Category Archives: Main News Feed

Main news updates

Welcome to 2023/24 at B.15

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Hello all and welcome to another academic year at B.15 in MSA.

Hope you’ve all had a relaxing summer. Here are a few updates for this academic year for you:

New Staff Member

Please join us in welcoming Teagan Dorsch to the team. We’ll be doing a short feature on Teagans experience via our Instagram feed soon. Teagan will be leading on CNC related requests as well as covering all areas like the rest of the team. 

Newly refurbished workshop space

Throughout the summer we have been very busy with yet more building works to improve, refurbish and expand the workshop space. 

In short, all staff only equipment is now located in a separate workspace thus meaning more space for student projects. We have a newly configured machine space with new custom made efficient dust extraction system.

The CNC machine is now contained within an enclosed sound proofed area to reduce noise when it’s in operation. 

There is now a dedicated recycled materials space to allow for increased and more organised use of recycled materials wherever possible. 

Upgraded model archive/store

Our model archive and current projects store has had a make-over with the addition of a full length window. This now allows the collection to be viewed any time and provides additional inspiration throughout the year when passing between B.15 and B.12. 

Welcome video

For those of you unfamiliar with where we are you check out our brief introduction video below for a brief introduction of who we are and where you can find us.

New Starter Inductions 

New starter inductions will be taking place on the following dates with more catch-up sessions to be confirmed in the coming weeks. If you are scheduled to attend please turn up on time to avoid missing out. 

BA 1 – Tuesday 26th September

MArch (Session 1) – Wednesday 4th October

MA A+AR – Thursday 5th October

MA Landscape – Tuesday 10th October

BA1 Catch-up – Tuesday 10th October

MArch (Session 2) – Wednesday 11th October

MA A+U – Friday 13th October

Access around these times will be limited so please get in touch if you have specific requirements this early on. The workshop will be open for uninterrupted general use from 16th October.

General users guide

You should all have received the latest general users guide by email but you can also find it here for reference.

We look forward to see some familiar faces and meet plenty of new ones in the coming weeks! – Scott, Lara, Sarah and Teagan 

MAKING SCALE Symposium – Full Presentation Film

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We’re pleased to finally share the full recording of MAKING SCALE symposium which took place on June 29th at the Venice Biennale.

Filmed and edited by Sarah Carroll & Lara Gerrard. 

Thank you to all who supported, presented at and attended the event. We appreciate everyones participation and continued interest in this subject that drives us year on year here at B.15 and MSA.

B.15 and Collaborators

MAKING SCALE Symposium Summary – Venice Biennale 2023

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On June 29th we arrived at the Venice Biennale along with a group of MSA students, graduates and practicing professionals to present MAKING SCALE Symposium.

The event began with an introduction from Dr Matthew Wells about the longstanding presence of model making in the architectural field. Following on, Myself and Matt Ault presented our new research project aimed at creating a clearer path for architecture graduates wanting to make use of their model making skills in professional practice.

To help illustrate our points about the wide array of practice and making types our two guest speakers were brought together for an up to date insight into their work.

We began with Peter Lee, Associate at HENN, Berlin who gave a wide ranging explanation of the practice and the various ways model making in integrated and relates directly to his work. This was followed by a pre-recorded presentation by Takeshi Hayatsu, Director of Hayatsu Architects, London. Takeshi gave us an insight into how, as a child, making models influenced his interest in construction and design eventually leading to his work as an architect and the continued use of models as a means of thinking in his work.

Unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances Takeshi was unable to join us on the day and conducted his presentation remotely. This didn’t detract for the fantastic content presented by both parties which gave two distinctively varied views on the application of modelmaking in architectural practice today.

The presentations were closed with a Q & A discussion where we were joined remotely by Takeshi. The full recoded event will be made available in the coming weeks here on our blog so please look out for that. In the meantime please see the short summary video below outlining the day in brief.

Thank you to all who supported and attended the event. We appreciate everyones participation and continued interest in this subject that drives us year on year here at B.15 and MSA.

B.15 and Collaborators

B.15 Summer 2023 Opening Times

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Hi All,

The workshop is again undergoing building works this summer to help us improve our space for you. Unfortunately this does mean there will be some restricted areas whilst this work takes place. The main B.15 space will not be accessible until September due to the main building works taking place there.

We have relocated a laser cutter and the majority of small equipment to the B.12 space which will be accessible to those courses that are still running throughout July, August and September. We do however also need a break! As such we ask that you email us all ahead to check when we will be around to allow access to the space. Get in touch with your requirements and we’ll let you know what your options are for that week.

scott.miller@manchester.ac.uk

Lara.gerrard@manchester.ac.uk

sarah.carroll@manchester.ac.uk

IMPORTANT! If you are attending the B.12 space please access it via the disabled access route in the corridor to the right at the bottom of the stairs. The main workshop corridor is a building site so do not attempt to access the room that way.

We look forward to showing you all the new changes later in the year when the fun starts again!

B.15 Team

MAKING SCALE Symposium Final Update

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Hi All,

We can now confirm MAKING SCALE symposium will take place at 11.30 on Thursday June 29th at the Central Pavilion of the Giardini della Biennale site. The event is free to anyone with a Biennale pass so feel free to join us if you are in the area.

For those of you who secured tickets through us you will be able to collect them from us at 10.15 near the Giardini Vaparetto stop A/B.

We look forward to seeing you there, Safe travels

B.15 & Collaborators

B.15 Modelmaking Awards Sponsored by Stanton Williams – Winners!

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Huge congratulations to this years award winners!

There were so many great projects across all submissions that made shortlisting very difficult and choosing 4 winners even harder for our judges, Modelmakers Stephen Setford and Maz Weineck of Stanton Williams Architects.

Thank you to the judges for their support throughout and to everyone for taking part in this scheme for another fantastic year of modelmaking work!

Have a look at the fantastic submissions in full here. 

Best of luck in your next steps and keep in touch!

B.15 and Collaborators

The winners in no particular order were:

Oliver Le Marquand & Elliott Taylor – MArch2 CIA

Rachel Price & Norzafeera Marzukee – MArch2 SKN

Cheuk Yu Lauren Fung – MArch2 MAKING

Laura-Elena Popa – BA3 SKN

B.15 Modelmaking Awards 2023 Sponsored by Stanton Williams -Short and Longlist submissions

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Hi all,

After a very tough round of sifting through submissions (59 to be exact) from across all courses at MSA, Stanton Williams representatives have chosen this years shortlist of 15 to be judged this coming Friday in-person. The winners will be announced at the private view event taking place from 17.30 at Grosvenor East.

The shortlisted projects in no particular order are:

  • Ariel Hei Nok Wong
  • Tioluwalase Delight Olojede
  • Brian Cox & Saul Bunyan
  • Oliver Le Marquand & Elliott Taylor
  • Laura Popa
  • Hanna Zulhikam & Maira Tini
  • Rachel Price & Norzafeera Marzukee
  • Chris Brierley
  • Yunqi Zhang
  • Natasha Nedelcu
  • Cheuk Yu Lauren Fung
  • Alina Maniukhina & Hariz Zahidi
  • Daryl Quayle & Elliot Flynn
  • Magdeline De Witt
  • Gordon Wu

You can view the full longlist of submissions here.

Congratulations to everyone for simply taking part. The range of projects feature here shows the diverse range of applications that modelmaking plays across MSA. Really great to see – Good luck to all!

Announcing our guest speakers for MAKING SCALE Symposium

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We’re thrilled to announce our speakers for MAKING SCALE: MODEL BUILDING CITY symposium taking place on June 29th at this years Venice Biennale. 

Joining Scott Miller and Matt Ault from B.15 and MSA respectively will be Peter Lee, Associate at HENN Architects, Berlin and Takeshi Hayatsu, Founder of Hayatsu Architects, London.

The session will be chaired by Dr Matthew Wells, Lecturer in Architectural studies at MSA.

Read more about our panel below:

Takeshi Hayatsu – Founder of Hayatsu Architects, London

Hayatsu Architects’ work is characterised by crafted, thoughtful, sensitive and playful approaches tailored to unique situations and the requirements of users. We believe that well considered, well crafted buildings can bring a positive impact on individual lives and its wider community. The practice’s sensitivity comes from its in-depth knowledge of working with historic buildings. Former projects include: Raven Row gallery in Spitalfields (Grade I), George Romney’s Studio in Hampstead (Grade I), South London Gallery in Peckham (Grade II), Churchill College in Cambridge (Grade II), The Brook in Stamford Brook Road W6 (Grade II), London Library in St James Square (Grade II).

Working in these settings, Hayatsu Architects have developed a unique insight into creating innovative and exciting spaces that are seamlessly integrated within their historic context through carefully crafted material interventions and the adaptation of hands-on construction methods.

The practice’s current portfolio ranges from private to public commissions including collaborations with arts and community led organisations such as Grizedale Arts in Coniston and The Community Brain in Surbiton.

Read more about Hayatsu Architects here

Peter Lee, Associate at HENN Architects Berlin

Peter Lee is a British architectural designer and model maker. After graduating from the Manchester School of Architecture, he has been working at Henn Architekten for the last six years in Berlin, with stints in Munich and Beijing. As a key member of the design studio, he has experience working on commercial, research, industrial and cultural competitions and early-stage projects in Central Europe and East Asia. He is primarily interested in the use of model making as an integral part of the design process, exploring how it can coexist with and complement computational or digital methods of working. Alongside his work in practice, Peter is also a lecturer at Berlin International University of Applied Sciences, running courses on model building and designing through making as a part of the Bachelor’s programme.

HENN is a third-generation architecture studio with over 70 years of experience, with offices in Berlin, Munich, Beijing and Shanghai. HENN has completed more than 150 projects and counts 400 team members from more than 40 nations. As a general planner, HENN works on projects involving architecture, urbanism and master planning across all project stages.

Read more about HENN here.

Want to join us? 

MAKING SCALE symposium is free to join for anyone with a Biennale ticket on Thursday June 29th. The exact venue and time will be announced nearer the date.

Any MSA students and staff wanting to attend can benefit from 3-day Biennale tickets available through B.15, please email lara.gerrard@manchester.ac.uk for further information about how to register for these. 

We hope to see you there!

Announcing Stanton Williams as this years B.15 Modelmaking Awards Sponsor

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This year we’re pleased to announce that we will be joined by representatives from Stanton Williams who will be judging and sponsoring this years B.15 Modelmaking Awards for MSA students.

“We are thrilled to announce that Stanton Williams will be working with B.15 and the MSA to judge the Model Making Awards 2023. Exploring ideas through making is key to our design process. Working with sketches, three-dimensional physical models and full-scale prototypes, we encourage an open exchange of ideas, particularly in the early stages of a project, when the brief can be challenged and aspirations explored. We are excited to see how students will use this powerful design tool and look forward to the conversations their submissions will spark.”

– Stephen Setford & Maz Weineck at Stanton Williams

Stephen Setford at work on a 1:20 section Model. Image from Stanton Williams

Find out more about Stanton Williams here.

What are the awards? 

There are 4 equal awards given to students of any course and any year group at MSA. They are judged on a mix of reasoning, skill and final product and it’s important to note, no single criteria – all models are of interest. The award recognises the use of modelmaking in your design work for the 22/23 academic year and consists of a cash prize and other items.

What are we looking for? 

Any individual or group projects from the 22/23 academic year 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! Shortlisting will look for originality, build quality, materials choice and overall execution to make a decision on the final candidates.

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 following the criteria below. You can see examples of past submissions here. 

Please stick to the guidelines and formatting to avoid having to make later corrections.

 

All submissions must be sent to scott.miller@manchester.ac.uk no later than 12.00 on June 9th..

Submission Criteria

• 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.

• Titles should be formatted as per the example. The main Text should be in Effra Font Size 10 (file included in the pack below if you don’t have it on your computer)

• 2 x Portrait 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 (Contains InDesign Template, Fonts and Example submission)

All submission must be received by 12.00 on Friday June 9th.

Send your submissions to scott.miller@manchester.ac.uk 

Projects will be shortlisted by Stanton Williams and announced by the end of June 13th.

Work will be judged in person on June 16th and the resulting award winners will be announced with other school prizes at the End of Year Show on the evening on June 16th.

Some FAQWhat if my work isn’t on show? Please get in touch with us. We hope to display all entries that are shortlisted but not scheduled to feature in the end of year show at B.15 for judges to view when they visit during the week of June 12th.

I didn’t use the workshop to make my model can I still submit? YES – this is an award for good use of modelmaking not exclusively about models made in workshops.I don’t think my work is good enough should I submit? YES – all modelmaking work submitted will be included in a combined document for Judges to see and for prospective employers and professionals to view via our blog. It can’t hurt to show off your hard work alongside your fellow course-mates and may lead to a job!I haven’t done a ‘final model’, should I submit? YES – the awards are not about final models exclusively but consider the use of all kinds of models for all stages of your projects.I have more than one model, can I submit them all? YES – many submissions are made up of multiple models (see previous submissions) so please feel free to include multiple models and describe them in your accompanying text. They must however be under one submission only. Do not submit each model as a separate submission. What if I’m in a group and we both want to submit? Group projects can submit as one and will be considered as a single submission. If a group wins then the prize will be split accordingly.

Best of luck with your submissions and the show build.

On behalf of Stanton Williams and the B.15 team, we look forward to seeing your submissions!

Announcing ‘MAKING SCALE – Model – Building – City’ a B.15 symposium at the Venice Architecture Biennale

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We’re very pleased to announce we are returning to the Venice Architecture Biennale to fly the flag for architectural modelmaking this June.

MAKING SCALE, a B.15 symposium, will explore the value of physical models in the design process at urban and building scales. The interpretative use of materials as experimental representations can play a multitude of roles within the field of architectural design. To model junctions between building and site, built form and space, structure and enclosure, ensures that the act of making in the model workshop is an effective laboratory of future architecture. Speakers will present and discuss the conceptual potential of different scales to curate how the built environment is made and viewed in relation to innovative global practice.

Where?

The sessions event will take place at the 18th International Venice Architecture Biennale. The exhibition is held across multiple sites in Venice which host some 89 international participants.

When?

Thursday June 29th confirmed! Time and exact Biennale location TBC

Who?

Speakers will be announced in the coming weeks. Keep checking here or on our social media channels for updates!

Can I join?

Yes we’d love to see you there! Tickets for to the MAKING SCALE symposium will include a 3-day pass to the Biennale across all sites for MSA students. Tickets will be issued in person in Venice the event date. We’re working to confirm this ASAP!

If you’re not an MSA student but wish to join you can, just get in touch and we’ll explain how. 

Sign up NOW!

If you are interested in joining us to experience the biggest architectural showcase of 2023 please get in touch via email and we’ll forward you further details to secure your ticket – lara.gerrard@manchester.ac.uk

Huge thanks to The University of Manchester School of Environment Education and Development Social Responsibility Fund and The University of Manchester Student Experience Funding for supporting the project.