MAKING in PRACTICE – Ecaterina Stefanescu Guest Lecture Video

In the first of our Making in Practice lecture series we were joined Ecaterina Stefanescu who presented her varied community project work and use of models throughout. We’re pleased to share with you her full presentation (almost! We had an audio issue at the start!) which was recorded via zoom.

Thanks to Ecaterina for her time and contribution and to Dr. Matthew Wells for his assistance in coordinating our speakers. We hope to see you all again at the next one; Stephen Setford & Maz Weineck of StantonWilliams who join us on Monday January 27th 2025.

Enjoy!

Architecture and Adaptive Reuse Study Trip – Models in Madrid

As part of the MA Architecture and Adaptive Reuse study trip to Madrid in March 2024 the group were taken on a guided tour of two model heavy exhibitions: ‘The Construction of a Country: Models of Spanish Architecture from the Transition to Present Day’ & ‘Nameless Models’.

The exhibitions were both on display at a former metro station which has been converted into a multipurpose display space occupied by the La Casa de la Arquitectura.

The main ‘Construction of the County’ display was housed over two levels and presented a chronological look at the varied architectural projects across Spain over the last 30 years. Each case study was presented through a physical model alongside an image of the completed site. The choice to display in this way more often than not focusses on finished presentation standard models. This was not the case with the curation choices here which resulted in an excellent display of model typologies including the abstract conceptual, technical studies, section studies, massing, collage & both colourised and monotone presentation examples. The range of styles and media used reflect the diverse range of projects covered and the complex aims of the messages being communicated as part of the design processes and architect-client conversation.

The group were given a guided tour by Alberto Yebenes and a guide from the venue who explained the cultural and professional relevance of the projects.

If you are in Madrid any time soon this exhibition was recently extended to run until June.

The second exhibition, ‘Nameless Models’ questions the role models play in the so called ‘Digital Age’. The display features a range of model types and themes without context and was initially presented at the Biennale of Young Architecture in Catalonia. The concept was to ask viewers to comment of what each model told them about a building design without them being given any information about the intention beforehand. The findings were then discussed to reveal how rich the embodied information of physical models continues to be as the medium helps to bridge the digital with reality and our understanding of practical possibilities and limitations.

Speaking with Alberto, he explained more about the purpose of the exhibition and how students might be influenced by its contents.

“Casa de la arquitectura is a cultural landmark. It has just reopened following retro fit (Adaptive reuse) so students (like me at the time) can enjoy again a flexible exhibition space specific for architectural models, plans installations etc. The aim of the model exhibition was to showcase 50 years of architecture from the Spanish transition to democracy from the Franco dictatorship era, going through economical wealth and decay. Highlighting the different architectural and urban implications: Sustainability, social sustainability, detail etc

The models displayed reflected many different sorts of scales, levels of detail and urban street escape and materiality. These combined represent graphic 3dimensional communication opportunities and variety which is absolutely key for the representation of architecture at any level. For Adaptive reuse specifically, the materiality chosen, detail, sectional detail and urban aspects showcased a remarkable catalogue of opportunities to express relationships between new and old, absolutely critical for our course.

Because of the time in the semester (investigation) our course was, the story about the different historical, societal, cultural and economic periods in Spain reflected in the use, typologies and scale of the models, opened a very useful conversation with yourself (Scott Miller) as a translator between these theories and the final student models in B15.

I particularly liked the middle of the exhibition, because it aggregated the boundary between economic optimism and recession/ decay, which you could dramatically understand through the typologies and the isolation of the models, which were less considerate with the urban context. It had a space for the renewed and silenced relevance of female architects as well.

Nameless models was a side exhibition, also incredibly interesting, as the lack of labelling inspired visitors to guess and interprate the models, materials, and details with no additional information about authors or building.”

More information about the exhibitions and La Casa de la Arquitectura can be found on their social media channel @casadelaarquitectura and on their website here:

https://lacasadelaarquitectura.es/recurso/la-construccion-de-un-pais-maquetas-de/05b5b794-afea-1ba4-fbad-e29c47ba582f?modal=on

https://lacasadelaarquitectura.es/recurso/nameless-models/071e209f-ecd1-b46a-9c78-4cee3abe9411

Thank to the hosts at La Casa de la Arquitectura and to Alberto for his organisation and allowing me to join the visit.

APMM Book Discussion – Modelling the Metropolis: The Architectural Model in Victorian London

On Thursday 8th February at 18.00 Scott will be joining an online discussion hosted by the Association of Professional Modelmakers with Dr David Lund about Dr. Matthew Wells book, Modelling the Metropolis: The Architectural Model in Victorian London.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Register to join online here<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Hope to see you there!

Participant Bios

Matthew Wells, Lecturer in Architectural History at University of Manchester, Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, a member of the Manchester Architecture Research Group, and author of “Modelling the Metropolis. He studied art history at the Courtauld Institute of Art and completed his doctorate in the History of Design Programme at the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Royal College of Art. Dr Matthew Wells – Manchester School of Architecture (msa.ac.uk)

Scott Miller is the Workshop Technical Manager of the B.15 Modelmaking Workshop at Manchester School of Architecture. Before taking up this position he worked as a freelance modelmaker on architectural, commercial and display models and in exhibition design and construction. Scott obtained a degree in Modelmaking in 2011 from the Arts University Bournemouth. Scott Miller – Manchester School of Architecture (msa.ac.uk)

David Lund, Modelmaking Historian and Senior Lecturer BA (Hons) Modelmaking & BA (Hons) Design at AUB, Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Higher Education Academy, and author of “A History of Architectural Modelmaking in Britain: The Unseen Masters of Scale and Vision” David has a doctorate in the History of Architectural Model Making and is in charge of the cataloguing and interpretation of the Thorp Modelmaking Archive, a unique collection of over 60,000 photographs and documents charting the history of the oldest architectural modelmaking company in the world. Dr David Lund – AUB Staff Profile

 

B.15 Royal Albert Hall model added to the Hall’s new £1m Archive Collection


Back in 2021 a collaboration between B.15 and the V&A’s research institute aimed to recreate a long lost stage of Royal Albert Hall architectural history.

Dr. Simona Valeriani’s research into the history of the hall had paid particular attention to the role of models which led to the involvement of B.15 model making workshop.

The workshop made a significant unique contribution to the project that has helped researchers better understand the design process behind one of the UK’s most iconic buildings. Records of planning meetings that took place during the Hall’s development made mention of a model being used to inform design decisions. It was assumed this model was lost until 2019 when it was rediscovered in a heavily damaged state in a room at the Hall itself. Efforts were made to restore the piece and subsequently, a replica of the fragment was produced including it’s missing pieces to illustrate part of what might have been

B.15 team interpret the surviving material

B.15 staff took on the task of analysing the fragment in order to replicate the model in a more complete form as it might have appeared in the mid-1800s. This involved the comparison of reference images and original plans. The initial goal was to complete the replica in time for feature in the 2021 Building Centre Exhibition; Shaping Space – Architectural Models Revealed’ which was in part sponsored by the workshop.

Workshop Technical Manager Scott Miller and assistant Saul Parker-Backhouse began the task alongside Manchester School of Architecture students Ruben Greyson and Cezara Mișca to produce a faithful interpretation of the original in time for the exhibition opening.

Workshop Technician Scott Miller said: “It was a pleasure to collaborate on such a prestigious project and a truly insightful experience for me, Saul and our student assistants.

After the conclusion of the exhibition an agreement between the collaborators led to the models being accepted into the newly established Royal Albert Hall archive.

A new home in the hall’s first ever archive space

After years of development by archivist Liz Harper, the first dedicated archive to the hall’s 150 year history was officially opened on Thursday October 12th 2023. We were honoured to be invited to the opening event where the model was presented alongside the original and other items from the hall’s collection. Future plans for the model will see it displayed to the public in one of the hall’s main entrances.

The Making of the Royal Albert Hall Model – Documentary short

To coincide with the opening of the archive we’re pleased to share this documentary short which was produced alongside the project. Featuring narration from Dr Simona Valeriani and B.15 Technical Manager Scott Miller, the film was shot and edited by videographer Chris Jackson in 2022.

The RAH archive can be searched online and contacts to arrange to visit in person can be found here: https://catalogue.royalalberthall.com/ More information about the Architectural Models Network here: https://archmodelsnetwork.com

More information about Dr. Simona Valeriani: https://www.rca.ac.uk/more/staff/dr-simona-valeriani/  and the V&A Research Institute: https://www.vam.ac.uk/info/the-va-research-institute-vari


Thank you to Dr. Simona Valeriani for inviting B.15 to take part in this project and to Liz Harper for ensuring the model found a permanent home in the RAH collections.

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

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.  

Book Launch: Modelling the Metropolis: The Architectural Model in Victorian London – Dr Matthew Wells Thursday 23rd March 17.30

We’re pleased to announce the book launch event for ‘Modelling the Metropolis: The Architectural Model in Victorian London’ by Dr. Matthew Wells.

Architectural models made nineteenth-century London. As the city grew it became the global centre of finance, industrial capitalism, and the British Empire. New buildings, urban spaces, and networks of infrastructure were demanded, constructed, and rebuilt. Models were a crucial medium of communication that enabled archi­tects, politicians, and the wider public to conceive the city’s expansion of buildings and spaces.

Based on extensive research in archives, museums, and period publications, Modelling the Metropolis addresses not just architectural models but also an eclectic range of images and objects – from technical products to sculptures, diagrams to engravings, maps to photographs – that dramatize the politics and aesthetics of Victorian London. 

Dr. Wells is a member of the Manchester Architectural Research Group here at MSA.The event will comprise of a summary of the new book followed by a Q&A session with Dr. Wells.

Agenda:

17.30 – Lecture in Room G33 Humanities Bridgeford Street

18.15 – Q&A

To attend please register via eventbrite by clicking here! 

We look forward to seeing you there!

Remembering Peter Howcroft and John Bishop

I was first introduced to John and Peter as part of our 45th anniversary project back in 2014/15. John had been contacted as he had fond memories of the early days of B.15 being set up and the important hub of social and design activity that it has become known for within the school. John was able to track down Peter who had been a regular visitor and part time assistant to the workshops first manager, Ken Peacock.

Peter was a true craftsman with a passion for making at all scales. He was the son of Thomas Howcroft who had also worked as a lecturer at the University of Manchester. By the time I met Peter he had suffered from ill health for some years but was absolutely full of life when it came to making things and working with his hands. He reflected about his upbringing, influences and passion for making in this video interview by Tony Sutton.

John was extremely supportive of the then new joint agreement and helped establish the early workings of MSA in the mid to late 90’s. Principal Lecturer Eamonn Canniffe recalled “John taught many students at Manchester in the 70s 80s and 90s and was ahead of his time in his interest in making, the relationship between art & architecture and the widening of access to education in architecture and the built environment”.

We interviewed them both for our 45th anniversary celebrations which was highly amusing and insightful. Since that time both John and Peter have stayed in touch with the workshop but in the chaos of the pandemic we had not heard from them for some time.

Sadly we learned that Peter had passed away in January this year and just last month that John had also passed. The were huge advocates of the importance of modelmaking in architectural education and we’d like to acknowledge their lives with this extended version of our joint interview that took place back in 2014.

Rest in Peace

Scott, Saul & Jim

 

A visit to la Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanismo, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito – Patricia Belcin

During December 2019 I visited la Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanismo (the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism) part of Universidad Central del Ecuador, in the country’s capital, Quito. At 2980m altitude, the beautifully designed brutalist building of the faculty felt like a hidden gem among the other buildings from the university campus, the semi-circular repetitive roof structures transmitted an equilibrium very fitting for a place dedicate to design and architectural education.

While talking to a first year architecture student I understood that in the early stages a big emphasis is put on developing hand drawing skills and the designs are tested through simple hand crafted models. I was impressed of the amount of models the students were producing, and how they were finding enough time to invest in this as the course content was broader than what I had experienced during my Part 1 in the UK.

The main reasons for this were the materials and methods being used. After observing only a few models I noticed that balsa wood is everyone’s favourite material. This soft fibre wood allowed the students to quickly craft sketch models, quick prototypes and many times it was used even for the final presentation models. The ease with which this material can be manipulated allowed the students to recreate the workshop environment in their homes and with only a scalpel and some glue they were constructing a wide variety of models. Sometimes for the final exhibition models the faculty’s laser cutter was used for achieving more precise cuts on fine details.

It’s no accident that balsa is used so extensively as it is a locally grown material which is widely available at a very low price (I noted it was approximately 10% of the price at which we purchase balsa in the UK). Balsa is a native species to Ecuador and the country is the world’s leader in balsa production, with over 90% of the wood being exported all over the world. Because of the county’s altitude, climate and environment, the balsa from the Ecuadorian forests is privileged as it offers a more stable wood in terms of density. Balsa is not an endangered species due to its fast growth and facility of reproduction.

(Information about balsa production: www.euronewsa.com/balsa.html)

This made me reflect upon how we sourced materials during the projects which I undertook at MSA. Few projects asked us to consider the usage of local materials, and when we do consider it, this is mostly seen as a constraint. However, not very often do the students question from their own initiative the provenience of the materials which they use, especially in a world where everything is available at a few clicks away. From my observations gathered whilst visiting the architecture school in Quito, I noticed that the use of local materials is widening the possibilities in terms of modelmaking and construction. By using these materials so often the students developed skills which allowed them to create a wide variety of models by understanding the different properties of the wood.

While visiting an exhibition with projects from the masters of architecture course I noticed several models which used plaster or plywood, therefore being more developed in terms of material complexity, but the combination with the balsa wood was omnipresent. In the project from the below images, the student used a series of volumetric plaster models which were combined with red painted key elements of the design. The red colour was then used in the sectional model of the final design and within the architectural drawings as a highlighting method.

Apart from testing design concepts through models I noticed the importance of the technical side within their architecture degree. An application through modelmaking was the project visible in the images from below, where groups of students tested different types of joints which could be used in creating a geometrical sphere. Several methods of joining the wooden pieces were tested, including connections that used sections of recycled plastic pipes or tubes, as well as using bespoke metal fixings which were screwed into the wood. Regardless of the complexity, these constructions were built with only using basic tools and local materials.

Being exposed to the modelmaking culture of the architecture school in Quito was a good lesson about the importance of valuing local practices and materials and making the most of what resources  you have to hand. Perhaps the ease with which we can access materials produced all over the world here in the UK makes us, unintentionally, a bit ignorant of the energy and effort it takes to produce them. As a result the profession is quite wasteful. It would be an interesting project set out to find the local equivalent of the balsa wood source in Ecuador right here and incorporate it into our models. This would be both convenient and more sustainable, helping to reduce our carbon footprint as we progress through architecture school.


This article was written by Patricia Belcin, Teaching Assistant at B.15 Modelmaking workshop 2019/20. 

Exhibition: ‘Sun, Sea and Modelmaking – Atelier La Juntana 2019’ November 18th-29th

We’re pleased to announce the second event in conjunction with our 50th Anniversary celebrations:

An exhibition of student work from the third MSA exclusive week with Atelier La Juntana which took place in July 2019. The exhibition has been curated by Saul Parker-Backhouse at B.15 Modelmaking workshop and will present the full range of craft outputs from the week-long course along with video and process descriptions.

Launch Presentation Evening – Thursday November 28th from 18.00

Join us for a presentation by ALJ course organiser Armor Gutierrez Rivas who will be presenting the course and discussing how MSA students can take part in next years course.

The exhibition will take place in the foyer of Humanities Bridgeford Street Building between November 18th and 29th and both the presentation evening and exhibition are free to attend.

Modelmaking above Alexanderplatz – Peter Lee at HENN Architects, Berlin

Earlier this summer I visited MSA Graduate Peter Lee at HENN Architects Berlin Office. Located overlooking Alexanderplatz, HENN is an international architecture office with additional offices in Munich and Beijing. They have a wide-ranging experience in work space, culture, health, education and research as well as production and master planning. It’s a great pleasure to see graduates take their modelmaking skills into practice. Where possible I always try to take the opportunities to learn just how these skills are used in their work and this has been one such occasion. Peter has been kind enough to discuss his experience over the last 3 years in practice since graduating from MSA.


After graduating from my masters in 2016 I wanted a bit of a change from Manchester so started applying for jobs in cities that I wanted to live in, mostly abroad, and HENN was the first place that got back to me. The job description was particularly interesting in that it was a mostly model making role within the design / competition team, which suited my skill set pretty well.

On a day to day basis I produce a lot of sketch models, mostly for internal use which really helps with making design decisions. Because of the fast pace of competitions (they generally last a month or two), people are often jumping between projects. Having a model in front of you is a much easier way of understanding site conditions, massings and contextual relationships than working purely with software because it has this tangible quality. 

The workshop has a laser cutter, spray booth, hot wire cutters, disc sander, sandblasting cabinet and Ultimaker S5 3D Printer. Mostly we work with foam, card and acrylic – occasionally we get things outsourced or made in the HENN Munich office, which has more machines available for woodwork.

In terms of setup it’s a lot more restricted than what the students have access to at B.15 which is mainly due to spatial constraints. The office is located in a 70s East Berlin tower and there isn’t enough space for more equipment -however, it’s more than sufficient for producing competition / presentation models. It also serves a different purpose as a workshop for a commercial practice – B.15 is more about giving students the opportunity to learn and therefore supports a wider variety of techniques and materials that aren’t necessarily appropriate or efficient for me to use.

Most of my time is spent on massing and context models but it really depends on what is important to the project – it could also be façade models, mock-ups of internal spaces, more conceptual pieces etc.

Around two years ago I produced a sketch model for an office tower competition in Hamburg which we went on to win. The massing was derived by cutting out foam slabs and arranging them to generate a stepping double height void moving up the lower part of the building. When placed in the context model and compared with other designs it was clear that it was the right way forward – while it was more conservative than some options it fulfilled all the masterplan requirements while retaining an interesting spatial logic.

The competition was also a different format from usual in that we had a lot of contact with the client / developer during the design process. People always love it when you turn up with a model, especially if it’s not required – in this case we brought a lot of sketch models which gave an insight into the design process that the client wouldn’t normally see. It’s also more interesting to have something more tactile in front of you instead of being sat in front of slides and slides of presentation, which definitely worked in our favour.

Leading practices at the moment like Morris and Co, Carmody Groarke are really pushing the use of models as an important design tool and it would be good to see that trickle down into the majority of practices. I have had two architectural jobs before this one – the only time models were around was for presentations and they were always built by a specialist model maker. Software is all well and good but I feel you can always make better design decisions if you have a physical representation in front of you.

If I could change anything about my work on a personal level it would be to be a bit more poetic with my model making through abstract / conceptual models and material explorations – most of what I do at the moment is pretty representational. Having said that, I really enjoy my job here. It can be long hours from time to time but it often feels like an extension of architecture school due to the quick nature of competitions and room to experiment. It’s also good to see models being used as a design tool and being able to use my skills to collaborate with other specialists, such as computational designers.


Thank you to HENN for allowing us to share this insight and to Peter for his thoughts, time and continued enthusiasm towards the work we do here in B.15.

– Scott

Peter at work in on his MArch final major project B.15 Workshop in May 2016