The MA Architecture + Urbanism course is the Manchester School of Architecture's taught postgraduate course which conducts research into how global cultural and economic forces influence contemporary cities. The design, functioning and future of urban situations is explored in written, drawn and modelled work which builds on the legacy of twentieth century urban theory and is directed towards the development of sustainable cities.

Saturday 29 October 2011

Architecture+Urbanism recommends "Richard W. Hayes - Agency and Activism : The Yale Building Project"



Richard W. Hayes will be discussing his recent book The Yale Building Project: The First Forty Years as part of the MARC lecture series

Date 1 November 2011 2-4 pm
Venue Coupland 1 Pear Lecture Theatre University of Manchester

In the video below Mr. Hayes discusses the book at The Architecture Foundation

Agency and Activism: The Yale Building Project from The Architecture Foundation on Vimeo.

Wednesday 26 October 2011

Useless in Lisbon



A group of MA A+U students will be visiting Lisbon in November, with other students from Manchester School of Art, to participate in a workshop for this autumn's design biennale. Useless is the proposed theme for EXD’11, the international biennale dedicated to design, architecture and creativity. The programme seeks to provide insight and incentive, challenging the audience to discuss and reflect on concepts and preconceptions connected to use and its absence. The theme is provocative and stirring and leads to concrete issues: questioning creative production and consumption from the point of view of usefulness, function and use of resources to answer problems; putting the production process within a framework of contemporary ethical and aesthetical concepts, in an increasingly global world. Likewise, Useless can inspire a more conceptual and symbolic reflection on the importance of things like beauty, dream and invention.

The 6th edition of the Biennale brings to Lisbon some of the most thought-provoking leading figures in graphic design, product design, social design and architecture, among others. The Portuguese capital will once again become the setting for an international multidisciplinary platform where curators propose new, bespoke content in the sphere of design culture and contemporary creativity. Mixing academic theorists and specialist practitioners, EXD addresses not only the creative community but also the audience at large.

While in Lisbon the students have also been charged with scoping out potential speakers for the third MA A+U Symposium due to be held in the spring of 2012.

Saturday 22 October 2011

Architecture + Urbanism recommends "Mario Carpo - The Alphabet and the Algorithm"



As part of the Manchester Architecture Research Centre Autumn Lecture Series Professor Mario Carpo will be talking about his research and his recent book The Alphabet and the Algorithm.

Date 2-4 pm Monday 24 October
Venue Coupland 1 Pear Lecture Theatre University of Manchester

Here he talks about his recent research

Watch this video on Vimeo. Video created by IKKM.

Thursday 20 October 2011

Corridor Manchester Design Competition



Setting an Agenda for Future Design Proposals for Oxford Road

This is a design competition for collaborating teams of MA students, and professionals to develop innovative and deliverable design proposals for two problem sites on Oxford Road.
Premise –
• Decisions on funding for the bus corridor in Oxford Road will be made in the near future
• Once the decisions are made there is likely to be a tight timetable for delivery and little time for reflection on options for difficult sites.
• There are two such difficult sites that need resolution if Oxford Road is to fulfil its potential.

o the Underpass under the Mancunian Way
o the Gateway area of confused pedestrian walkways, entrances and cycleways between Whitworth Park and Contact Theatre and including the pedestrian walkways both sides of Oxford Road, the entrances to Whitworth Park, the Whitworth Art Gallery, the new Eye Hospital Development and Contact Theatre, and the area in front of the existing shopping parade on Western side of Oxford Road between Denmark Street and Contact Theatre.

• Both of these sites are opinion forming entrance nodes on what should be one of the primary cultural destinations within Manchester.
• At present neither is living up to its potential.
• People are not encouraged to explore.
• The perception is that the area between these nodes is only offering local services rather than hosting such important learning and cultural resources :

Facilitating free and fluid movement towards and between all venues and attractions is a vital part of enabling the Corridor to fulfil its potential.
Once funding decisions are made there may well be an urgent rush to get finance committed and spent and opportunities for innovation may well be lost, hence our interest in progressing proposals now.

Wednesday 19 October 2011

Running the City



New MA A+U student Pablo Estafanell has been running along the Rochdale Canal scoping out his design project

Saturday 15 October 2011

Beit Scholar Nicholson Kumwenda



One especially welcome new member of the 2011 MA A+U cohort is Nicholson Kumwenda who holds a Beit Scholarship. Nicholson studied previously at the University of Malawi and will be concentrating on issues of sustainability while at the msa. His scholarship was awarded by The Beit Trust.

Tuesday 11 October 2011

Architecture + Urbanism recommends "Cities in Transformation ─ Research & Design"




Ambrogio Lorenzetti. Allegory of Good Government: Effects of  Good Government in the City.

Cities in Transformation ─ Research & Design
Ideas, Methods, Techniques, Tools, Case Studies

EAAE/ARCC Conference on Architectural Research
Milano 7-12 June 2012 - Politecnico di Milano

The European Association for Architectural Education (EAAE) and the Architectural Research Centers Consortium (ARCC) are holding their joint 2012 Architectural Research Conference Cities in transformation Research and Design in Milano, Italy.

Politecnico di Milano (University established in 1863) welcomes researchers, educators, practitioners and scholars in architecture, planning and landscape to become involved.
The Conference is to serve as a forum for the dissemination and discussion of architectural research issues, concerns, findings, approaches, philosophies, and potentials arising from the rich and complex themes related to urban Transformations.



Thursday 6 October 2011

Architecture + Urbanism recommends '61/11 Continuous Collective'



BDP's "Continuous Collective" fiftieth anniversary exhibition describes the practice’s ethos and early work, moving on to displaying its top projects over the last 15 years in a series of models, and features its approach to interdisciplinary design and its present and future projects internationally. It will be on show at the CUBE Gallery in Manchester from 8 October to 5 November.

The MA A+U degree show continues on exhibition in the adjacent RIBAhub until October 14.



The BDP exhibition will transfer to the Minster in Preston from 8-20 November - the city where the practice was founded and where they designed the iconic Preston Bus Station

Sunday 2 October 2011

MA Architecture + Urbanism Colloquium 2011



You are cordially invited to a celebration of the work of the MA Architecture + Urbanism graduating cohort of 2011 on the afternoon of
Thursday 6 October in RIBA hub

2.00 Luke Butcher MA
2.30 Preeya Vadgama MA
3.00 Carrie Bayley MA
3.30 Jack O' Reilly MA
4.00 Kathryn Timmins MA


The MA Show 2011 continues on exhibition until October 14
Related Posts with Thumbnails