Announcing ‘AiM: ‘MAKING MATTERS’ Exhibition

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Following our successful launch exhibition at this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale, we’re excited to announce a follow-up exhibition in our home city of Manchester:
 
AiM : Making Matters
 
Communicating Architectural Ideas Through Models
In partnership with:
The exhibition will run for five weeks, from Monday 2 March to Thursday 2 April 2026, at Material Source Studio in central Manchester.
Private View Launch Event: Thursday 5 March, from 17:00
Public Programme: Practitioner lectures (details TBC)
Practitioners, WE NEED YOU!
Your work is the exhibition. We are seeking contributions of up to three models per practice, ideally at different scales and/or showing the development of a single project. Alongside chosen models, we will request short supporting text.
We also welcome any video material showing the making or use of models in your practice.
We will curate the final selection based on proposals and spatial considerations.
As AiM index members, you are receiving this invitation before the public call for contributions. If you’d like to take part, please complete the expression of interest form below:
We will review submissions and confirm selected participants shortly after 9 January 2026.
Participation is free; we only ask that you arrange delivery and collection of your models to either the venue or our workshop.
If needed, we can recommend couriers depending on your location.
Key Dates
Confirm participation & proposed models: by 9 January 2026
Model delivery deadline: Friday 20 February 2026
Exhibition opens: Monday 2 March 2026
Private View: Thursday 5 March 2026, from 17:00
Exhibition closes: Thursday 2 April 2026
A Reminder: What is AiM?
The Architects Index of Modelmaking (AiM) is an online directory for architecture students and professionals. Our aim is to build a network of local, national and international practitioners who champion the value of physical modelmaking in architectural design.
We continue to grow the network through social media, exhibitions and future publications. As some of you will know, the project launched earlier this year with an exhibition at the European Cultural Centre during the Venice Architecture Biennale, attracting more than 88,000 visitors across six months.
Thank you for your support, and we hope you’ll be able to join us for this next stage of the project at Material Source Studio, Manchester.
Scott Miller — on behalf of AiM, B.15 Modelmaking Workshop
Simina Ionescu — on behalf of Manchester Society of Architects
Lucia Pedrana — on behalf of the European Cultural Centre Italy

B.15 Winter break opening times

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Hi All,

Hope you’re doing well.

Just a quick note to remind you that B.15 will be closed for the break following the Friday 12th December. We’ll be re-opening on Tuesday 6th January as normal.

Have a great break and we’ll see you on the other side!

– B.15 team

MSA Model Archive – Exhibition at MTC

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From the benches of the B.15 Modelmaking Workshop to a global digital platform – the MSA Model Archive celebrates the craft, creativity, and legacy of modelmaking at Manchester School of Architecture.
This new archive, hosted on Figshare in partnership with the University of Manchester Library and the Research Lifecycle Programme, brings together decades of student and research models – preserving and sharing the craft for generations to come.
The exhibition presents a curated selection of models from this growing digital collection, offering a first look at the work that will form part of the wider MSA Model Archive on Figshare.
Exhibition open to students at Manchester Technology Centre Gallery 11–21 November 2025
See the digital archive so far here: https://figshare.manchester.ac.uk/b15archive 

Modern Architecture in Models: from the B.15 Archive

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From the modernist:

Curated by Eamonn Canniffe and Scott Miller

These architectural models of individual examples from the modernist canon of the twentieth century were created by groups of students from the University of Manchester School of Architecture between 1991 and 1998 and are preserved in the archive of the B.15 Modelmaking Workshop.

They were created as coursework submissions for a third year undergraduate architectural history course to demonstrate the students’ understanding of the buildings which were used as case studies during Eamonn Canniffe’s lectures.

Their survival for over three decades is a testament to the modelmaking skills of the students and to the training and help they received in the B.15 Worksop.

at the modernist
58 Port Street, Manchester M1 2EQ
open 11am to 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday October 31st – December 24th 2025

Find out more here: https://the-modernist.org/blogs/news/modern-architecture-in-models-from-the-b-15-workshop-archive 

B.15 Recycling Acrylic Waste with REFLO at Floreeda Fabrications

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In any design workshop, managing waste is an ongoing challenge, especially when the waste produced isn’t in large enough quantities to interest commercial recyclers. In the B.15 workshop, one of our waste management responsibilities is to deal with Acrylic offcuts and waste produced through student modelmaking, most notably from laser cutting activity. Whilst the quantities may be small by industrial standards, the impact adds up over time and it has always been our intention to find a solution to this waste stream.

For several years the team have stored acrylic waste in the hope of finding a sustainable solution as opposed to the general waste route which many workshops often default to. A key complication is that Acrylic (PMMA) cannot be recycled with general plastic and requires a specialised process. Most local recycling services are not equipped to handle it and the services that do, often recycle the waste at sites abroad. After exhausting conversations with recycling companies coming up with no useful solution, we turned to a trusted local supplier, Floreeda Fabrications.

 

We found that Floreeda had been developing an initiative called REFLOW – a process that allows for in-house acrylic recycling. This takes end of life acrylic parts and recycles them through a clean manufacturing process with no additives, turning them into new, useable sheet material. This promotes a circular and closed loop economy within the industry.

We’re now thrilled to say that we’ve received our first batch of recycled sheet material made entirely from the waste we had been storing over the years. Some of this recycled material has already been put to use, forming part of our B.15 Modelmaking award trophies that were handed out to this years student winners at the Manchester School of Architecture 2025 Degree Show.

 

 

 

 

 

Lara collecting the first batch of 'B.15' type recycled acrylic sheet

Lara collecting the first batch of ‘B.15’ type recycled acrylic sheet

Looking ahead, we’re excited to see how our students will incorporate the new REFLOW Acrylic into their work. Not only does the material perform like the original, but its origin gives it a story of sustainable thinking and responsible design. We also look forward to collaborating further with Floreeda to explore what other acrylic mixes and colours might be developed from our collected waste in the future.

This partnership represents more than just waste reduction; it’s a model for sustainable collaboration between education and local industry. This small but symbolic step shows how material circularity can be embedded into the culture of making. We hope it inspires others to consider how taking responsibility for even small-scale recycling can have a real impact, showing that patience and persistence to find solutions pays off.

Find out more about REFLOW here

– Lara Gerrard, Workshop Technician at B.15 Modelmaking Wrokshop

Welcome to B.15 25/26 !

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Hello and welcome to 25/26 at B.15!

Over the next few weeks we’ll be inducting new starters which will mean some irregular opening times. If you have any projects to discuss please get in touch and we’ll advise when is best to drop in.

Inductions

Tuesday 23rd September – Full Day
BA Architecture Year 1
Friday 26th September – Full Day
MA Architecture + Urbanism
MA Architecture + Adaptive Reuse
Monday 29th September – Full Day
MArch Year 5
Wednesday 1st October – Afternoon
MA Landscape
Thursday 2nd October – Afternoon
Foundation Architecture
Additional Catch-Up Sessions TBC
There will be some catch-up sessions scheduled which will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
B.15 General User Guide 25/26
An important reference guide for all new an returning B.15 users, please familiarise yourself with the various rules and regulations for safe workshop use.

The updated user guide can be found here for reference.

New Staff

Please welcome our newest team members, Jasmine Theobald and Zane Zeivate! Jasmine started with us in the last week before the summer degree show opening so some of you will have already met her. Zane has just started and will be working with us this year to cover Paulina who will be going on maternity leave. You can read more about their work here. 

Inspiring things to look at!

The AiM project

Earlier this year we launched the Architects Index of Modelmaking. The AiM is an online source of practice inspiration for modelmaking and provides a growing list of practices who use models in the design work. Find out more at www.the-aim.co.uk and follow the AiM on Instagram @aimodelmaking

In support of the project we have an ongoing exhibition at the European Cultural Centre as part of this years Venice Biennale which runs until November 23rd. Back in June a panel of speakers discussed some of the themes around the project which provided insight and inspiration. You can watch the full event here. 

NWSPF Scale Exhibition

The North West Small Practice Forum is a new initiative to bring together and celebrate the work of small architecture practices from the North west. The first event, SCALE, is an exhibition of works which include a great range of models and is well worth a visit. You can see the exhibition at SEESAW, 86 Princess Street, Manchester M1 6NG until October 15th.

New Aprons and Tote Bags

Finally, no new year would be complete without a fresh tote bag for our new starters. This time taking inspiration from the Nolli map style covering the oxford road corridor between B.15 and MTC. Free while stocks last!

And in a change to our extremely fashionable workshop aprons we have gone full red this year.

See you all soon!

B.15 Team

AiM Biennale Sessions: YOU ASK,THEY ANSWER! Panel event now online

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On the 28th June 2025 we hosted the panel event AiM: YOU ASK, THEY ANSWER! at the Venice Biennale, Arsenale site. We’re pleased to share the full recording of the session here.

Thanks again to our panel, students, collegues and other guests who attended on the day!

– B.15 Team

August B.15 opening times

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For those MA students still wanting workshop access this month, we’re open as normal 9.30 -16.30 Monday to Friday (Lunch break 13-14.00) apart from the following days in August:
Thursday 7th August – Closed AM only, open from 14.00
21st August – Closed
22nd August – Closed
25th August – Closed for Bank Holiday
See you soon!

AiM Biennale Sessions: You Ask, They Answer! Event Videos

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On June 28th we were joined by a group of MSA students from a mix of courses and year groups to put questions to a panel of guest speakers at La Biennale Di Venezia as part of Biennale Sessions 2025. The event took place alongside the Architects Index of Modelmaking Launch exhibition taking place at the European Cultural Centre’s Palazzo Bembo.

Our panel consisted of four speakers who represent practices who have contributed to the AiM project.

Peter Lee – HENN

Ecaterina Stefanescu – Other Peoples Dreams

Joe Morris – Morris + Company

Simnia Ionescu – OMI Architects

Huge thanks to everyone who supported the project up to now and those who made the trip out to Venice to join the discussions.

Here’s a summary of the event along with the full event recording below:

Full AiM Biennale Sessions recording:

B.15 Modelmaking Awards 2025 sponsored by Henning Larsen – Winners!

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Following judging of all shortlisted projects from Henning Larsen representative Patrick Handgrigan and Sofia Lundeholm 3 winners and 1 ‘wild-card’ winner was chosen. The judges were very impressed by the variety of work submitted and across the degree show making the process challenging as usual.

In response to the number of projects covered a last minute addition of the ‘wild -card’ was added going off judges response to seeing the work in person only. These was a clear winner for this as both judges were drawn to the work independently and without prompting.

Huge congratulations to everyone who took part and who joined us this year – your work is great and we look forward to seeing your future successes.

You can find the full long list of submissions here.

This years award winners were:

Austin Wright – BA3 Non Standard Habitats

Finley Hartless – MArch1 &Architecture

Saul Bunyan – MArch2 Continuity

Wild-card: Niamh Murphy – MLA2/SKN

Thank you to all of our students, Matt Ault for submissions collection and to Henning Larsen for their expertise and support with this years scheme.

B.15 Team