B.15 Access Update

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Hi All,

We please to relay that we are now in a position to allow MSA Students who have projects that require specific use of the workshop, in-person access to B.15 from Monday 15th March.

As before all students wanting to make a model should get in touch to discuss their requirements via the tutorial request form. You will then be allocated a time slot to talk through your ideas and only if required, a time to attend the workshop.

Covid-safe precautions are in place and the agreed procedures mean that only those with specific need can access the space with consent of the technical staff.

For all students in Manchester or elsewhere, the conversation starts here so please get in touch and we’ll do our best to help you out whatever your circumstances are!

Hope to hear from you soon, Scott & Saul

Submit your questions for Artist David Umemoto

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We’re excited to present an opportunity to put your questions to concrete casting artist David Umemoto for a pre-recorded video interview to be released via our blog exclusively for MSA staff and students.

David’s work immediately draws our mind to brutalist architecture of the 20th century but it goes much further taking inspiration from ancient cave dwellings, monuments and the changing forms of space represented through both positive and negative volume. How are these forms developed, where does he start with a project and in turn creating such complex formwork for casting? Whatever you’re curiosity about this work, be it the process or inspiration, David has kindly agreed to take some time to answer your questions in a pre-recorded interview.

Take advantage of this great opportunity to understand more about this captivating form of spatial representation. You can find more of David’s work on his website here and via his Instagram account here.

Submit your questions here by the end of Friday March 12th.

These will then be delivered in a privately recorded video interview before being made available to staff and students on our blog soon after.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Scott and Saul

Guest Lecture: Ellie Sampson – Paper and Patience: Modelmaking at Home and in Practice

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In the very strange COVID world we find ourselves, the need to keep a balanced life is essential for wellbeing. One way that we of course fully support is to turn some of your design work away from the wormhole of screen based life to engage in some practical learning by making, quite literally with the human touch.

As a continuation of our B.15:50 events that should have taken place last year we’re pleased to welcome Ellie Sampson to MSA to discuss her work as an in independent paper modelmaker and her role as modelmaker/workshop manager at Haworth Tompkins Architects. Ellie’s work has become well known across social media with examples appearing across all platforms with their familiar, hand-crafted colourful styling.

The event was open to all and took place on February 1st at 17.15 via Zoom.

Thanks to all who were able to join us to see more of Ellie’s work and hear about the methodology for this eye catching modelling style followed by an open Q & A. The recorded event is now available below for those who missed it or couldn’t make the full session.

Video 1: Main Presentation by Ellie Sampson

Video 2: Q & A with Ellie Sampson

 

2021 Update – Request Your Remote Tutorials!

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Happy New Year to everyone and here’s to a much better one than that last!

Unfortunately once again we’re in a lockdown situation and have been forced to stop all in person access to B.15 for the next few weeks/months as guidance allows.

This is of course not ideal but as was proved last year with your fantastic efforts, if you want to apply modelmaking to your design development and presentation work at MSA there is absolutely a way and we’re here to support you in any way we can whatever your individual circumstance.

Please use this form to get in touch and request a tutorial.

We’re here to help you make the best of this difficult situation and look forward to discussing your projects whenever you’re ready to get going.

Stay safe, Scott & Saul

Welcome to 2020/21 at B.15

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Hello all and welcome to an unusual new year at MSA/B.15!

We hope you’re all keeping well and looking after yourselves wherever you are in the world. Back in March I’m not sure anybody could have predicted the situation we find ourselves in now but here we are. So what’s new for this year?

Socially distanced work spaces in B.15

 

General Access & Tutorial Process

Due to the restrictions on everybody right now there are a number of changes to how you can access our time and the resource on campus. We’re still working on the best method to make this work but the general principle for starting work will be as follows.

When the time comes that you want to start making a model for your project and you’d like some advice these are the steps that you’ll need to follow:

  1. Request a remote tutorial. This is currently done via this form but we are looking at changing this in the near future.
  2. After you are allocated a tutorial slot we will discuss your project ideas and determine if you need workshop access. If not we can continue to support you through further catch-up tutorials as requested.
  3. If you do need to attend the workshop you will be directed to a video induction or two depending on your year group and if you are a returning student or new.
  4. You will be allocated a date and time to attend the workshop to carry out your modelmaking tasks.
  5. Further discussion or workshop time should be agreed remotely via email or video conferencing when additional times will be allocated as required.

Procedural changes that must be followed are explained in detail as part of the induction videos that you will be directed to.

Workshop access is strictly by appointment only to reduce social contact. You will not be allowed to enter or discuss projects with staff if you have not followed the above procedure to gain access.

Modelmaking at home

When the lockdown first came into force many people thought it meant an end to modelmaking for everyone. The thought never occurred to us and we set out to prove that if you want to use models in your work, no matter what your circumstance, we’re here to help guide you to the best result we can whatever your circumstance.

Remember that we don’t engage in the act of modelmaking exclusively for the interaction with machines, tools or equipment. We make models to explore our ideas in physical form and communicate the results. With that in mind you should have no reason to stop making. It’s often very surprising what can be achieved using whatever you have to hand. I will be sharing a step by step guide soon showing how I made a facade model from soft modelling materials all from the comfort of my home dining table.

First years – Look out for a message from your head of year for your scalpel inductions! Following that you will be receiving tool kits to get you started over the coming weeks and we’ll be happy to help you get going with your projects when we meet you in your first tutorials.

If you missed my intro video in induction week you can have a watch here:

 

If you want to see what can be achieved just look at the fantastic submissions that were put forward for the B.15 AT HOME awards back in June.

Isobel Currie 1:100 site model entirely home made

Saul, Jim and Scott on Jim’s Last Day at B.15

Staffing changes

Some of you may have seen via our social media that Jim Backhouse has decided to take a well deserved change of pace and has left as manager after 25 years! The fun that we’ve had over the years here is impossible to measure and it’s going to be very strange without Jim around. We miss you already Jim.

That leaves me (Scott) and Saul to assist with your modelmaking needs for the foreseeable future which we’ll be making every effort to support.

Over at MMU there is also new Tech+ team member Peter Powell who will be assisting with some of your studio projects.

Without a doubt things are going to take some getting used to but we want to assure you that we’re here to support you with as much modelmaking support as we can offer.

Can’t wait to meet/carry on working with you all again.

Welcome back!

Scott & Saul

B.15 AT HOME AWARDS WINNERS

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Following a great discussion from the judges and the winners presentation on June 26th we are excited to share the winning projects from the B.15 AT HOME Awards 2020. Click on the students name to view their submissions in full.

ALICIA DESMAY-HERNANDEZ – BA3 Continuity in Architecture

RUBEN GREYSON – BA1 

ISOBEL CURRIE – BA3 Continuity in Architecture 

LORNA LOVATT – MArch Y6 Urban Spatial Experimentation

 

A huge thank you again to our collaborators Peter Lee & Oliver Koch at HENN Berlin, Kristin Mishra & Kaia Williams at SimpsonHaugh Manchester and Artemis Antonopoulou & Phillipa Seagrave at Bjarke Ingels Group Copenhagen.

We can’t stress enough how great the submissions have been under such unusual circumstances and we’d like to congratulate everybody who submitted work. You should all be very proud of your efforts.

The full submissions document can be viewed or downloaded here.

 

And don’t forget the full MSA Degree show will be online for the next year displaying the full range of work from across the school.

Stay safe and look after yourselves. Hope to catch up in person soon,

Jim, Scott & Saul @B15WORKSHOP

 

WHAT WE DO HERE – YouTube PREMIERE

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Back in 2018 two documentary film makers spent the 17/18 academic year capturing what goes on here in B.15 to describe, as the title suggests, WHAT WE DO HERE. The film explores the different workshop users to present a snapshot of how this 50 year old part of the Manchester School of Architecture is put through it’s paces by Students, Technical and Academic Staff.

The film premiered as part of the Venice Biennale and featured in the European Cultural Centre ‘TIME SPACE EXISTENCE’ Exhibition for the duration of the much celebrated event.

After featuring in several international film festivals and winning two awards we are excited to make the film available just under 2 years after it’s original release and in our 50th year.

We look forward to resuming modelmaking work with you all in the coming academic year whatever the circumstances may be!

Stay safe and enjoy the film!

Scott, Jim and Saul

 

B.15 AT HOME AWARDS – Student Submissions

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After a challenging few months since the lockdown began it was great to see such a range of submissions for our slightly unusual award scheme this year. Everyone should be extremely proud of their efforts to keep a practical element to their design development and presentation from home.

Please congratulate yourselves and colleagues for this fantastic work!

>>>>The full submissions document can be viewed and downloaded here<<<<<

HENN Representatives, Oliver Koch and Peter Lee looking at the submissions in detail.

Modelmakers Assemble: The different judges and B.15 staff met to discuss their verdicts.

Submissions were independently judged by representatives from SimpsonHaugh, Bjarke Ingels Group and HENN last week following the submission deadline with a final discussion on Friday June 5th.

The winners will be announced as part of the MSA collective school prize giving event, date and time TBC within in the coming weeks.

For their time and expertise we would like to thank Peter Lee & Oliver Koch at HENN Berlin, Kristin Mishra & Kaia Williams at SimpsonHaugh Manchester and Artemis Antonopoulou & Phillipa Seagrave at Bjarke Ingels Group Copenhagen.

The full MSA 2020 Show will be online from Friday June 12th here.

Take care all,

Scott, Jim & Saul

B.15 AT HOME AWARDS 2020

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We’re excited to announce a new awards scheme for this year open to all MSA students. This new scheme will award the hard work of students who have continued to use modelmaking in their design work during the ongoing lockdown situation.
With students spread across the world at a time when we would normally celebrate the culmination of everybody’s hard work together, it seemed fitting that the work be judged internationally as well.

The panel will consist of representatives from the following practices:

SimpsonHaugh (Manchester, UK)

Bjarke Ingles Group (Copenhagen, Denmark)

HENN (Berlin, Germany)

Each practice will receive the list of submissions and, based on the criteria as explained below, choose their pick from this years home-made projects.
Judges will be looking for a clear explanation for the model(s) role in your design work, The methods and materials you have used and how well they are presented/photographed.

How to submit your work

In order to have your work judged you must use the InDesign template included in the link below. Refer to the example page included in the download pack for an insight into the content that might feature in your submission. Be honest about the situation by concisely explaining your practical limitations and how you chose to overcome them.

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: 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 should have been completed from home but can include elements produced before the campus closure, please clearly explain if this is the case, how elements were produced.

• 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

Once completed please submit your pages saved as PDF back to scott.miller@manchester.ac.uk no later than 12.00 (UK) Tuesday June 2nd 2020

There will be three awards with the winners announced on June 5th in conjunction with the launch of the MSA Digital Show.

This is a unique opportunity to have your work seen by representatives of these internationally successful practices so don’t hesitate to submit your work.

The range of practical work produced over the last 8 weeks deserves to be recognised so we’re pleased to be able to present this platform to enable that to happen. Good luck and we encourage everybody who has taken the time to make models since campus closure to take part!

Jim, Scott & Saul

MSA Campus closure and the road ahead for 2020

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It’s been a strange few weeks.

You should by now by fully aware that we have shifted to remote teaching across MSA including all in-workshop activities from B.15. This has and continues to present new challenges for us all but the school is fully committed to ensuring your degrees are delivered this year as planned.

Due to an IT issue during the huge remote switch-over that has occurred here we have only just been able to access our blog page meaning these updates are a bit later than planned. Anyway, here goes…

Modelmaking From Home

If you cast your mind back to your induction with us one of the key messages has always been to equip yourselves for every eventuality when it comes to modelmaking and this instance demonstrates why that point is so important. Many of you have already expressed disappointment that you may not be able to complete ‘presentation’ models of your projects because you cant access the workshop. This is simply not true.

Modelmaking is a tool for exploration and not exclusively tied to the workshop environment and we strongly believe that you can achieve great results through exploration without the need for great expense or constant workshop access. We can all adapt and we’re here to help you do so.

A presentation model is a representation of your finished idea that is resolved or at least a snapshot of your design work to that date. This doesn’t limit itself to any particular machine, tool or material but takes its ‘presentation’ status from the quality of the design that it portrays and the consideration for the way it is put together. Be resourceful and don’t limit yourself to machines or a single medium as a means of getting your ideas across. Your hand making skills can be just as effective. Be patient and experiment with different soft modelling materials you may have. observe how they work or don’t work to your advantage and present your findings as they are. Mistakes are just steps towards more resolved pieces and should be embraced as being absolutely necessary.

Tutorials to help with Modelmaking from Home

Over the last week and a half we have been running remote tutorials for anyone wanting to produce models from home. These have covered anything to do with this field in terms of theory, technical questions, tools/materials questions and recommendations and general concerns that quite naturally, many of you have.

Thank you to everyone who’s signed up and shared their ideas with us. It’s encouraging to see that you’re willing to adapt to the situation and see what we can come up with.

If you would like to speak with us about any ideas you have or how you might adapt your original plans please get in touch via email or using the Moodle form which can be found on this post on the main announcements page (you need to be logged into Moodle: https://moodle.mmu.ac.uk/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=502741

Getting tools/Supplies

A number of you were able to get orders in with 4D before they closed which should be with you in the next week, possibly a little longer internationally depending on the different postal services.

For those who might need tools or materials in the UK Emily Crompton has confirmed that it is still possible to order from Fred Aldous for delivery and that there is a 20% MSA Student Discount. For the discount code please get in touch with us or ask during your tutorials.

In Other News……

Atelier La Juntana Summer School 2020 Cancelled

For obvious reasons this years International summer school in Northern Spain is now cancelled. We will review the situation in the new academic year with regards any future collaborations with the school. If you had applied and paid any deposits for the course should should have been contacted about a refund. If not then please get in touch with the organisers to make sure you get your deposits back.

B.15:50 events

Before the enforced lockdown we had a number of planned events that would have taken us up to the end of this academic year. Again these have been cancelled for now but we hope to reschedule all events once things are back to a level of normaility.

In the meantime we hope to put out the video footage of our guest lecture from Simona Valeriani of the V&A. Keep an eye out for that.

Annual Modelmaking Awards

We were due to announce plans for this years awards last week but have decided to rethink how these will take place given the change in situation. We will be making an announcement about this in the near future.

There is a lot of uncertainty about the coming months but the main thing is for you to look after yourselves. We’re here if you need any advice and look forward to hearing about your ideas.

Keep making and we’ll be in touch soon,

Jim, Scott & Saul