI OF PLAY

Anna R

Hi, I’m Kari. I am a part time student currently in my second of four years working towards a master's degree in landscape architecture. I work as a Landscape Consultant and have three years' experience. My bachelor's degree is in Fashion design, and I have a strong interest in growing and foraging for food. I am excited to bring all my experiences together in my studies and in the MSA Live project.

Posted 10 May 2026 16:26

Hi, I'm Yinghui Zhao!

I am from China and I am currently a Master’s student in Landscape Architecture at MSA.

I have always been deeply passionate about my field. I believe landscape architecture not only addresses climate challenges but also brings therapeutic benefits to people, which is why I chose this discipline.
Since my studies have focused primarily on landscape contexts, I have not yet had the chance to explore architectural design in depth. I am very excited about this project, and I’m looking forward to learning a great deal from working on this architectural scheme with the team.

Posted 1 May 2026 16:56

30/04/2026. A productive Zoom meeting yesterday was conducted with Eddy from CPRE Lancashire after sharing the survey with him to distribute out in his organisation. I confirmed our next steps forward with the engagement event and answered any questions he had.

Posted 1 May 2026 15:46

28/04/2026. The plan for this meeting was to review our designs as a group for the five proposed bench types before adding these to the survey and conducting a final check of the survey and its questions, before meeting the collaborator.

Eddy from CPRE met with us to review the specific wording of different aspects of the survey and raised a few issues and suggestions he had which was extremely helpful!

Posted 1 May 2026 15:35

21/04/2026. We met as a group to finalise the engagement activity and the details surrounding the survey, flyer and outputs for the collaborator. The design direction for the benches was agreed and tasks distributed in the team.

Posted 1 May 2026 15:31

24/4/26

SESSION 7: ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY: WORKSHOP AT THE CFC

Having arranged with Mark and Lawrence to turn up to the Counselling and Family Centre at 10am, three of us, Taecho, Sofia and Nicolas, met up at the MTC just before 9am to pick up some of the equipment we would need and headed to the tram stop at St Peter’s. The tram ride was exciting - two of us had never been to the CFC before, or to Altrincham at all. Once we arrived, a short walk brought us to the building where we met up with Libby - who had driven instead, which made more sense for her living at home in Stockport. We made our way in slightly ahead of schedule, signed it at the reception and sat down in the cafe to prepare for the upcoming engagement activity.
We had with us 2 large A2 sheets which we had prepared in advance - one with options for potential colour palettes for the interior, and the other with a likes/dislikes and improvements column - as well as several printouts of a plan view of the CFC’s cafe and common room and cutouts of rooms within it, as well as with cutouts of furniture. While we were confident this would be easy to understand, and, ultimately, fun, we had to find a way to present this in an understandable way. Handily, we were given permission to use a large whiteboard that was standing in the cafe against the wall - so we stuck everything on, and, after some deliberation by means of having breakfast and a coffee, were ready to go.
The first two people we asked before going into the common room were two guys who worked at the CFC. They reacted extremely positively to the tasks and were very happy to take part and answer our questions - the main thing we got from them was that the layout of the cafe needed to be improved. Confident the tasks would work, we headed into the common room.
The main group of people we were to ‘survey’ were the Cafe friday club, a group of elderly people who gathered at the same time every week to socialise. We first entered and presented ourselves - explaining who we were and what we had come to do - after which we brought the whiteboard in. Sofia took control at this stage, explaining what each task we had created was about, with some of the rest of us adding to what she was explaining when it was necessary. Starting with the likes/dislikes and improvements suggestions task, the leader of the cafe Friday club started; soon, though, more people were contributing to the discussion, and in no time everyone was chipping in. While some of us listened, others took notes of what was being said. And there was a lot - from how there is no good storage space to how the lights were hideous, and from how they thought it was a shame their art was not on display (the common room is also being used for other things - such as for an art club) to how the ceiling was sagging and had already had to be repaired once recently when some squirrels got inside.
All those present also took turns to take a look at the colour palettes we had chosen and to place a vote using stickers next to their preferred option. Though we soon realised we had printed the colour palettes too small for comfort, Taecho was able to find them on his tablet and present them enlarged for the people to see better. Soon, a definite favourite emerged - the light, colourful colour palette which consisted of some soft greens, yellows and reds. As for room arrangement (the final task), we heard the same thing repeated - the toilets are inconveniently located (and should probably be moved somewhere outside), the kitchen could expand into where the toilets were currently, and the cafe needed reconfiguring and potentially expanding.
After around half an hour to 40 minutes with the cafe friday club we were satisfied we had gathered a fair amount of information and, conscious that they may want some time together to socialise, returned to the cafe, satisfied. We were not done yet, though - next we asked more members of reception for their opinion. One guy working in the cafe repeated what was said earlier - that he wished the kitchen was larger and that the cafe was better laid out - while another lady from reception that we had an especially long chat with was very enthusiastic about making better use of a dead space adjacent to the cafe which was lying empty at the date of visit, overgrown, but definitely with potential. Could that area turn into an outdoor seating area for use during the warmer months? Maybe even a pub garden?
We finished our time there at around 12pm with some final photos in the outside area, where the four of us posed with several members of the CFC and with our board, by now covered in post it notes with likes, dislikes and suggestions for improvements, as well as in stickers by certain colour palettes. The final results were convincing - the soft colourful colour palette, second down on our list, was a clear favourite with several times more votes than the next most popular option. As for suggestions for improvements, some popular ones were improving the lighting, adding better storage, moving the toilets and making better use of the space available (both in the cafe and outdoors). Room layouts mirrored what people had said in the suggestions. We didn’t end up using the furniture cutouts.
We left shortly after, pleased, as Libby headed off home in her car while the rest of us took the tram back to Manchester.

Posted 28 Apr 2026 12:11

Group 03 / PETRI OF PLAY

Yunchen Y

Course: MA Architecture and Adaptive Reuse (AR)
Hello, everyone. My name is YUNCHEN YU. I'm from China. My undergraduate major was Interior Design in the field of Environmental Design. I am very interested in revitalizing and rejuvenating a place through renovation! This is my first time participating in MSA LIVE, which is organized by students from multiple majors. I hope to gain something from it and have a good time.

Posted 27 Apr 2026 18:10

22/4/26

SESSION 6: WORKSHOP PREPARATION & MATERIAL SETUP

Today, following our workshop preparation from the previous day, we met to source the tools and stationery needed to bring the session together. This helped ensure we had everything required to run the workshop effectively and without interruption.
Afterwards, we made our way to MTC to prepare the materials. We hand-drew three sets of plans and created coloured cut-outs representing key spaces such as the WC, cafeteria, and workshop areas, allowing participants to rearrange them according to their preferences. In addition, we prepared a feedback sheet where participants could note what they like, dislike, and any improvements they would like to see.
We also developed an interactive exercise focused on interior colour palettes, offering a selection of options that participants could respond to using coloured sticky dots to indicate their preferences. This approach aimed to make the session more accessible, engaging, and easy to participate in regardless of background.
To ensure everything runs smoothly, we agreed to arrive at 9am the following day to set up ahead of the workshop, which is scheduled to begin at 10am with the group organised through our client.

Posted 27 Apr 2026 12:45

Viviane VD

On Wednesday 22nd April, we had a meeting with our collaborators, at the Transport for Greater Manchester building in Picadilly. We came prepared with all of our individual design sketches, as well as the final concept we had developed as a group.
During the meeting, we received a lot of positive feedback. Our collaborator seemed pleased with the direction the bus stop design is taking. We also exchanged new ideas, including adding charging points, toilet units and incorporating passive surveillance features.
We will now take this feedback forward and continue refining our design, making the necessary adjustments based on the collaborator’s suggestions.
By the end of the meeting, we were all very happy with the outcome. It feels like we are on the right path and only need to make a few small changes to better align with the collaborator’s vision.
Overall, we gained a lot of use insight, and the meeting was a great success

Posted 26 Apr 2026 15:54

Viviane VD

On tuesday 21st April, our group focused on developing design ideas using feedback from our previous engagement activity. We spent a significant amount of time creating and refining concepts believe our collaborator would find useful for their company.
After the design phase, we showcased each bus stop concept to our peers. Each person explained the reasoning behind their design and why they felt it aligned with the collaborator’s needs and expectations. Following this, we cane together as a group to create a final concept that combined features from each individual design.
By the end of the session, we had developed a concept that everyone agreed on and believed would meet the collaborator’s expectations: an adaptable bus stop made up of multiple units, each with its own function, such as seating, parcel lockers and a kiosk.
This session was highly productive and helped us prepare for a meeting with the collaborators the following day. Everyone was proud of the outcome and the deisgn we created.

Posted 26 Apr 2026 15:51

23/04/26
Today we came back from the Easter holidays and we were able to catch up on the first workshop we did with the students. We discussed the key takeaways from the previous workshop which included what the students valued within the site such as chapel, court yards to socialise, gardens to grow food… As this week Laura will be leading the workshop and we won’t be there, we thought of an exercise for the students to do this week which we sent to Laura which is zooming into a specific space in the school and doing research about it and representing that in any way they want e.g. collage drawings floorplan. This way this would lead us well into the next workshop next week where we could take in the research and use it our final design concept. Therefore we discussed what we will do in the next session which included making a modular model from foam cardboard and putting their spaces into 1:200 scale.

Posted 26 Apr 2026 15:24

26/03/26
Today we held our first workshop of the students. It was great to meet who we will be collaborating with and get loads of new ideas for the design. It was interesting to see how different students had different ideas for what they like about their school and they had lots of different ideas and takes on how that would change depending on the context. In the second part of the workshop, we were able to visualise their ideas by working on the printed site maps which went really well. Some groups worked by cutting out the shapes using scale bars seeing how everything fits on site, some drew their ideas whereas some groups also worked in 3-D by creating models that they placed on the site. This way they were able to work with levels and overall it was interesting to see what they prioritised which helps us a lot further down the line when we finalise a brief for the school.

Posted 26 Apr 2026 15:02

Final workshop booklet!

Posted 26 Apr 2026 15:02

24/03/26
Today, we held a teams meeting to make sure we were prepared for our workshop later this week. We checked if the site maps were printed out, we discussed the precedents, site analysis we used for our presentations and went through any last minute checks and errors to make sure everything can go smoothly. We went over who will be present at the workshop and discussed our roles e.g who will be presenting, what groups we will get into as well as final checks about lanyards and ethical assessments.

Posted 26 Apr 2026 14:42

17/03/26
We discussed what we did over the break as well as solidified our plans for the workshop scheduled on the 26th of March. We discussed site analysis as well as more information that Libby shared from Laura our collaborator when she had a meeting with her over the break. We discussed the best plan of action for the workshop aiming to get as many ideas out of the students as well as helping them think architecturally. We discussed ways to collaborate with the students most efficiently on the project by thinking of tasks like asking them what they like most about their school, drawing it and considering how it would change depending on where it is and its context. More tasks include cutting out basic site maps which they could work on and visualise their ideas. We decided the best way to do this was splitting groups into different zones and working by having two of us for every five or so groups of students. Having discussed these with Lindsay Bush we felt confident in our selected tasks for the workshop. We also gave each other tasks for the next week including printing out the site plan which would pick up a part of our budget analysis looking at precedence putting together the presentation and research booklet.

Posted 26 Apr 2026 14:14

Group 10 / HYDE COMMUNITY COURTS

17/02/26
Today, we generated ideas for the upcoming Loreto College workshops. For example, we looked at collage methods to help students on understand spaces as well as starting to put together the research that would influence their architectural decisions for the conceptual design of the school.

Posted 26 Apr 2026 13:48

Ayesha M

Course: BA1 Architecture

Hi, my name is Ayesha! I am a first-year student at MSA. I am looking forward to working on my first live project with the charity Hyde Young People’s Enterprise (HYPE) to support the youth through our sports complex centre. This will build on my passion towards design where I can give back to the local community. I am looking forward to teaming up with my peers with different levels of knowledge to enhance my design skills and create something special for Hyde.

Posted 24 Apr 2026 16:46

21/4/26

SESSION 5: WORKSHOP PREPARATION

Today, during the first half of the session, we reviewed the publication document and discussed the upcoming submission. We reflected on our overall progress and assessed whether we are on track with our timeline, identifying any areas that may need more focus moving forward.
In the second half, we developed a fully revised plan for the workshop taking place on Friday. We discussed what we want to learn from the community and which questions are most important to ask. A key part of this conversation was considering how to make the workshop accessible to people without an architectural background, focusing on making it more tactile, interactive, and creative.
Following this, we compiled a list of materials and stationery required for the workshop and began organising the practical aspects, including the commute and overall logistics. This helped ensure that we are well-prepared and that the workshop can run smoothly.

Posted 24 Apr 2026 16:20