Welcome to 2021/22

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Hello and welcome to new and returning students!

This year we hope to return to some level of normality for your workshop access with some changes following the easing of lockdown rules. Many students last year commented that they benefitted from having discussions before they attended the workshop so we’ve decided to retain their aspect of the general access procedure. In short, if you want advice or access please get in touch here.

Work spaces will be limited to pre booked spaces via the aforementioned link. You can still ask for advice in person but booking for workspace is advised.

Covid precautions

Whilst there is some signs of general improvement to the pandemic situation we strongly recommend wearing face masks whilst working in the workshop. This is a curtesy to others as much as additional protection for yourself. Please remember to sanitise/hand wash before beginning to work and throughout your session.

Social distancing for general working is also advised and markers are positioned at designated workspaces as a reminder.

New printer

Earlier in the summer we took delivery of a new FDM 3D printer, the Stratasys F370. This new FDM offers a larger build area and wider range of materials to choose from and is cheaper to run than our previous FDM. Get in touch to find out more if you think this may have a use in your project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Intro video

New starters should have received a link to this video giving an overview of Modelmaking and technical resources available to MSA students across MMU/UoM. If you missed it here it is:

Getting started with us

As stated in the video please get in touch via the tutorial request link to discuss your projects and book time in the workshop.

You can come to the workshop for in person advice but we can’t guarantee we’ll be free to chat so recommend using the tutorial link to speak when you want to get started.

Familiarise yourself with the Workshop Health and Safety guidelines in this handbook.

Starter tools and materials – 4D Modelshop

We recommend equipping yourselves with basic tools and materials to enable sketch modelling from home and in your future model making projects whilst studying architecture. We have an arrangement with 4D Modelshop who supply a wide range of tools and materials to the professional model makers in the UK and beyond. Register for your MSA student discount and find the recommended items on their dedicated MSA Page here: 

Hopefully this year will be kinder to us all. We look forward to seeing you soon to start making!

Scott & Saul @ B.15

MSA Students Workshop Feedback Survey

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Hi All,

Hope you’re keeping well wherever you are!

As we look forward to the next academic year we’ve been asked to gather some feedback about how workshop services have continued since the pandemic changed everything for us.

We would be grateful if you would take a few minutes to fill out this short survey here or below to allow us to assess what has worked that you have enjoyed and any suggestions for what we might change going forward.

I appreciate this isn’t the most enjoyable task but it helps us plan for the coming year and beyond – your opinions are essential!

Thanks in advance!

Scott & Saul @ B.15

 

B.15 Modelmaking Awards 2021 – Winners!

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Hi all,

It goes without saying this has been a challenging year for everyone which makes it all the more rewarding to be able to celebrate the fantastic range of modelmaking work MSA students have been able to produce. Over 50 students submitted work to be judged by experts modelmaker/architects from our collaborators.

Judging was as always a fun process and it was difficult to come to final conclusions with all parties praising the varied work.

“It was refreshing to see a completely different approach to materiality because of the situation. Compared to previous years the lack of 3D printing and less laser cutting was refreshing to see that the use of these means that were there were really well thought out along with a lot of recycled materials being used. A great focus on what can I find to use as opposed to overuse of expensive materials and processes – Super Positive considering the tough situation we’ve all been in.”

– Phillipa Seagrave, Modelmaker at Bjarke Ingels Group

It was decided that there would be 4 equal prizes, one per judging party.

Through a collective agreement the 4 winners are as follows:

Saul Bunyan BA3

Matthew Meeson MArch1

Dan Warren & Mona Tamaru MArch2

Patrick Davies MArch2

Judges from our collaborators were as follows:

SimpsonHaugh: Kaia Williams and Kristin Mishra

HENN: Peter Lee, Oliver Koch & Lando Schumpich

Bjarke Ingels Group: Phillipa Seagrave, Paula Gonzalez & Artemis Antonopoulou

 

Thank you all for making this a continued success and congratulations to our winners!

 

Take care, Scott & Saul @ B.15

B.15 Modelmaking Awards Submissions Document

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Hi All,

The full submissions document for this years B.15 Modelmaking Awards can now be found here.

Judging has now taken place will representatives from Bjarke Ingels Group, SimpsonHaugh and HENN and the winners will be announced at the all school awards online presentation event on June 18th.

This was once again a very difficult process and all parties were very impressed with the quality of the projects given the difficult year everybody has had. All students should be very proud of their efforts and we look forward to working with you all again in future!

Scott, Saul and our collaborators

B.15 MODELMAKING AWARDS 2021

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We’re very pleased to announce our annual awards will go ahead and that we’ll be joined again by the fantastic international panel consisting of representatives from: SimpsonHaugh (Manchester), HENN (Berlin) and Bjarke Ingels Group (Copenhagen).

These awards are open to all students across all years of BA & MArch and we encourage anybody with modelmaking from studio/design work this academic year to submit.

Your work will be viewed by representatives from the collaborating practices and the resulting winners presented on June 18th at an all school event (link TBC).

What are we looking for? 

Any individual or group projects where modelmaking has been used to explore, develop or present your studio work, whatever it is and whatever it is made from, if it’s a model that helped you tell the story of your project it’s worthy of submission!

What to you need to do and when?

Submissions must follow the format as provided in the InDesign template that you can download below. You must stick to the formatting of this page to maintain consistency in the submissions document. That includes the font which is also included in the download link.

Have a look at last years submissions here as an example of how to lay out your work.

Key Criteria for your submission:

• Maximum 350 Words in the main body of text explaining:
a) Your project in brief, What was the purpose of your model(s)?
b) Your use of modelmaking at home/the workshop: scale, material and processes that you have used and why.

• Place 3 to 6 images of your modelmaking work (over the 2 pages) in its completed state these can include process images. Use captions to explain image content as shown in the example document.

• Models may have been completed from home, on campus, or a mix of both. Please clearly explain this whatever the case.

• Text should be in Effra Font (file included if you don’t have it on your computer) Size 10

• 2 x A4 pages only

• Saved as a 2 Page PDF

If your submission does not conform to these guidelines it will not be included in the final document for judging.

Please submit your work by downloading this pack

These must be submitted to scott.miller@manchester.ac.uk by 10.00am UK Time on Tuesday June 1st.

Good luck to everyone and well done getting through this year!

Scott and Saul @ B15

Guest Lecture: Dr Dawn Pereira – Concrete Too is Beautiful….

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To give it it’s full title, ‘Concrete Too is Beautiful; How William Mitchell’s Casting Process Humanised Post-war Urban Landscapes’ will be presented by Dr Dawn Pereira next Monday, April 12th at 17.00.

The lecture will look at the fascinating abstract work of designer/sculptor William Mitchell (1925 – 2020) who is known, although certainly not well enough, for his use of concrete casting around infrastructure, in architecture and as public artworks in the UK and beyond.

Dr Dawn Pereira is an expert on Mitchells works and will tell the story of his origins, evolution and crafting process. The lecture will be followed by an open Q & A.

This lecture is part of the ‘B.15 Moulding and Casting 101’ course but is free and open to all.

Please join us here on Zoom at 17.00 on Monday April 12th.

Note that the lecture will be recorded.

Image of Leigh Turnpike Centre provided by Richard Brook.

Easter Break 2021: ‘B.15 Moulding and Casting 101’ Short-course

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*******************THIS COURSE IS NOW FULLY SUBSCRIBED***************************

Dear MSA Students

We’re pleased to bring to you an open-ended short course in moulding and casting basics. This course is designed to let you take part in the process of basic relief casting over 3 practical stages from home, and in person at B.15 when safe to do so.

Due to the current restrictions and widespread locations of you all we are offering the course in a blended format, part remotely and part completed in person when circumstances allow. With this in mind we are asking those who are interested to fill out their details to apply to take part.

The course will start on 12th April 2021 with an introduction and guest lecture followed by a series of drop-in sessions. These will include a CPD with Jesmonite, zoom drop-in’s and pre-booked controlled workshop access either during the two week course delivery time or later when you are able to be in the city.

Students will learn how to carry out the following: 

  • Design a relief form suitable for block-moulding using silicone. 
  • Design formwork for a one-use block-mould using greyboard.  
  • Mix and pour Silicone.  
  • Mix and pour a casting medium (Plaster, Jesmonite, Concrete or all 3). 

The course is open to MSA BA, MArch and MA A+U Students and is limited in capacity so sign up soon to avoid disappointment.

*******************THIS COURSE IS NOW FULLY SUBSCRIBED***************************

The course is free although some materials/tool purchases may be required for home working, individual circumstance pending. Full details will be provided after your application is complete.

Your application will be reviewed and if necessary we’ll be in touch to clarify your situation before offering you a place.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Scott & Saul

Upcoming Easter Break Opening Times

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Hi all,

Just a quick message about opening times in the coming weeks. B.15 will be open for booked access until March 31st.

There will be no access between 1st and 11th April when the workshop will be closed.

Controlled access will resume from April 12th where all access will take place via the tutorial request process as has become the norm this year.

Look forward to hearing from you soon, Scott & Saul

 

 

‘Why Do We Make Models?’ Provocations 12 with Liz Hallam and Roz Barr

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****** Update: The full presentations/discussion can be viewed online here – Look for Provocation 12 on the video feed: https://mmutube.mmu.ac.uk/playlist/dedicated/1_chgu2yyl/1_j1anpveo ******
Scott will be joining the discussion for MSA Provocations 12 on March 18th 2021. Full release below:
Provocation 12 : 
 
Why Do We Make Models?
 
Scott Miller of the B.15 Modelmaking Workshop and Ray Lucas (Head of Humanities) will be co-discussants, framing a discussion between our two speakers:
 
​​Liz Hallam is Associate Professor in Visual, Material & Museum Anthropology and Fellow of St Peter’s College, Oxford. Hallam’s work focuses on the anthropology of the body and three-dimensional models, especially in medical education.
​
Hallam’s work examines three-dimensional models of human anatomy, c.1850 to the present, especially in terms of their design, making and use in medical education. This focuses on the social relations of models, their changing materials and forms, how they are created and disseminated, and the kinds of knowledge they generate. I have explored some these of issues as a guest curator of the exhibition Designing Bodies: Models of Human Anatomy from 1945 to Now, at the Royal College of Surgeons of England (2015-16, funded by the RCS and the Henry Moore Foundation), and in a co-edited book Medical Museums: Past, Present, Future (with Sam Alberti), which brings together work by curators, researchers, and photographers in Europe and the USA.
 
Roz Barr is Director and founder of Roz Barr Architects, a London based architectural studio with a commitment to the careful crafting of architectural solutions through a process of making. We are dedicated to producing high-quality and inventive designs – not as a means of producing architectural ‘statements’ as such, but through a belief that the ability to produce innovative and beautiful work emerges from the interplay between content, context, and a sensitivity towards client requirements.
 
An in-house workshop allows us to create hand crafted models and other three dimensional material throughout the design process to explore our design ambition and demonstrate our thinking. We are a design-led practice, and we enjoy this process – a fact that is conveyed in the rigorous level of detail and research invested in all of our projects.
 
​Our two discussants are:
 
Scott Miller is a technician at the B.15 Modelmaking Workshop at MSA. He has worked as a freelance modelmaker on architectural, commercial and display models and in exhibition design & construction. Miller’s interests lie in the preservation, theory and promotion of modelmaking in design education. 
 
Ray Lucas is Head of Humanities at MSA and is interested in the means by which architectural knowledge is produced; whilst most of this research is into architectural drawing, he is working on a chapter for Liz Hallam’s forthcoming book 3D Modelling with Scott Miller & Jim Backhouse as co-authors.
 
As always, we shall convene between 17.15 and 18.30 on Thursday evening. 
​
 
Recordings of past Provocations are available at:
 
 
We look forward to seeing you there.
 
Kindest regards,
 
The Provocations team
****** Update: The full presentations/discussion can be viewed online here – Look for Provocation 12 on the video feed: https://mmutube.mmu.ac.uk/playlist/dedicated/1_chgu2yyl/1_j1anpveo ******