MSA Live 26

W6: 21/04/2026 - 22/04/2026
Over the past 2 days, we finally got a reply from the community center we will be engaging with, and we executed our engagement activity! On short notice, we were told that this Wednesday craft group session would have less attendance, however, we used that to our advantage, as we got to gain deeper personal insights and experiences from the elder demographic who have witnessed and experienced the evolution of the city.

We were very lucky to engage with such friendly locals, who were fortunately on the same page, agreeing with our concept of repurposing the theatre. This creative group really helped us gain some valuable insights on the types of spaces we would create inside the theatre, which worked really well alongside the precedents and visual imagery we provided.

Overall, our engagement was considered successful, we were able to identify the gaps in the city, and now we have a clearer direction on how to fill these gaps.

Since we could not access the inside of our building, we also conducted an exterior site visit, allowing us to get a closer idea of it's materiality, size, form and context.

Posted 22 Apr 2026 15:54

Group 18 / GROUP 18

Rebecca T

Hi, I'm Rebecca!

I'm a first year MArch student at Manchester School of Architecture and grew up in the countryside before moving to Leeds for my undergraduate degree. Living in Yorkshire created a great appreciation for walking and hiking, so I'm extremely excited to be working with Greater Manchester Ringway to encourage more people to walk the routes and get out into nature!

Posted 21 Apr 2026 21:58

Group 07 / HART HAT CAFE

Ai Jia Angelove L

Kiki, Do you love me?

/Ziying He
//I live in Kunming, Yunnan—a city especially favored by sunlight, and one of China’s most soulful coffee-producing regions. Even the air here seems to carry a hint of bitterness followed by a lingering sweetness.
//In moments when work wears me down, I turn to a restrained and rational Americano to bring myself back to a state of clarity and efficiency. But on an afternoon when the sunlight is just right, I prefer to slow down and cradle a soft, velvety latte—letting sweetness and bitterness intertwine on my palate, and allowing time itself to feel a little less urgent.
//Perhaps, in the end, we all need a touch of romance to push back against the rough edges of life.

Posted 21 Apr 2026 21:16

Rayyan K

Session 9: The “Everyone Has an Opinion” Session

This session was where things got real. No more guessing, no more “this might work”. We finally took our ideas to Brookfield Unitarian Church and let the community tell us what they actually think. Slightly terrifying, but mostly very useful.

We set things up with our plans, precedent images, and our carefully prepared (and rehearsed) explanation of the project. The idea was simple: keep it open, let people react, and see where the conversation goes. And it definitely went somewhere… in about ten different directions at once.

A big theme that quickly emerged was the classic open vs closed debate. Some people loved the idea of flexible, open spaces, while others immediately asked for partitions, dividers, and ways to split things up. But (of course) no one wanted to completely lose connection. People still wanted to see and hear what’s happening in the main hall, especially from the kitchen. So essentially: divide the space, but don’t actually divide it. Simple.

Accessibility also came up, and this was a bit of a reality check. While the church is clearly inclusive in its values, the building itself doesn’t fully support that. A wheelchair user pointed out that although there is a movable ramp to come inside, the movement inside is still quite limited.

Then came the very real, very practical concerns. Heating, for example, takes over three hours (yes, three hours), which explains a lot. Naturally, people suggested breaking the space into smaller sections to make it more efficient. Storage also became a surprisingly big topic, like everything from general storage to “where do we keep the lawn mower?” made an appearance. Design meets reality.

The kitchen turned out to be more important than expected. Not because of cooking (tea and coffee seem to be the main event), but because it’s a social space. People want to stay connected while using it. Hence, ideas like a serving hatch, seating nearby, and maintaining visibility into the main hall.

We also briefly touched on bigger ideas like temporary structures and external additions… which were quickly brought back down to earth by planning rules and costs. A gentle reminder that architecture does, in fact, have limits.

All in all, a slightly chaotic, very honest, and genuinely insightful session. Lots of opinions, a few contradictions, but exactly what we needed.

Posted 21 Apr 2026 18:11

Niamh H

Session 8: Measure Twice (…or Improvise Once)

Today’s session started, as many of ours do, with a moment of reflection. Upon meeting this morning, we reevaluated the budget report we had previously submitted, particularly our travel costs. We had confidently estimated around £45 for a return bus trip for the whole group. In reality, the numbers had other ideas. On the day, Uber turned out to be both cheaper and faster, which felt like a small but satisfying win (sigh of relief from this car sick team member! )

Once on site, our collaborator gave us a tour, which helped ground a lot of our ideas. We discussed the direction of both an external temporary structure (to sidestep planning requirements) and an internal permanent intervention that respects the Grade II* listing. It was a really useful conversation that clarified where we’re heading. We also took photos of key areas, elevations, and services to build up a solid reference base.

Then came the survey.

We carried out both internal and external surveys of the relevant spaces, armed with tape measures and optimism. Measuring larger areas—especially the nave—proved to be more challenging than expected. Safe to say, longer tape measures would have helped. A lot.

Still, we got what we needed, and left with both measurements and a bit of perspective.

Productive, slightly chaotic, and a reminder to come better equipped next time

Posted 21 Apr 2026 17:58

Group 07 / HART HAT CAFE

Lily-Beth W

Speaking with a Mic

On Friday we finally had our first meeting with Michael from In-situ. We used the opportunity to ask questions about the brief and the kind of outputs that he wants. We also discussed a possible site visit as long as we can find a date that works for us and Michael.

We can now begin working on our design as Michael gave us more detail about what he wants, including the materials he wants used, an estimated budget, the level of accessibility required in the design, and the requirements of the cafe in terms of size and capacity.
Michael discussed us producing a series of drawings and visuals along with a model to communicate our design. We will need to divide these outputs between us based on our strengths.

This initial discussion with our collaborator has helped to focus our design as Michael emphasised the importance of diversity in the community, a desire for the structure to be transportable so that it can be used once the development of the shopping centre is complete. He also asked for us to use recycled materials as much as possible for the design and final cafe.

Posted 21 Apr 2026 16:36

Day 5 - Development

We’ve now finalized our core design ideas and started moving them from concept to paper and into detailed renderings. After the Easter break, each team member shared their individual progress. Through a round of peer feedback, we were able to collaboratively refine our approaches before moving into the next phase of development.

Posted 21 Apr 2026 16:27

Easter

Over the Easter Holiday, we worked individually on concept development for the design. Sketches and precedent study inspirations are shared on a common drive for team review. Additionally, we divided up the specific tasks required for the final submissions and created a detailed plan for the coming weeks.

Posted 21 Apr 2026 16:23

Day 4 - Design Process

We gathered together to finalise the submission documents. Following that, we established our initial concept for the final design. We then divided the work among the group according to each member’s expertise, aiming to utilise our diverse skills across different areas in order to develop a design that is holistic, functional, and aesthetic.

Posted 21 Apr 2026 16:18

21/04/26

Alongside the SketchUp modelling session today, one of our first year students took some time to hand sketch a proposal for an outdoor seating area for the existing café at Seedley Pavilion.

The sketches looked at how seating could be arranged to make better use of the outdoor space around the café, complimenting the garden environment and encouraging people to linger and connect with the space. It was a good reminder of how much can be communicated through a simple pencil drawing, and the sketches will serve as a useful reference as we continue to develop the wider masterplan vision for the site. Thanks Tina!

Posted 21 Apr 2026 15:59

21/04/2026

Today we held our last official meeting before our intensive week begins on the 11th of May, and it was a really productive session to round off this phase of the project.

The main focus of the meeting was continuing our design work, with everyone working individually on their own section of the site model. The plan is to combine all of these components together to produce the walk-through video, so it was important to get as much modelling done as possible before the intensive week.

One of the highlights of the session was seeing the Masters students take the lead in teaching the first years how to use SketchUp for the first time. It was a great opportunity for the group to share skills across year groups, and the first years picked it up quickly. Having everyone able to contribute to the 3D model directly will make the process of bringing it all together much smoother.

Posted 21 Apr 2026 15:53

In the final week of regular MSA live meetings, we discussed what we’ve done so far, covering engagements, past sessions and more. We were joined by a MLA1 student, prompting reintroductions and a good summary of what our project involves. We then explored what there was still to do, planning our presentation, and intensive week, forming an action plan. We then divided into groups, each taking on a different task. It was a very productive session!

Posted 21 Apr 2026 15:53

Group 07 / HART HAT CAFE

Euan E

Can we speak without a Mic

With the weather so good and the meeting with our collaborator, Michael, still pending, we prioritised efficient blog post creation during our 3rd session to maximise our time in the rare Mancunian sunshine. The session also gave us a chance to deepen our understanding of the module brief and to refine a list of questions to ask Michael during the scheduled meeting. Escaping the UoM Uni Place building by 3.30 pm, we left a note for our group supervisor explaining the reason for our absence.

Posted 21 Apr 2026 15:44

In the afternoon of Sunday 26th March, we continued out into the rainy Manchester weather, and met with Cyanlines for their guided walk along their Cyanline 3. Along the route we learnt a lot about the features of the route that helped them plot the line, also allowing us take inspiration for our Cyan+ line. As well as learning a lot about the history of Manchester. Talking to others on the tour allowed us to gain useful insight on what they value about Cyanline 3 giving us a lot to consider when furthering our own Cyan+ line proposal.
At the end of the walk we had the opportunity to tell the group about our project, sparking interesting conversations and ideas generation!
We were all relieved that by the end of the walk, the rain had cleared!

Posted 21 Apr 2026 15:33

On Sunday 26th of March, we braved the rain, and visited the Feel the Rhythm Pocket Park to volunteer with helping them prepare the park for the spring and summer gardening season! We helped litter pick, clear fallen leaves and branches, and identify elements of the park, such as fallen planter bed walls, that may need attention after the winter. While doing all of this, we chatted with the other volunteers and gained an insight into how the pocket park is run and how it is used by the community. We also had the opportunity to ask them a few questions about our proposal and which elements they felt were best and which needed more work. This was an extremely valuable experience for all of us!

Posted 21 Apr 2026 15:32

Group 17 / SEEDS TO SEATS

Carla H

In our recent Cyan+ meeting, we made badges in preparation for our upcoming engagement activities. We all had a chance to use a badge making machine and created badges to hand out to the public as a reminder of what our project means for Manchester.
We also gathered a set of precedents to show during our engagement activities in Platt Fields Park and as an inspiration for our plans to improve our new Cyanline (Cyan+).

Posted 21 Apr 2026 15:21

Iris F

24/3/26 Fifth meeting
We arrived at Worthington Park at 9:30 to set up the tables and posters for our coffee morning and fix parts of the model which had broken on the way.

The morning was quiet at first, but after 11 it became busy with passerby and volunteers sharing strong opinions and raising important issues we hadn’t considered. A key debate was whether dogs should be allowed on site with some wanting a dog-free area and others feeling this would be impossible to enforce in a park. There were also discussions on whether it would be possible to build paths and shelter for the benches.

Finally our collaborators informed us that the fox den had to remain, so our focus should shift toward designing ways to coexist with the wildlife rather than relocating it.

Posted 21 Apr 2026 15:05

Group 17 / SEEDS TO SEATS

Iris F

17/3/26 Fourth meeting

After meeting with our collaborator we decided to split into the MA and BA students, letting the more experienced architects manage the ethics applications while the newer pupils experimented with laying out benches in a 1:100 print of the park. We focused on how to mask the compost smell utilise the pillars for shelter while the Master's students created a plan for our public consultation display.

Posted 21 Apr 2026 15:04

Carla H

Talk from Tom Bloxton, founder of Cyanlines & Co-founder/chair of Urban Splash

Tom Bloxton, founder of CyanLines gave a talk to our students at MSA which one of our team-members attended. The talk gave us insight into the goals of CyanLines from the founder’s view, as well as the future of Manchester.
We discovered that most of CyanLines’ work focuses on restoring what is already there to uplift the city. His restorations are more zoomed into how the spaces made people feel and how to uplift the community, rather than on ‘quick fixes’. There is a drive to repurpose large buildings, factories and warehouses to make spaces for communities, e.g. a large space was rented for entrepreneurs to sell or use how they wish. Tom Bloxton tries to make spaces as interesting as possible to promote businesses, connect canals and turn around some areas in Manchester.
CyanLines was made to link what already exists in Manchester. More and more of the city is demolished for larger buildings, but why not connect what is already there?
Tom Bloxton sees a future where all of Manchester is connected, with a hundred miles of greenery.

Posted 21 Apr 2026 15:01

Group 02 / SALE THROUGH TIME

In our second session together, we discussed and worked through our ethics agreement, risk assessment, and budget for the project. We discussed possible both ethical and physical risks and how to tackle them as a whole group. We then split into groups of three with each group filling in and submitting each form. All of our documents were approved!

Posted 21 Apr 2026 14:58

Group 01 / ALTAR-NATIVE

Minzheng H

My name is Minzheng Han and I am studying Architectural and adaptive reuse at Manchester School of Architecture. I graduated from China. My major is architecure.

I’m particularly interested in digital design and adaptive reuse, especially how computational tools can help us rethink and transform existing buildings.

I’m also really interested in the renovation of historic architecture — not just preserving it, but finding ways to adapt it to contemporary use while keeping its spatial and cultural value.

Posted 21 Apr 2026 14:36

Selin G

Hi, I’m Selin and I’m a BA1 Architecture student. I’m committed to creating and participating in environmentally conscious, forward-thinking, and adaptable projects. I’m excited to be a part of this MSA Live project which is a an amazing opportunity to connect and build community.

Posted 21 Apr 2026 13:51

Group 04 / RE:WILDING: MERSEYWAY

Lucy G

17/03/26

As part of our community engagement task, we visited Stockport to gather insights from local residents about arts, craft, and cultural opportunities in the area.

During the session, we spoke directly with members of the public, asking them what they would like to see introduced or improved in terms of cultural activities. This included suggestions for creative spaces, events, and community-led initiatives.

To make the process interactive and place-based, members of the public were also invited to mark locations on a map of Stockport. They placed pins on areas they felt would benefit from new cultural interventions. This helped us identify specific sites that the community perceives as underused, lacking cultural activity, or having strong potential for development.

Through this engagement, we gathered a range of ideas and perspectives, providing valuable insight into local needs and priorities. The combination of conversation and mapping allowed us to better understand not just what people want, but also where they feel change is most needed.

Posted 21 Apr 2026 12:39

Group 31 / HOLT TOWN HIVE

Emre T

Engagement Activity - 24/03/2026

This week, we carried out our engagement activity with our collaborator! We came prepared with all three of our engagement activities ready to carry them out, and we held an interactive session in which we accompanied our collaborators through the activities to extract every bit of information we could for them. The information we gained during this session will be crucial for our design process, as we were able to clearly understand the collaborators' exact expectations and priorities for this project.

Throughout the activity, we understood the expectations of the collaborator in terms of design, functionality, materiality, community, and user experience. We will use this information during our design process to shape our design and curate an experience which satisfies the collaborator, the user, and us as the design team. We are really proud of our engagement activity, and we feel like the outcomes we obtained through this activity were successful beyond our expectations!

Posted 21 Apr 2026 11:25

Group 31 / HOLT TOWN HIVE

Emre T

Week 4 - 17/03/2026

In our latest session, we initially focused on responding to feedback from our mentor regarding our ethics application. Revisiting our community engagement strategy, which we modified last week to suit our collaborator's needs, we clarified the exact details about our activity. By clearly explaining the three distinct phases, we ensured that we clearly communicated exactly what we wanted to do.

With the structure of the engagement activity determined and explained in good detail, we shifted our focus to a brainstorming session to generate the content for the engagement activity. A major focus was on creating a list of design drivers for the project. During the upcoming engagement, we plan to use this list as a tool, inviting our collaborators to highlight the drivers they feel are most important and applicable to our project. We finished the session by identifying the remaining content required to run the activity, leaving us with a clear plan for the week ahead.

Posted 21 Apr 2026 11:23

17/03/26

We made the decision to create a 3D model during this session in order to better explain our concepts to our collaborator. In order to collect a variety of user viewpoints, we also created two distinct surveys, one for the building's staff and another for younger children. Alongside this, we developed preliminary sketches to further refine our proposal.

Posted 21 Apr 2026 02:35

03/03/26

Task Division & Submission Preparation
We concentrated on organizing our work throughout this session in order to meet the deadline of March 9. The ethics application, project timetable, risk assessment, and budget were among the important areas where tasks were distributed such that each team member was in charge of a particular aspect.

In addition, we collaborated to improve our strategy, talk about important factors, and solidify our concepts, which enabled us to get the necessary documents ready for submission.

Posted 21 Apr 2026 02:29

17/02/26

Description of the Project:
A proposed partnership between MSA Live Group 03 and the University of Manchester, Petri of Play aims to bring play, learning, community, and nature to the area around the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology.

The location is currently nestled away from the main road, which makes it seem isolated from its surroundings and leaves it open to damage. In response, the initiative aims to turn this neglected area into a welcoming and stimulating setting for individuals of all ages.

In addition to instructive and interactive displays that highlight the work of the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, our concept calls for a space where people can sit, connect, and engage. Additionally, we want to work with a nearby elementary school to promote learning through experience by use play as a vehicle to discuss subjects like biodiversity and climate change.

In order to convey our vision and future course, we also decided on the name Petri of Play and created our first poster during this session.

Posted 21 Apr 2026 02:20

03/02/26

We developed a series of questions for our UoM collaborating partner after our first group meeting and preliminary discussion of the brief. We learned more about their expectations and priorities for the project during our evening conversation with them.

We took advantage of this chance to consider several choices, evaluating them collectively and making notes to help orient our future actions. This discussion served to lay the groundwork for our future strategy.

Posted 21 Apr 2026 02:10

03/02/26

This week marked our first engagement with the project site. The emphasis was on examining and comprehending the existing building and its mood rather than diving right into design.

We investigated the area for a while, focusing on the building's materials, lighting, and various perspectives. Contrasts in texture and structure, as well as the way natural light interacts with surfaces throughout the day, were the focus of early observations.

Posted 21 Apr 2026 02:02

Summary of our Site Visit

Posted 20 Apr 2026 23:11

Site Visit
PART 3: Reflection
After many conversations, questions and steps, we sat and discussed the brief with our collaborators in further detail. They shared a lot of useful material including information about Burton Manor, a site which may ultimately serve as precedence. This reflective conversation also highlighted potential trade offs between designing spaces that generate revenue and more ethical considerations: how to design high-end properties without marginalizing certain demographics of people. It also emphasized the need to design spaces that meet council criteria and the importance of considering the needs of the local area during planning. We then decided to walk into town to get a sense of the local area, before finally heading back to base.

Overall Mood(s): Accomplished, Reflective

Posted 20 Apr 2026 23:05

Site Visit
PART 2: Exploring the Grounds
The next phase was touring key parts of the manor's grounds. This experience helped gauge the scale of the manor, particularly in comparison to its surrounding areas and key landmarks around the site that we may consider when during wider planning and when producing outputs. While doing also came across a few pylons on the site which sparked conversations about building regulations, particularly within the green belt and potential conflicts that may arise in doing so. Taking a tour of the grounds also allowed us to collate photographical material which will be essential when working outputs for our project.

Posted 20 Apr 2026 22:40

Group 25 / DREAM BUILDERS

Site Visit
PART 1 : Inside the Manor
After much planning and preparation, we finally visited Thornton Manor! The day started off by meeting with our collaborators and a necessary break after the long drive. We then dived straight into exploring the fire damage within the manor. As we had only ever seen this though media, this helped us contextualize the gravity of the damage and identify features within the manor that we could potentially incorporate in our design process to provide visual links. It was particularly interesting to identify older construction methods used within manor, comparing them with modern methods. Understanding the severity of the fire damage also helped to estimate the amount of housing units that would ultimately fund the manor's refurbishment.

Posted 20 Apr 2026 22:24

Nadin ER

16/04/2026
With 5 days until our workshop at the school, we went to the MTC to print all the things we would need for the activities. We printed 3 copies of everything for each of the classes and split them up so that we would have it ready on Tuesday.

Posted 20 Apr 2026 12:47

Group 25 / DREAM BUILDERS

Nadin ER

17/03/2026
We spent this Tuesday preparing for the workshop and distributing responsibilities. We had to focus on how we would present the activities to the pupils and how it would be organized so that they complete the tasks and also find it enjoyable. We created a day plan and finalized everything so that we had everything ready for the workshop. We also decided on the day of the workshop with Laura and Helen and figured it would be most suitable for us to have it done on the 21st of April.

Posted 20 Apr 2026 12:40

Group 25 / DREAM BUILDERS

Nadin ER

03/03/2026
We planned a visit to the school and we headed over there to discuss our plans with Laura and Helen. We decided on the activities we would come back and do with the students and looked at the materials we would need. We had a look around the school to understand the site and to see if we wanted to incorporate any elements we find around the school in our project. We also had the chance to have a peak inside the construction site where the extension of the school would be.

Posted 20 Apr 2026 12:32

Group 13 / WITHINGTON COMMON WATERS

Macie-Ann J

Group 13: Meeting Oskar "with a K"

Alongside the tote-spraying workshop, the Withington Walls x Mandem Meetup event also featured a live mural created by Oskar “with a K.” Taking a short break from painting to pose for a photo, he spoke with Macie and Cian about his work after hearing about the MSA Live 2026 project. Oskar spoke warmly about the Baths and the surrounding community, reminiscing on his role in organising the 2024 Paint Jam held at the site.

Having already spent time admiring the murals in the external courtyard, it was especially valuable to hear the story behind them. The Paint Jam, he explained, was organised to celebrate and promote street art culture across Manchester.

The conversation also highlighted the Baths’ wider cultural and social significance. Inspired by the site's continued association to activism, the group reflected on the Bath's impact, from advancing gender integrated bathing, to the community protests from 2013-2015 to save the Baths.

Posted 19 Apr 2026 23:10

Group 13 / WITHINGTON COMMON WATERS

Macie-Ann J

Group 13: Withington Walls Event

A few weeks ago, group memebers Macie and Cian took part in the Mandem Meetup street party - a collaborative event organised by Withington Walls and the men’s mental health group Mandem Meetup, with funding from Manchester Local Care Organisation and support from Withington Baths. After coming across a social media post promoting the free event, the group became interested in learning more about Withington Walls, the grassroots street art collective behind the vibrant murals that bring colour to the walls of Withington Baths.

Macie and Cian were pleased to report that they had a great time immersing themselves in the tote-spraying workshop, representing MSA through their “FLUX” and “SKN” designs. Between chatting with local residents, learning more about the impactful work of Mandem Meetup, and enjoying some local Jamaican patties, the pair left with a deeper appreciation for the strong sense of community in the area and its celebration of creative expression.

Posted 19 Apr 2026 22:43

Group 27 / BLOOM WELL

Cheuk Yi T

Birdhouse Model-making Workshop

Yesterday, our group hosted a birdhouse model-making workshop at Blossom Charity. We began the session by showing the volunteers the plan of the space, and invited them to share their thoughts about the space by using coloured stickers and Post-it notes. It was nice to understand what they like about the space, what they want to improve, and what needs more attention.

After this feedback activity, we guided the volunteers on how to assemble the birdhouse by using the pre-cut wood pieces that had been prepared earlier in B15. We also provided them with some acrylic paints to decorate the birdhouse. Some beautifully painted cacti on it, while others decorated theirs with rainbows.

It was such a fun, hands-on workshop filled with laughter and meaningful engagement. So grateful to everyone who joined and contributed their energy! 💛🌱

Posted 19 Apr 2026 02:31

Yige Z

Session 7: Printing Error

This session aptly named *Printing Error* took place at the library, where we met to finalise plans for our engagement event at Brookfield Church. Despite the slightly chaotic title, things were actually very productive.

We reviewed a range of precedent images that we can show to the public, giving them something tangible to react to and helping us understand their preferences. Alongside that, we printed the church’s site plan (successfully, eventually), which will act as a key engagement tool, allowing people to physically point out where they think new facilities should be located.

We also mapped out a short presentation to clearly explain the project from start to finish keeping it simple and (hopefully) memorable.

On a more analytical side, we carried out a demographic study using local data. This helped us better understand the community we’ll be working with, and will also help us be more aware of whether the people engaging with us are truly representative of the wider area. Since we won’t have control over attendance, this adds an extra layer of insight and makes the whole process even more valuable as a learning experience.

All in all, a very productive session. We’ve prepped what we’re going to say, gathered all the materials we need, and are feeling ready (printing errors aside) for what’s next.

Posted 16 Apr 2026 13:01

Group 27 / BLOOM WELL

Al-Megdad AH

Beard Houses Models

Today we headed to B.15 to review our physical models. We refined the designs, made a few adjustments, and gathered useful feedback while testing them ahead of this week’s workshop. Several improvements were made to ensure the models are easy to assemble and durable enough for the beards to use.

Safe to say, we’re feeling well prepared for the workshop and now we’re just hoping the sun shows up and blesses us with some Vitamin C on the day ☀️

Posted 15 Apr 2026 14:39

14/04/26

With the Easter break underway, we held a hybrid meeting today over Teams to keep momentum going and start delegating tasks now that we have a clear design direction after our engagement activities. It was good to get everyone together to collaborate despite not all being in the same place.

Our main focus was dividing up the workload for the coming weeks. Tasks were split out across the group, with some members beginning to work up the site plan on AutoCAD, while others are starting to model key elements of the proposed design such as the new entrance and water fountain feature. Getting these aspects underway in parallel should mean we can bring everything together more efficiently as the design develops.

Posted 14 Apr 2026 15:54

28/03/26

This weekend we went back to the site to collect the voting box and count the results. The turnout was better than what we had expected - 68 votes in total, with 31 Blue, 28 Yellow and 9 Pink, giving a clear majority in favour of the traditional theme.

It was great to see how many people had engaged with the display over the week. The result gives us a solid direction to take into the next phase of the design, and it's useful to know that the community's preference aligns with the existing character of the garden.
As we don't need the display board again just yet, we've left it on site to see if we pick up any extra votes before our next visit. In the meantime, we can start developing design concepts digital models with the traditional theme as our foundation.

Posted 14 Apr 2026 15:51

21/03/26

Today we headed back to the site for our second visit, and luckily the sun was out which made the whole experience feel really positive and energetic!

We set up our display board, pinning our precedent images across it, and placed our handmade voting box alongside it with our project poster and site plan to give context to visitors about what we are designing and why.

A few community members stopped to look through the precedents and ask questions about the project, which was encouraging and gave us some useful early impressions of what people are drawn to.

We will be leaving the voting box on site for the next week, giving volunteers and members of the Salford Croquet Club plenty of time to browse the options and cast their vote. We are looking forward to coming back next week to see the results and find out which design direction the community has chosen!

Posted 14 Apr 2026 15:27

17/03/2026

This week, we sorted through our collected fountain precedents and categorised them into two distinct themes: modern and traditional. Going through the images together on our Miro board and deciding which category each one fell into sparked a lot of discussion about what design language we want to bring to the site, and helped us narrow down the most relevant examples to present to the community.

To collect votes on site, we brought an old shoe box which we will cut into the top so visitors can post their chosen precedent in. Getting the voting materials ready felt like a real step forward, and we now have an efficient method for gathering community feedback that will directly shape the design of our water feature in the coming weeks!

Posted 14 Apr 2026 15:14

Meeting 6

07.04.2026

Last couple of days before our groups engagement activity day. Discussing and agreeing on the activities to be carried out on the day and what is necessary to prepare beforehand (printing, model making etc). The proposed plan sets out 3 activities we hope to carry out at our stall prepared by the collaborators at the Market Hall. Each activity will allow us to engage with the contacts the collaborators has arranged to attend on the day. They will allow us to have a set of different outcomes that will help us with a proposed design and ideas moving forward.

We're set to meet on 09.04.2026 to prepare all PIS forms and consent forms, flyers, posters and activity sheets and models for the big day!

Posted 8 Apr 2026 00:41

Group 05 / WHERE STILLNESS LIVES

Meeting 5

02.04.2026

Group progression meeting - engagement activity workshop, discussing and delegating tasks to form a proposed plan for the collaborators to agree on. Following this meeting, members of the team developed ideas, questions and intended outcomes for the engagement activity.

We proposed the engagement day to be the 10th April at Glossop Market Hall, details to be ironed out with the collaborators in the following meetings with the team.

Posted 8 Apr 2026 00:36

Group 09 / COMMON GROUND

Joyce Z

Trip to Wigan- PART 2
31/03/26

Towards the end of the day, our group gathered in a meeting room to brainstorm ideas for the proposed community space in St Nathaniel's Church in Wigan. We shared ideas on how the Church can be reimagined as a flexible and welcoming hub for the youth. Ideas ranged from a library or book swap corner to an arts and craft workshops later turned into exhibitions, roller skating, dance sessions, movie nights or even a sports hall. We also considered the possibility of using breakout rooms for skill learning workshops to connect generations, support those who are lonely and ultimately break barriers across the community.
Using our online survey, we hope to explore the outcomes of responses from students and stakeholders and how their feedback will shape the design direction.

Posted 3 Apr 2026 16:22

Kylian P

This week we met up and drove to Monton Unitarian Church for a site visit. We were able to walk around the bowling green, taking in the surroundings, photos, and relevant measurements.

We then met up with our client, Reverend Anna, and presented the work and design we made so far. She liked the design as well as the precedents we used for it and had feedback about changes she would like to see: prioritising a fixed roof over fixed structure (better weather proofing), feedback on size & location of structure on the site, and overall feedback on expectations.

Overall we enjoyed the site visit as well as Anna’s feedback very much, and found it very valuable. We established some next steps, and discussed the feasibility & budget of the project. As it is ambitious with the given budget, we might have difficulties to see the project to construction within the time given. Therefore we mentioned the possibility to work towards a finished design & fundraising for next year’s group (or potential different adaptive reuse projects).

Posted 2 Apr 2026 17:27

Group 09 / COMMON GROUND

Joyce Z

Trip to Wigan- PART 1
Future of St Nathaniel's Church- 31/03/26

Our visit began with a discussion with our collaborator, David, who gave us more insight into Wigan's neighbourhood context as well as the value of bettering the community for the future. We then headed to St Nathaniel's Church where we were met with Lisa, a member of the Church community who shared invaluable insight into the realities of running activities on the site today. Several challenges were mentioned including: multiple entrances making supervision difficult, potential fire safety concerns with locked doors, teenagers sometimes arriving on e-scooters, raising safety and behavioural issues, antisocial behaviour and security being an ongoing concern and many families connected to the church facing complex social challenges including substance misuse issues affecting parents.
This conversation stood as a reminder that designing a youth space isn't just about architecture but about understanding people, safe guarding and creating an environment that supports community needs. With that in mind, we reviewed architectural plans, analysing how the building's existing layout could evolve into a space for different users and age groups. Some practical ideas discussed included: flexible hall with fold-away chairs, dividing walls to allow activities to run simultaneously, dedicated storage areas and improved circulation and clearer supervision zones.

Having observed the rooms within the Church and its interior and exterior make-up, it was time to propose our concept and ideas to deputy headteacher of Platt Bridge Community School, Carly. We shared initial thoughts on how the space could evolve into a flexible youth centre whilst also listening to how the school currently supports its students beyond the classroom. Having spoken to the community and spent time understanding the site, our next step entails exploration into potential spaces for the community.

Stay tuned for Part 2!

Posted 2 Apr 2026 00:52

Group 10 / HYDE COMMUNITY COURTS

Batool H

Session 4 – Engagement Workshop

In Session 4, we visited the HYP Youth Centre in Hyde, Manchester, where we delivered an engagement workshop with the children to better understand their wants and needs for the final project.

Prior to the session, we prepared a series of activities to support this process. These included a questionnaire, a drawing activity, and an interactive mapping exercise using a laser-cut site model with movable pieces to encourage participation, spark conversation, and help the children express their ideas in an accessible and creative way.

We also ensured that all ethical requirements were met in advance of the workshop. This included obtaining the necessary approvals and carrying out risk assessments.

After introducing ourselves to the children and vice versa, enthusiastic discussions developed and ideas began to be shared about how their youth centre could evolve. They confidently expressed their aspirations for the space, describing how they would like it to look, feel, and function which helped us understand how to design for both themselves and future users.

The activities and discussions not only provided valuable insight for the project but also sparked a wider interest in architecture as a potential career, encouraging the children to think about their own future aspirations and possibilities.

Finally, we visited the site in order to understand how the space looks in reality, explore current conditions and begin the design process.

Posted 31 Mar 2026 15:43

Poster Development

We arrived with various ideas and iterations before gathering for thought exchanges. This collage illustrates the thought process we went through before arriving at the final poster!

Posted 30 Mar 2026 22:58

Site Visit #1

Following our meeting with the collaborator, we visited the site during school lunchtime. Greeted by Mr. Smith and the representatives from the student bodies, we explored the school and its facilities, which included the grass pitch and mud playground.

Suggested by the student body, logs on the front grass should be secured into the ground for safety, and more plantations are needed for biodiversity. The parking area also requires reorientation to improve mobility and multifunctionality. Staff suggested an outdoor reading area and extra spaces for kids to be physically involved, installed roofs on benches for rain coverage, and a proper storage room for tricycles.

Summarising the demands, following the school’s values, we would like to incorporate designs where students take the initiative to explore and discover what is around them. We hope to encourage sustainable development in a manner that fosters pupils’ wellbeing, environmental awareness, and experiential learning across the curriculum.

We took pictures, measurements, and sketches, recording the potentials of the landscape and design ideas catering to users’ needs. Also, we had some great conversations with the students and staff. The day ended with us summarising our findings and sharing our observations in the library. Just cannot wait to see how we bring our final design to life!

Posted 30 Mar 2026 22:38

Day 3 - Design and March Submission Refinements

We started off with research to gather inspirations to develop our design.We also layered our plan and budgets along with safety considerations that had to be considered and well planned before our interaction with the children in the school. Our initial aim was to visit the school and conduct our activities on the following Monday but due to various reasons we decided with our tutor to postpone the action for more preparation. It cleared our minds by highlighting the key stages in our projected timeline. This allows us to track our progress and work efficiently. Our day ends with our continuous exploration of design ideas.

Posted 30 Mar 2026 22:34

Day 2 - Second Meeting

The day focused primarily on refining our project's visual direction and establishing clear next steps for the March outputs (Project timeline, Ethics application, Risk assessment, and Budget). With previous feedback, we opened the session by presenting our latest poster and sharing reflections from our recent site visit with our tutor, which offered us fresh perspectives to refine our design. The key decision was to shift our background palette to a more vibrant orange from pink, followed by minor adjustments to typography and element and graphical illustration placement. This choice was driven by a desire to create stronger visual contrast and balance while conceptually echoing the kids' playfulness and the earthy essence of mud. We also divided responsibilities following the review: Qistina and Anagha on the poster, Sylvia on site research, and the rest continuing conceptual development and organizing existing resources. Most importantly, we maintained a collaborative atmosphere to advance our proposals and get the most out of them.

Posted 30 Mar 2026 22:30

Group 30 / HARTLEY HUTTERS

Day 1 - Meeting the Committees and the Collaborator

We started off the day with some fun icebreakers to get to know each other. It was nice to see everyone sharing their interests and stories. We then moved on to developing our goals with the focus on two core concepts of “biodiversity” and “community”. We decided to name our project the “Growth Maps”.

It was also exciting to meet Mr. Andy Smith, our collaborator, the head of Moor Allerton Preparatory School, for the first time! We discussed and exchanged thoughts and ideas for the design project and assigned roles. What an eventful start!

Posted 30 Mar 2026 22:28

Yiran H

Finalising Design Directions & Preparing for the Site Meeting
17 March 2026

In our fourth group session, we focused on consolidating design ideas and planning for the upcoming site meeting on 31 March. The team engaged in detailed brainstorming on the interior spaces of the Hartley Huts, reviewed initial sketches and material studies, and incorporated structured feedback on our project plan from our tutor Jason.

To prepare for the client presentation, we have outlined the following deliverables and divided tasks accordingly. BA1 and Foundation students will take the lead in developing material studies, ramp proposals, and an indicative site plan that highlights key interventions—including the volunteer hub, heritage display hut, bridge upgrades, accessible ramp, seating areas, and seasonal event features.

The goal is to communicate our design intent clearly and gather valuable feedback, which will help us refine the proposals in the coming weeks leading to the final presentation.

We are all set for an insightful client meeting and look forward to sharing our progress!

Posted 30 Mar 2026 20:47

Group 30 / HARTLEY HUTTERS

Yiran H

Site Visit to Albert Dock, Liverpool
3 March 2026

The site visit offered a rare and valuable opportunity to access the Hartley Huts, a Grade II listed heritage structure, which significantly deepened our understanding of the project. Being able to enter the structures allowed us to experience its spatial and material qualities firsthand, beyond what drawings or photographs could convey.

The visit was highly productive, as it sparked a wide range of new ideas and directions for our design. Observing the existing conditions, structure, and atmosphere helped clarify both the potentials and constraints of working within a heritage context. It also made us more aware of the sensitivity required when intervening in such a historically significant site.

Engaging with our collaborators, particularly Canal & River Trust volunteers and Architect Richard Banks, provided valuable professional insight. Conversations with both the architects and the volunteers enriched our understanding of the site’s history, ongoing use, and community value.

Overall, the experience has been extremely helpful in shaping our design approach. It reinforced the importance of on-site engagement and collaboration, and it will directly inform more grounded, context-sensitive proposals moving forward.

Posted 30 Mar 2026 20:38

Group 02 / SALE THROUGH TIME

Harmonie C

This afternoon, we had a Teams call with our collaborator, Steve. We discussed outputs and had a conversation about the structure of the festival day. It was really useful to stay in touch, not only as a team, but also to ensure that Steve understands the creative direction we’re moving in and remains involved every step of the way.

Posted 30 Mar 2026 17:11

Group 16 / ACTIVE AXIS

Harry B

For our engagement session, once preparation was complete and despite all the hail, the engagement team managed to travel to our site. Our activities surrounded 2 primary questions about the area; the first was a post-it note pin-up board with the question being “what challenges do you [the clientele] face when coming [to the site].” This allowed the public to write their own opinions on the matter, giving us information on what the public thought could improve the area. The engagement for this was good, but contributions were more related towards access, such as car parks and paths, as well as events the leisure centre hosts. However, the second engagement activity was much more successful; we printed out a cartoon map of our selected area alongside various fun models of potential outdoor appliances with the intention being that the participating public could create their own ideal outdoor space. This was placed alongside the question “What would your perfect outdoor space look like?” This activity gave us a range of different responses across all ages; the younger audience preferred a playground area, including slides and climbing frames. Some of the older members agreed with this, including seating areas to watch their kids and to relax after the gym, whereas some just preferred a nice seating area with a lot of greenery which we noticed was absent in the surrounding area, a place to have a picnic for example after the gym. A common theme was not to include outdoor gym equipment, as a lot of the members were content with all the equipment in the gym. Overall, this engagement activity gave us a variety of useful opinions on what the site needs and how we can please all members of the leisure centre.

Posted 27 Mar 2026 16:40

Group 33 / THE MOBEELITY HUBS

Haoyan D

Session 6: Collaborator Meeting and Workshop Planning

This week’s session focused on our meeting with the collaborator and on clarifying how the upcoming workshop should be structured. It was a useful discussion that helped us move from vague ideas towards something more organised and realistic.

A key part of the conversation was about participation. While the ideal number would be around fifteen people, we discussed that the main requirement from the university’s point of view is to have at least eight participants over the age of eighteen. This brought ethics and safeguarding into the discussion, especially around how information will be collected, explained, and stored safely. It was a reminder that community engagement is not only about generating ideas, but also about making sure the process is responsible and well managed.

We also talked through how we want to present our ideas during the workshop. Rather than arriving with a fixed proposal, we agreed that it would be better to keep things open and allow participants to shape the direction of the project. Floor plans, site images and precedent references were suggested as useful tools to help people visualise possibilities and respond more easily. We also discussed print formats and how large the plans should be, thinking about how people could interact with them through stickers, notes or annotations.

One of the most interesting parts of the discussion was around the actual purpose of the space. Although the project is connected to a church setting, the conversation raised the possibility that the final outcome may be more community-focused than strictly religious. This felt important, as it showed that the brief is still developing and that the workshop will play a real role in defining what the project becomes.

By the end of the session, tasks were becoming clearer. Images and screenshots from the meeting were being shared, a written summary was planned, and responsibilities for the blog post and follow-up were assigned. Overall, this meeting helped us feel more prepared and more aligned as a group.

A productive and necessary step forward. Less about final answers, more about setting up the right questions.

Posted 26 Mar 2026 09:44

Natrada Y

Today we had yet another successful meeting. We started as usual looking the research and produce we brought in. As the MAs continue to work through the 3D maps, the MArchs and the BAs discuss the hub’s materiality, furniture, location and innovation sustainable features. This will allow us to scope down the range of our design output later on. After narrowing down the useful ideas, we revised out timeline and confirmed the date April 21st as our engagement day, working to gain public opinion. We tasked ourselves with bringing in materials and completion of the 3D maps. Additional meetings before the date will be informed through our group chat as usual. We got this!

Posted 25 Mar 2026 16:26

Group 26 / LEARNING WITH LORETO

Brygida F

10/02/26
Following Sethika and Aidira’s meeting with Walaa, our group decided to take Walaa’s advice to further educate ourselves about South Sudan by watching „Goodbye Julie”. We then discussed our experiences watching the film in our following meeting.

Posted 25 Mar 2026 16:09

W5.2: 24/03/2026
Post collaborator meeting: In general, feedback was great! The collaborators were happy with our engagement strategy, and they gave us good advice on what to implement to make it even more engaging, especially for our non-architecture audience, like printing our precedents for them to choose from and potentially including a collage activity.
In terms of our layered section proposals, we started to consider alternative divisions of the theatre's interior space; however, this would be influenced by the outcome of our engagement activity.

Posted 25 Mar 2026 10:12

W5.1: 24/03/2026
Attendance doubled! We are back on track after communicating how important it is for us to work collectively. Today marked our 3rd meeting with the collaborators; hence, we met earlier in the day, finalised our engagement along with visuals that we would incorporate into it. The community venue we were in contact with got back to us with the specific dates, and we sketched, then presented our developed ideas to the collaborators. This was our most productive day yet.

Posted 25 Mar 2026 09:56

Group 33 / THE MOBEELITY HUBS

W4: 17/03/2026
Although our group's attendence was low, we managed to finalise our proposed concept that we have been developing from precedents and the meetings with our collaborators. This then led us to start planning on how and where we would engage with the Salford community in order for them to inform how we would execute and design a space that would meet their demand.

Posted 25 Mar 2026 09:47

Natrada Y

Like every other Tuesday sessions, we started with a lecture where a few third year masters of Architecture came to talk about their own MSA live project and give us useful insights as we arrive on the mid point of our project time lines. Our afternoon session started with the whole group exploring each other’s design ideas merging our design strengths to finalise a structure for our Mobeelity hub. To locate a point in our site to set the hub up, the team needed a map. This was when the bachelors of architecture received a short but informative, quick guide to making 3D maps from Aleksandra, while the other focus on the other aspects of our new designs. To end the day, we tasked each person to produce, design and create accordingly to their strengths and will touch base again next Wednesday. We are very proud of our pace and our team work that allows our project to bud at this speed. 17/March/2026

Posted 25 Mar 2026 01:53

Group 08 / UNDER ONE ROOF

Angeline Chia Ling O

17 March 2026 @ Sam Alex

/ Fortnightly Progress Meeting
Today’s agenda was to discuss the details of what we are going to do during the engagement session with the Mossley community, and grouping ourselves into small teams to handle different tasks based on our strengths.

Posted 24 Mar 2026 22:22

Group 08 / UNDER ONE ROOF

Angeline Chia Ling O

3 March 2026 @ Sam Alex

/ Fortnightly Progress Meeting
This week, we worked in different groups to complete assigned tasks, then came together to review and finalise the work before submitting it as a final document.

Posted 24 Mar 2026 22:13

Group 32 / STREET RECLAIM

Catalina GM

Week 4 - 17/03/2026

This week marked a shift from analysis towards direct engagement with the schools. Building upon our understanding of each site, as well as previous meetings with our collaborators regarding community engagement, we began planning how to involve the children and local users in shaping the design of their school streets.

A key focus of this session was balancing how to engage the children in a way that felt both accessible and empowering. We discussed possible activities where the children could feel as though they are actively reclaiming their streets through their design ideas. We also wanted the activity to serve as valuable insight and evidence to support the importance of the project, demonstrating how our design proposals would be directly rooted in the needs and aspirations of the school communities.

Possible ideas we explored for the engagement activities included using playful and temporary methods, such as water-based paint or chalk, allowing the children to directly draw on their ideas onto their streets. We also considered activities that could better fit within the children’s school schedules. One option was to set a simple design task they could do over the Easter holidays where the children could draw and write on a simplified site plan of their street.

Overall, the aim is to keep the task open-ended and easy to understand for the age group, while still generating meaningful insights that can inform our design proposals.

Looking ahead, the next stages of the project will involve organising visits to the schools and implementing these engagements activities. The outcomes of this process will eventually be developed into individual design schemes for each school site.

Posted 24 Mar 2026 21:16

Group 19 / PHASE TWO

Sean S

24/03/2026

After a successful meeting last week, we met up to show off ideas and concepts to develop the Dandelion Community. The concepts ranged from a focus on heat and energy, to water, and to accommodating the neurodivergent users of our site, and how areas of the site can be redeveloped to improve the experience of the users of the site. Everyone brought many insightful ideas to the table, and all are to be considered and brought back to the collaborator to meet their needs for our project. As well as this, there was a successful meeting with our collaborator this morning, further refining our ideas and understanding of what Dandelion needs.

Posted 24 Mar 2026 19:03

Group 09 / COMMON GROUND

Joyce Z

The Research Round- 17/03/26

Today our team met up to discuss and review survey questions aiming to gather ideas and interests from students in Wigan for the youth club. We discussed how to design clear and engaging questions that would help us to understand what locals of Wigan would benefit from the space. We also took some time to research our site: St Nathaniel's Church, exploring its location, accessibility, facilities and potential to create a welcoming, safe environment for future youth activities.
With that being said...

Tickets booked...
Everyone on board...
Next stop... Wigan!

Stay tuned for our road trip :)

Posted 23 Mar 2026 19:56

Meeting 4

20.03.2026

During this meeting, the team discussed the framework for the engagement activity. All the brainstormed ideas from each member will be brought up in a meeting with Sonja and Mary who has agreed to help us with arranging a stall at the Market hall. We have set out three activities that will be arranged for the groups Sonja has contacted to attend on the day. We are hoping to book the 3rd April as it is a bank holiday and increased footfall could help with collecting information and data that could inform our proposal. The three activities loosely discussed are:

- Question Boards with sticky note ideas/participant contributions
- Paper folding combined with large scale printed floor plan and photography
- Floor plan annotations and illustrations, pin up massing activity

These ideas will be more detailed and tightened up with timing, equipment and members tasks on the day clearly defined following a meeting with the collaborators.

Posted 23 Mar 2026 13:46

Updated group timeline/programme

As a team, we grouped the task we need to upkeep as the weeks pass. Each task is to be completed by a certain point to ensure we get the needed feedback to inform the next stage of development. This activity was carried out by the First Year students, working collaboratively to set out a clear, concise and realistic timeline for us all to follow till the end.

Posted 23 Mar 2026 13:33