Our team is a collective of designers from diverse backgrounds, working together with a shared focus on thoughtful, human-centred architecture. We are interested in how space can intentionally shape experience and balance openness with privacy, and creating environments that support both community life and moments of quiet.

We believe architecture can create shelter beyond structure.

- Group 5

My name is Mohammed Meghraoua, I’m currently studying my MArch 1, Master of Architecture.

Coming from an Algerian and Bulgarian background and a family of artists, creativity and culture was always around me growing up. I think that’s what drew me towards architecture. It sits somewhere between art and reality. Architecture for me, lands at the intersection of structure and atmosphere. Influenced by both artistic roots and cultural duality, I’m drawn to spaces that feel intentional yet effortless, where it influences behaviour and emotion rather than just visual impact.

During my professional practice, I moved to Amsterdam, an experience that pushed me beyond familiarity and reshaped how I see both architecture and myself. Navigating a new cultural and design environment strengthened my independence and challenged me to adapt with curiosity and awareness.

Outside of architecture, photography is something I naturally return to. It’s just a way of paying closer attention. I enjoy documenting people and realities without overthinking them. That habit of observing with intuition influences how I think about design.

The MSA Live project appeals to me as it encourages thoughtful engagement with real communities and real responsibilities. I’m looking forward to growing through this collaboration.

3/2/2026

Today marked the beginning of our project journey. We came together for our first team meeting, introducing ourselves not just by name, but through what we each bring to the table — different strengths, ways of thinking, and creative instincts. From there, we carefully distributed roles based on these traits, setting a clear structure for how we’ll move forward collectively rather than as individuals.

Before meeting our collaborator, we carried out some initial site and contextual research to ground our ideas. The ambition is to transform the space beside Monton Unitarian Church into a vibrant social hub — somewhere that feels open, welcoming, and active. We envision community picnics spilling across the grass, outdoor cinema nights at dusk, and informal gatherings that strengthen neighbourhood connections.

Later, we had the privilege of meeting Anna, the Unitarian Minister. Her insights shifted our perspective beyond just designing a space — she spoke about care, inclusivity, and what community truly means in Monton. That conversation reframed the project for us. It became less about programming events and more about creating an atmosphere: somewhere people feel safe to gather, pause, and belong.

19/2/2026

Today we regrouped and reassessed where the project was heading. Rather than shifting away from the original brief, we made a conscious decision to refine it — grounding our ideas in clearer research and defining a more specific user focus. The aim was to strengthen our response to Monton Unitarian Church and its ethos of care and openness, while ensuring the proposed expansion of the community garden feels purposeful rather than generic.

To work more efficiently and avoid individual overload, we divided into smaller sub-groups, each responsible for a focused area of development. This allowed us to move forward with clarity and shared accountability.

We allocated the following strands:

Site Analysis – mapping the surrounding community and studying environmental conditions such as sunlight, prevailing winds, rainfall, noise, and orientation.

Defining Our Niche – identifying a specific user group to design for, ensuring the proposal feels intentional and socially responsive.

Precedent Studies – researching projects that thoughtfully expand or layer community gardens without losing their character.

Project Clarification – aligning as a team on what we are proposing, why it matters, and how it connects back to the brief.

Project Timeline – structuring our workflow and key milestones to keep momentum and accountability.

This meeting felt like a turning point — less about generating ideas, and more about sharpening them with purpose and direction.

3/3/2026

Todays session began on a strategic note. Before jumping into design, we sat down to carefully structure the framework around it — finalising and discussing the Budget, Risk Assessment, Ethics, and our Project Timeline. It was important for us to ground the project in reality, ensuring that our ideas are not only ambitious but responsible, feasible, and aligned with the values of Monton Unitarian Church.

As the conversation developed, it naturally transitioned into early design thinking. With clearer constraints of budgets and risk assessments and a direction in place, we began preparing material to pitch to the client.

Each of us brought forward relevant precedents, which we analysed collectively, asking how they support user wellbeing, encourage gathering, and create moments of retreat. We sharpened our focus on our chosen user group and considered how the proposal could reflect both the client’s ethos and the lived experiences of those we are designing for.

A major milestone for this session was the completion of our 3D site model. Having a digital base to work from allowed us to begin experimenting visually. Testing massing ideas, exploring spatial relationships, and conceptualising how our intervention might sit within the existing context. Moving between conversation, sketching, and modelling made the process feel dynamic and collaborative, marking the first real moment where our research began to translate into form.