Course: MArch 1
Atelier: CPU

Hi! I’m Batool, an MArch 1 Architecture student in the CPU atelier. With over a year in practice at Associated Architects in Birmingham, I worked on educational and community projects, developing a strong understanding of designing for specific users and, more importantly, designing around people, through DfE standards and SEND school design.

Community projects allowed me to explore accessibility, interiors, civic identity, working within existing contexts, and navigating council constraints and budgets - giving me a grounded understanding of practice beyond education.

That’s what draws me to the CPU atelier. Focusing on Complex Planning and Urbanism, we explore how large-scale urban conditions shape architectural decisions, using iterative and generative computational processes to create resilient, smart, and sustainable buildings that serve people at the urban scale.

MSA Live feels like the perfect bridge between practice and my Master’s - a chance to work with real clients, apply my academic and professional experience, and design something meaningful for Hyde Community Courts that genuinely supports its users and community.

Session 2 – Engagement activities and necessary documents!

In our second session, we focused on engagement activities and worked through some key documents. To keep things organised, each MArch1 student was given a task, supported by a BA1 or Foundation student. It worked really well - we were able to learn from each other’s strengths while keeping everything moving at a good pace.

The documentation included a Project Timeline, Ethics Application, Risk Assessment, and Budget Proposal. The budget task especially pushed us to think more creatively about engagement. We started brainstorming how we could make our activities interactive and enjoyable for the users of the site, particularly the kids at HYDE Community Courts.

This session helped us understand how much thought goes into planning meaningful engagement, and how important it is to design activities that people actually want to take part in when we head to site!

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.