Group 07
HART HAT CAFE

Hard Hat Cafe is a community-focused pop-up developed in collaboration with In-Situ, an embedded arts organisation in Pendle, East Lancashire. Responding to the demolition and redevelopment of Pendle Rise shopping centre in Nelson, the project proposes a temporary café and cultural hub that activates an underused site. Designed as a flexible, semi-permanent structure, it can be relocated after construction to continue supporting local enterprise, creative activity, and community life in Nelson.

Ai Jia Angelove L / Alika U / Euan E / Finlay J / Kiera M / Lily-Beth W / Mohammed R / Nafeesa A / Oliwia Z / Samira J / Yuxiang W

Ai Jia Angelove L
BA1

/Samira Junet
//I’m an international student from Kenya, and I chose to study Architecture because I’ve always been curious about the spaces around me and how they influence people and everyday life. Manchester felt like the perfect place to study, as it’s such a vibrant city with a strong sense of history and character that makes it inspiring to explore and learn from. Outside of architecture, my favourite thing to get at a café is a pain au chocolat.

/Kiera Manton
//I grew up in Manningtree, a small town in Essex, and I think that experiencing architecture in different places and seeing the impact these spaces have on people’s lives is what inspired me to study architecture. My favourite cafe is rise in Liverpool and my favourite drink to get would be a matcha or iced tea.

/Finlay Johnson
//I grew up in Ipswich, Suffolk, and I chose to study and pursue Architecture as a result of seeing the impact and change it can bring to communities. Outside of studies, my favourite cafe would be The arbour in Ipswich, my favourite drink being a cappuccino.

/Lily-Beth Witt
//I grew up in Peterborough, England and I think that visiting historical cities and Manor Houses and interacting with the architecture around the UK when I was younger is what inspired me to study architecture. My favourite thing to get at a cafe is a latte or a flat white.

/Alika Urmiyeva
//I grew up in both Kazakhstan and Russia, and throughout my life traveled and observed the architecture around the world. I was always inspired and fascinated by it, this why architecture was one of my first choices for a future career. My favorite cafe is in Moscow, it has the best cookies.
Posted 17 Feb 2026 16:34
Ai Jia Angelove L
MArch 1

/Euan Ellis
//I grew up in Ripon, North Yorkshire (almost in the middle of nowhere), and I think constant exposure to beautiful heritage buildings, fountains abbey in particular, is what led to my interest in architecture.
//My favourite cafe is Tiny Tiny in Newcastle, where a flat white and the huevos rancheros will sort you out on a Saturday morning!

/Nafeesa Ayorinde
//I grew up in Leicester, East Midlands, and my first inclination to building design was actually through the video game Sims 3! Instead of playing the actual game, I was obsessed with designing the houses which sparked my interest in architecture as a career.
//My favourite cafe is Junction in Manchester, their truffle fries are banging!

/Mohammed Rahat
//I’m an architectural professional who cares about how buildings affect people and everyday life. I’m interested in how cities grow and how good design, at any scale, can make a real difference. Alongside my work in architecture, I’ve been involved in my local community since the age of 11 through kickboxing, starting as a student and later teaching my own classes. That experience taught me discipline, confidence, and the importance of giving back. I enjoy working with others, learning on the job, and turning ideas into well-built, thoughtful spaces that have a positive impact.

/Oliwia Żytowiecka
//I’m from Poland and grew up in a very touristy coastal town. I think my interest in architecture began when I saw many beautiful old buildings being demolished to make way for new developments, which gradually caused the town to lose its character. At the same time, I was surrounded by a sense of nostalgia from older residents, who often spoke about how special and beautiful the town used to be - a version of it that I unfortunately never experienced myself. That contrast between memory and reality of what has been lost made me more aware of how the built environment shapes identity and belonging. On a lighter note, another huge influence was playing The Sims!
//My favourite café is my close friend’s family’s restaurant, where I’m always greeted with a new coffee or tea to try!
Posted 17 Feb 2026 16:37
Ai Jia Angelove L
MAAR

/Angelove Lee
//I’m from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, but I’ve moved around quite a bit - studying in Shenzhen and London. Being immersed in different cities, buildings, and people shaped how I think about architecture, pushing me toward a more functional and rational approach focused on improving urban issues and everyday spatial experience.
//My favourite thing to get in a cafe is a fruity, acidic, medium-roast filter coffee, or a matcha or fresh juice, depending on the day.

/Wang YuXiang
//I grew up in Weihai, Shandong, China. My path to architecture was shaped by a dual passion: I have loved painting since childhood, but I am equally fascinated by the logic of mathematics and physics. During my studies at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, I realized that architecture is the perfect discipline to bridge these interests - it is where artistic sensibility meets scientific rationality.
//My favourite thing to get in a cafe is a classic Iced Latte. I don't have a specific go-to spot, but an Iced Latte is my consistent choice no matter where I am.
Posted 17 Feb 2026 16:40
Euan E
9 Strangers in a room

Our first meeting on Tuesday, 3rd February, involved discussing potential project names, developing initial poster ideas, and just breaking the ice. Hard Hat Café was the brilliant outcome raised by Samira, with no help at all from ChatGPT. As excited as we were to meet the collaborator, unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances delayed our initial discussions.

The poster team produced a strong range of drafts, and we collectively decided to move forward with Yuxiang’s idea, which emphasised our group’s design intent. We discussed visiting the site, and although we would ideally all like to go, Pendle (East Lancashire) is too far for us each to take the venture out (we’re thinking of sending a small strike team instead).

Since the meeting, Michael from In-Situ has reached out and helped to communicate their expectations, and we’re excited to meet him in person after the February half-term.
Posted 17 Feb 2026 16:51
Ai Jia Angelove L
In-Situ: This is Nelson

Our collaborator, In-Situ, is a “quietly radical, embedded arts organisation” based north of Manchester in the borough of Pendle in East Lancashire. Working at the overlap of art, community and ecology to produce locally relevant work that makes a tangible difference to everyday life. One of their programmes, This Is Nelson, is working specifically with the community of Nelson to enhance locals' experiences of the town centre.

With Pendle Rise shopping centre in Nelson due to be demolished and rebuilt over the next couple of years, Hard Hat Cafe is imagined as a pop-up structure that can support a small food/drink business while also operating as a container for cultural activity, a flexible hub for creative events and community-led programming in the town centre during a period of transition. In that sense, it’s not just a cafe, it’s a way of reimagining how temporary structures and everyday rituals can support creative learning, encourage intercultural dialogue, and contribute to social and economic change, potentially even evolving into a longer-term fixture after redevelopment.
Posted 3 Mar 2026 16:23
Euan E
Minecraft Soundtrack = Creative Mode

Week 2 was us sharing vibes and brainstorming for the less glamorous but very necessary bit: getting the project properly organised. We split into smaller teams to tackle different tasks (planning, timeline, ethics, engagement, risk, and budget), then kept regrouping to compare notes and make sure we weren’t all quietly building different versions of the same project.

We also pushed the design forward and wrapped up the posters. Working in mini groups helped us move faster, but the best part was coming back together to review them as a whole team; lots of debates, a few ruthless cuts, and a shared agreement that clarity wins (even if we were emotionally attached to certain layouts).

In parallel, we started properly sharing design references and early ideas, building a quick inspiration board, swapping case studies, and throwing around thoughts on temporary/lightweight/movable structures. Nothing too precious yet, but enough to get everyone on the same page and start shaping a shared visual direction.
Posted 3 Mar 2026 17:12