Group 34
CYAN+

Cyan+ is a collaborative project with Manchester’s Cyan Lines. An initiative that aims to create over 100 miles of interconnected parks, green spaces, rivers, canals, and waterfront routes across Manchester and Salford, forming a continuous network of “green and blue” corridors woven through the urban fabric. The project aims to explore and develop an expansion upon the established CyanLine that currently ends at Whitworth Park, creating a corridor through to Platt Fields Park. The corridor aims to form a safe and accessible link between the two parks, improving connectivity around the city while also regenerating the areas it passes through.

Carla H / Cynthia E / Daniel B / Hui Ling B / Liesje Amelie K / Onur C / Sion L / Varsha TS / Vidhi U / William C

Varsha TS
Hello! We are thrilled to introduce ourselves as the team behind Cyan+. We're collaborating with Steve Connor and Meghan Brown from CyanLines, creating over 100 miles of interconnected green and blue corridors across Manchester and Salford, linking parks, rivers, canals, and regeneration sites with walkways, public art, SuDS, and climate-resilient interventions for safer active travel.
​We're eager to dive in, exploring creative ideas for positive community impact. In Session 1, we kicked off with an icebreaker, sharing architectural passions and backgrounds, then gained invaluable insights from our partners on advancing the project. Excitement builds as we progress with Cyan+ from Fallowfield to Whitworth Park!
Posted 16 Feb 2026 15:51
Liesje Amelie K
Hi, I’m Liesje, I’m a BA1 Architecture student here at MSA. I am thoroughly enjoying the experience so far, particularly when progressing my initial ideas into workable concepts.
I’m looking forward to developing a new skill set through the work I do during MSA live, and I think that Cyan+ is the perfect opportunity to achieve this.
Posted 16 Feb 2026 20:23
Sion L
My name is Siôn, an MArch 1 student in the Some Kind of Nature atelier. I am driven by socially and environmentally sustainable design that supports the user's well-being. I studied my undergraduate degree at the MSA and spent my year out with Sheppard Robson's Manchester office, where I developed strong technical, creative, and collaborative skills that enable me to deliver thoughtful, impactful architectural work.
Posted 16 Feb 2026 20:48
Onur C
Hi, I am Onur, I am a BA1 Architecture student. I am happy to be in a project trying to increase connection to nature throughout the city as I believe it is something that makes Manchester a better place for everone. I love the opportunity to work with CyanLines and I am exited for Cyan+, my first contribution for a project with a chance of actually becoming reality.
Posted 16 Feb 2026 22:25
Vidhi U
My name is Vidhi, I am in the Architecture Foundation year. I am drawn to thoughtful, human-focused design, and working on the MSA live project looking at Cyan Lines has been particularly exciting allowing me to explore ideas of movement, connection, and the subtle layers that exist within spaces, while developing my curiosity for meaningful and engaging design.
Posted 16 Feb 2026 22:53
Daniel B
Hey, I’m Daniel, I’m a first year Architecture student at MSA. I’m loving my studies so far particularly seeing how architecture can adapt and improve the world around me, Cyan+ is the perfect hands-on opportunity to develop these skills and see more green space where I live in fallowfield.
Posted 16 Feb 2026 23:01
Cynthia E
Hi, I’m Cynthia— M.Arch 1 student in the Non-Standard Habitats atelier. With a B.Arch from India and a background in multi-scalar design practice, I’m now designing my next chapter at MSA. I’m passionate about the synergy between natural landscapes and the built form, and I’m here to explore and experiment with the unwritten potential of urban ecologies through Cyan+ at MSA Live 26.
Posted 16 Feb 2026 23:22
Carla H
My name is Carla Henderson, a first-year undergraduate student at MSA from Cambridge. My drive for architecture is in exploring the psychology of space and understanding how design decisions shape human experience. Alongside this, I'm interested in the technical side of architecture, including its technological, economic, and mathematical aspects. Working on Cyan+ with CyanLines to connect Manchester's green and blue spaces is an exciting opportunity. The project promotes meaningful interaction between people, nature, and Manchester, while contributing to a more sustainable and environmentally conscious city. I am excited to contribute to this project and collaborate with our team.
Posted 17 Feb 2026 09:57
Hui Ling B
Hi, I’m Hui Ling, a MArch 1 student at Manchester School of Architecture. I’m interested in how architecture links ecology, infrastructure and people at a city scale. CyanLines resonates with me because it treats the city as a network rather than isolated sites. I’m keen to explore how green and blue infrastructure can move beyond concept and become spatially precise, resilient and socially meaningful.
Posted 17 Feb 2026 11:15
William C
Name: William Cooper

Course: BArch 1

Hey, I’m Will from Warrington and this is my first year at the MSA. I am very grateful to be able to contribute to a project that collaborates with Cyan Lines, which is such a great initiative. I have a keen interest in designing with nature in architecture, as a unifying force that brings communities together, which is why I chose this project. The collaborative process will be valuable experience for me, and I look forward to seeing how the project will shape out.
Posted 17 Feb 2026 14:05
Varsha TS
I’m Varsha, a first-year MArch student in the Infrastructure atelier. I completed my Bachelor’s in Architecture in Bangalore, India and have trained in a professional studio practice. I believe architecture must harmonize with its context while embracing new technologies, materials and societal needs. I’m especially interested in how the art of architecture can be meaningfully expressed and exhibited in built form. I’m excited to work on the Cyan+ project through MSA Live, exploring the potential of architecture to mediate between built and natural systems, strengthening the continuity of green and blue corridors.
Posted 18 Feb 2026 18:06
Carla H
During our meeting today, we had a doughnut birthday party! This was to celebrate the birthdays of three of our team members. As we continue our MSA Live journey, these moments of team bonding help to keep our motivated and relaxed meetings.
Posted 3 Mar 2026 15:27
Liesje Amelie K
As a group we went out on a site exploration, following a suggested route that we developed for our project. Starting by Platt Fields Pond, we walked through the park, chatting and making note of the surrounding environment. We then walked through Rusholme, passing multiple green spaces and noting their clear potential, while also acknowledging drawbacks and how to tackle them. Our walking route ended in Whitworth park, and we then continued to the MTC to consolidate our thoughts and findings. It was a lovely way to both generate ideas from the site, and interact with each other more after our first meeting. This was a very valuable day!
Posted 17 Mar 2026 15:51
Liesje Amelie K
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
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
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
Liesje Amelie K
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
Liesje Amelie K
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
Liesje Amelie K
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
Liesje Amelie K
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
Liesje Amelie K
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
Liesje Amelie K
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
Liesje Amelie K
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
Liesje Amelie K
In session 3 of the intensive week we continued individually working on content for the publication. Frequently checking in with each other and evaluating work, finding strengths and improvements to develop upon. Everyone worked hard on their own task, working within their own strengths, helping others out and striving to get work done. We met at the end of the day and went through the publication and presentation so far, discussing what still needed to be done and making a comprehensive to-do list. It was a good way to gauge where we were as a group and to be able to get collaborative input on what was left to do on the final day of the intensive week.
Posted 13 May 2026 16:03
Carla H
Our final intensive week session before the presentation required our team to work together efficiently and patiently. Today, we finalised our publication document and presentation for hand-in. We spent the day identifying gaps in the documents and adding final edits to our designs agreed by the whole team. The day ended with a final run through of our presentation, with notes taken and scripts prepared. Finally, we took a team photograph on one of the CyanLines projects next to Symphony Park as a project wrap-up memory.
Posted 14 May 2026 16:41