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
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
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.
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!
Hi all,
It goes without saying this has been a challenging year for everyone which makes it all the more rewarding to be able to celebrate the fantastic range of modelmaking work MSA students have been able to produce. Over 50 students submitted work to be judged by experts modelmaker/architects from our collaborators.
Judging was as always a fun process and it was difficult to come to final conclusions with all parties praising the varied work.
“It was refreshing to see a completely different approach to materiality because of the situation. Compared to previous years the lack of 3D printing and less laser cutting was refreshing to see that the use of these means that were there were really well thought out along with a lot of recycled materials being used. A great focus on what can I find to use as opposed to overuse of expensive materials and processes – Super Positive considering the tough situation we’ve all been in.”
– Phillipa Seagrave, Modelmaker at Bjarke Ingels Group
It was decided that there would be 4 equal prizes, one per judging party.
Through a collective agreement the 4 winners are as follows:
Saul Bunyan BA3
Matthew Meeson MArch1
Dan Warren & Mona Tamaru MArch2
Patrick Davies MArch2
Judges from our collaborators were as follows:
SimpsonHaugh: Kaia Williams and Kristin Mishra
HENN: Peter Lee, Oliver Koch & Lando Schumpich
Bjarke Ingels Group: Phillipa Seagrave, Paula Gonzalez & Artemis Antonopoulou
Thank you all for making this a continued success and congratulations to our winners!
Take care, Scott & Saul @ B.15
Hi All,
The full submissions document for this years B.15 Modelmaking Awards can now be found here.
Judging has now taken place will representatives from Bjarke Ingels Group, SimpsonHaugh and HENN and the winners will be announced at the all school awards online presentation event on June 18th.
This was once again a very difficult process and all parties were very impressed with the quality of the projects given the difficult year everybody has had. All students should be very proud of their efforts and we look forward to working with you all again in future!
Scott, Saul and our collaborators
We’re very pleased to announce our annual awards will go ahead and that we’ll be joined again by the fantastic international panel consisting of representatives from: SimpsonHaugh (Manchester), HENN (Berlin) and Bjarke Ingels Group (Copenhagen).
These awards are open to all students across all years of BA & MArch and we encourage anybody with modelmaking from studio/design work this academic year to submit.
Your work will be viewed by representatives from the collaborating practices and the resulting winners presented on June 18th at an all school event (link TBC).
What are we looking for?
Any individual or group projects 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!
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.
Have a look at last years submissions here as an example of how to lay out your work.
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/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.
• 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
These must be submitted to scott.miller@manchester.ac.uk by 10.00am UK Time on Tuesday June 1st.
Good luck to everyone and well done getting through this year!
Scott and Saul @ B15
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
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
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
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
Final judging for this years Mecanoo B.15 Modelamking awards took place on Friday afternoon ahead of the end of year show opening.
Representatives from Mecanoo were Laurens Kistemaker, Paul Daly, Oliver Boaler along with former MSA Student and previous award winner Sara Hammond. Representing MSA were Jim and myself and Dr Ray Lucas.
As with last years award judging looked at the overall quality of the finished models, The effectiveness of their response to the brief and the integration of modelmaking into each students designing process. This proved once again to be very tough and created a fantastic post-marking deliberation over the final results.
“I was pleasantly surprised by the efforts and quality of the students work, which therefore made it really hard for us to pick just 6 winners. We covered both sides (skill and representation of the brief) of modelmaking with a judging team of 3 modelmakers and 3 architects. I hope we as mecanoo together with Jim and Scott have contributed to push the continued importance of modelmaking in architectural learning and practice.”
– Laurens Kistemaker
Prizes were presented by Laurens Kistemaker and Professor Tom Jefferies to the winners who were as follows:
1st Prize MArch: Daniel Kempski & Peter Lee
2nd Prize MArch: Natalie Dosser & Diana Muresan
3rd Prize MArch: Sam Beddingfield
1st Prize BA (Hons) Architecture: Ciara Tobin
2nd Prize BA (Hons) Architecture: Akhil Mathew
3rd Prize BA (Hons) Architecture: Daniel Vella
We would like to thank all at Mecanoo for their continued support of this award which has already built on last years success with another quality display of projects.
Congratulations to all who made the hard earned short-list and eventual winners! We hope you will continue to employ the use of modelmaking in your learning and future careers whatever they may be.
Scott and Jim at B.15