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Main news updates

Welcome to 2018/19 at B.15!

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Welcome new and returning students for another year of fun and games in B.15!

Inductions

This week we have Inductions all day Tuesday to Thursday for our new comers and returning students. If you are scheduled to attend please do so as catch up sessions are difficult to arrange given how busy your timetables are. If you do happen to miss your allocated time/day there will be a limited catch-up session. Make sure you get in touch with your tutor to make them aware that you need to have an induction to find out when the catch up will be.

4D Modelshop will again be available across the 3 days of induction in the ARCHITYPES Exhibition, First Floor HBS as part of each induction. Anyone else who wishes to see some samples of their products is welcome to drop by and find out about the discounts available to you including free postage to B.15 for a limited time.

Materialise Magics Correction Software

After a long time in the pipeline we now have the latest version of Materialise Magics for use with 3D STL models. Magics can be used to identify errors in 3D models that can result in unexpected  print errors with any of our 3D Printers. In addition to this it allows for manual or automatic repairs to parts. This should help us to assist with the various issues that come up throughout the year and hopefully make for a more stream lined process that helps you see where your 3D modelling is going wrong.

Modelmaking reference books now in Katorowich Library

Many of you have asked previously if you can take some of our reference books home. As we don’t allow this with our specialist workshop library we have arranged for a number of the more popular books to be stocked in the Kantorowich Library up on the ground floor of HBS. If these prove well used we can arrange for more to be stocked.

You can find copies of Architectural Modelmaking, Second Edition by Nick Dunn, Modelling Messages by Karen Moon and Model Making by Megan Werner on row 720-720.92. There are also some older Modelmaking books there that may also prove of use.

Workshop Health and Safety

For those returning and new please remember to sign in and out when you use the workshop. This is important for us to have a record should the workshop need to be evacuated during a fire alarm. Additionally, being able to track who is using the space helps us to monitor use and better plan for the next year.

5th year returning students note, even if you have been inducted here previously, you are still required to complete new inductions at both B.15 and MMU Chatham workshop to qualify for our insurance.

As always we insist that workshop users are made aware of our health and safety policy document. The latest version is available for viewing/download here.

Upcoming Events

We’re currently finalising details for some upcoming events open to MSA Students. Stay tuned to our channels to find out more in the coming weeks.

That’s all for now, see you soon!

Scott & Jim

WHAT WE DO HERE – Premiere and residency at TIME SPACE EXISTENCE during Venice Biennale 2018

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On Friday, 29 June the Venice Biennale saw the premiere screening of WHAT WE DO HERE; a documentary film about the role our modelmaking workshop plays in student and staff learning and development. In the basement of Humanities Bridgeford Street you’ll find the B.15 Modelmaking workshop which has served our architecture department since 1970.

The long-established workshop introduces students at both undergraduate and postgraduate level to modelmaking as an important design tool.

Documentary film makers Kieran Hanson and Howard Walmsley set about recording the plethora of daily happenings in the workshop environment back in September last year. The aim was to explore modelmaking pedagogy for the many students and staff at Manchester School of Architecture which frequent the workshop space. MSA is a joint school across our university and Manchester Metropolitan University giving students the benefits of both campuses.

Screening at the prestigious Venice Biennale gave the film the perfect setting. Architecture practice Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios Simon Doody and award-winning furniture maker Hugh Miller presented before the screening which led to a constructive debate on the subject of making in design.

The film is now resident at the Time Space Existence exhibition space at the Palazzo Bembo on the famous Grand Canal. Entry is free, and it’s expected to attract many thousands of visitors across the summer up until the end of November 2018.

The completion and promotion of this film and its associated events would not have been possible without the University’s Investing in Success scheme which backed the project. The workshop team is currently planning a number of local screenings and UK events that will feature the film in the coming year.

A huge thank you to all who have contributed to this project in time, funding and above all morale support over the past academic year that has made it all possible. We’ll be announcing additional screening events in the coming months so keep a look our for those.

If you get a chance to visit Time Space Existence in Venice, tag @b15workshop #whatwedoheremsa on social media and enjoy!

Scott & Jim

UPDATE: With the conclusion of our associated events WHAT WE DO HERE is now available to watch online here. Thank you to everyone who has supported and engaged with the project!

Guest Speakers announced for “WHAT WE DO HERE” Film Premiere

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Following the Premiere screening of WHAT WE DO HERE taking place in Venice on June 29th we are please to announce 2 guest speakers. The premiere will take place at 15.00 followed by presentations from Simon Doody and Hugh Miller and a discussion on the subject of modelmaking making in design. The discussion will be chaired by Professor Tom Jefferies, Head of Manchester School of Architecture.

Simon Doody – Partner, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios

Simon is a partner at the award winning architectural and urban design practice Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios. Simon works across a number of sectors, however his focus has been on the Higher Education sector, which he heads up for the practice.

Simon led the design of the award-winning Business School and Student Union buildings for Manchester Metropolitan University and is currently working on their high profile new Screen School. He is currently in the final stages of an engineering research hub at the University of Toronto and the early stages of a Sustainability Institute for Trinity College Dublin. His design for an exhibition building in Changsha, China was awarded the country’s first ever BREEAM Outstanding certification.

 

Modelmaking has always played an important role in design development at FCBStudios, and the relationship between the studio and workshop environment is considered integral to the design process. The practice has recently invested in new workshops across its UK studios, providing state of the art facilities accessible to all.

Find out more about Feilden Clegg Bradley and their use of modelmaking here: https://fcbstudios.com/

 

 

Hugh Miller – Hugh Miller Furniture

Hugh Miller is a designer and maker specialising in studio furniture in wood. Hugh trained as an architect prior to founding his studio, and sees his work as small pieces of architecture, where the concept is embedded in the articulation of the details.

Hugh is heavily influenced by his time researching craftsmanship in Japan as a Winston Churchill Memorial Fellow. This transformative experience led him to develop a set of design principles, inspired by Japanese making philosophy, that now underpin his studio. As well as creating his furniture collection, Hugh also designs for established brands including collaborations with Benchmark Furniture, Savoir Beds, and The IceHotel Sweden.

Hugh has lectured widely on the subject of furniture, it’s connections to architecture, and on Japanese design and applied arts philosophy. Hugh is a design tutor at Newcastle University School of Architecture, and is a visiting lecturer at Osaka Institute of Technology. His most recent talk, titled ‘Furniture is Small Architecture’, was delivered in Osaka in November 2017.
In April 2018, Hugh won a commission from the National Trust to create a piece to be added to the permanent collection at William Morris’s Red House, London. The piece will be handmade in Hugh’s studio in Liverpool, before being transported to London, where it will be (briefly) set on fire in a public ‘Burn Ceremony’.
Find out more about Hugh’s work here: http://www.hughmillerfurniture.co.uk/

WHAT WE DO HERE – TRAILER

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At long last we can reveal the trailer for our upcoming anthropology documentary film “WHAT WE DO HERE”

WHAT WE DO HERE explores how aspiring architects at Manchester School of Architecture approach various stages of modelmaking as they grapple with materials, methods and machines to ultimately reveal the ways in which the models inform their individual growth and understanding. In addition to this it examines the ways that staff integrate practical making into their requirements for student assignments and within their own research projects.

Premiere Screening and Debate June 29th

The film will premiere at in Venice at Biennale Sessions, Special programme for higher education institutions at La Biennale di Venezia’s 16th International Architecture Exhibition. The screening will take place at 15.00 at the Venice Arsenale Sale D’Armi followed by speakers and a debate on the subject of making in design. Speakers will be announced shortly.

TIME SPACE EXISTENCE June 30th – November 25th

The film will take up a 5 month residence at Palazzo Bembo as part of the TIME SPACE EXISTENCE Collateral Biennale exhibition. WWDH will be screened on repeat during all opening hours at Palazzo Bembo near the famous Rialto Bridge.

SimpsonHaugh B.15 Modelmaking Awards 2018 – The Winners

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Friday 8th of June saw the opening of this years annual show at Manchester School of Architecture.

During the hours preceding the opening, representatives of SimpsonHaugh Architects; Kristin Mishra, Kaia Williams and Nick Fleming joined MSA’s Professor Tom Jefferies, Dr Stephen Walker and B.15 Workshop’s Jim Backhouse and Scott Miller to Judge this years modelmaking awards.

The shortlist of 10 students from BA and 10 from MArch was whittled down from over 40 submissions from across the ateliers. Each submission was independently marked against a 3 point system and then totalled, combined with the other judges score and then ranked before the winners were revealed. The winners were as follows:

BA (Hons) Architecture

1st Prize: Nour Hamade

2nd Prize: Camila Fabara Von Lippke

3rd Prize: Lola Tartakover

MArch

1st Prize: Rebekah Parkinson & Karissa Tysklind

2nd Prize: Mike Ellis & Jack Poulton

3rd Prize: Emily Daye

On behalf of SimpsonHaugh we would like thank all who submitted their work for consideration and congratulate those who made the short and winning list. This is never a straight forward process so anyone who has been featured should be proud of their achievements in making this year.

The show, featuring the prize winning work and all shortlisted work will run until June 20th at the School of Art. Be sure to check it out whilst you can.

Well done all and good luck for the future!

Scott, Jim & Pip at B.15 Workshop

SimpsonHaugh B.15 Modelmaking Awards Shortlist 2018

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After whittling down over 40 long listed submissions we can announce the 20 students that have made it onto this years awards shortlist from 3rd year BA and MArch years 1 & 2. There will be 3 prizes for both groups.

In no particular order
BA Architecture
Julie Alvaer Teigen
Patricia Belcin
Lola Tartakover
Camila Fabara Von Lippke
Benjamin Norris
Hau Hui Min
Jumana Tarazi
Nour Hamade
Eleni Roka
Jhower Emanuel Sanchez-Pinela
MArch
Tom Smith & Jacob Graves
Mike Ellis & Jack Poulton
Rebekah Parkinson & Karissa Tysklind
Afshin Khalife
Trevor Stevenson & Conor King
Emily Daye
Krishna Patel
Jonathan Southgate
Jenny Bedford
Sam Walters & Matthew Wreglesworth

Thank you to all who made the effort to submit their work to be considered- there are many great projects in the show this year which were discounted here out of necessity. Well done to you all and good luck to those who have made this list. Judging will take place this Friday and the winners will be presented at the official show opening – be sure to attend as well as the practice preview event on Thursday where SimpsonHaugh will be looking to recruit both Part 1 & 2 Students.

The complete SH B.15 Awards 2018 document with project descriptions and images can be viewed here.

Good Luck everyone,

Jim, Scott, Pip and on behalf of SimpsonHaugh, Kristin Mishra, Kaia Williams and Nick Flemming

Submit your work for the SimpsonHaugh B.15 Modelmaking awards longlist 2018

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Dear 3rd, 5th and 6th year students

This years Modelmaking awards sponsored by SimpsonHaugh will be judged and awarded on June 8th at the end of year show opening.

We invite anyone who is eligible (3rd, 5th and 6th years – Individual or group projects are both valid) wishing to be considered for the awards to submit the following:

  • Project title followed by no more than 350 words explaining (A) Your project brief, location, purpose etc. (B) Your use of modelmaking, Scale, Materials and Processes you used and why.
  • 3-6 images of their work in its complete state along with 1-2 process images you might have. Only projects that will be displayed to be judged should be submitted
  • Please sent separate image and text files rather than PDF.

Submissions should be sent to scott.miller@manchester.ac.uk no later than Friday 25th May. 

Remember that the awards are judged on overall approach to making alongside the actual pieces and not necessarily for a single model. More information about the awards scheme can be found here.

We encourage anyone who has made models this year to submit their work for consideration and wish everyone best of luck.

Scott & Jim

WHAT WE DO HERE to Feature at “TIME SPACE EXISTENCE” Exhibition, Venice Biennale

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We are pleased to announce that following our June 29th Premiere and debate of WHAT WE DO HERE, the film will then take up a 5 month residence at Palazzo Bembo as part of the TIME SPACE EXISTENCE Collateral Biennale exhibition. WWDH will be screened on repeat during all opening hours at Palazzo Bembo between June 30th and November 25th 2018.

“The fourth edition of the biennial architecture exhibition “TIME SPACE EXISTENCE” presents a wide selection of works from architects, photographers, sculptors and universities from all over the world. In addition, projects realized in cooperation with institutions and museums. 

The participating architects and artists come from diverse cultural backgrounds and different career stages, i.e. established architects next to professionals whose works might be less known. What they have in common is their dedication to architecture in the broadest sense of their profession. The exhibition shows a vast spectrum of presentations (models, concepts, research outcomes, thoughts, dreams and ideas), placing classical architectural installations in dialogue with surprising artistic elements. 

The topic TIME SPACE EXISTENCE gives the possibility for each architect to focus on these fundamental existential questions, creating an extraordinary combination of projects and approaches. By combining projects from architecture studios with works of architecture photography and sculpture, the exhibition becomes a dialogue between current developments, ideas and thoughts in art and architecture, highlighting the philosophical concepts of Time, Space and Existence.” – http://www.palazzobembo.org/

One of the many contributions to the previous TIME SPACE EXISTENCE exhibition in 2016

PREMIERE SCREENING AND DEBATE

WWDH will premiere at the Biennale Arsenale Site on June 29th followed by a debate on the subject.

SimpsonHaugh Modelmaking Drop-in days

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As part of this years Modelmaking awards SimpsonHaugh will be sending Modelmaker Kristin Mishra to be on hand at B.15 in the lead up to your final exhibition. Kristin will be able to offer advice from her 10 years modelmaking for the practice which is well worth taking advantage of. Find out more about Modelmaking at SimpsonHaugh here.

Kristin will be around during our normal opening hours on the following days:

Tuesday 17th April

Thursday 3rd May

Thursday 10th May

Opening Dates between now and June

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Easter Break

Closed Friday 30th March – Reopening Monday 9th April

Events Weeks

Pre-Arranged Events groups only between 19th April – 2nd May (19th-20th we are open at half capacity due to events)

NOTE: This includes laser cutter bookings due to workshop capacity. Maximum 20 users at any one time.

Late Opening Dates

Between Monday 30th April and June 1st the workshop will remain open Monday -Thursday until 19.30 when students will be asked to clean up your workspace as normal in preparation for the following day.

These temporary opening times are as follows:

Monday 09.30 – 19.30

Tuesday 09.30 – 19.30

Wednesday 09.30 – 19.30

Thursday 09.30 – 19.30

Friday 09.30 – 16.30

 Jim, Scott & Pip