GMC21 The Modernist Edit: The Manchester Modernists have just published their survey of twenty-first century architecture in Manchester and Salford.
Are you in it?
Phil Griffin architectural commentator, is joined by Eddy Rhead, writer and Modernist founder, and Daniel Hopkinson, architectural photographer credited with many images in the book.
GMC21 is available to buy on the night…..You’ll love it.
The information for each building has been collected with the help of the architectural firms involved, with a huge amount of support and goodwill from all of them and from the architectural photographers that have worked with them. Each entry includes factual information, a short contextual description and high-quality photographs.”
£5 a ticket which includes a drink.
Tickets are now on sale: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/714828741007?aff=oddtdtcreator
The most awaited night of the year is back! Tickets for this year’s MSA Annual Dinner are now available to purchase. As always, spaces are limited so book early to avoid missing out on your chance to attend!
The event will start at 18:30 with arrival drinks at the remarkable Hallé St Peter’s, followed by dinner and a night of entertainment coming to a close at 23:45.
Early bird tickets are priced at £95 + VAT per person and each table sits a maximum of 10 people.
To purchase a ticket please email proof of Bacs transaction to dinner@the-msa.co.uk and await confirmation. In the email please include the address that you’d like the invoice to be addressed to – along with any additional information such as questions or dietary requirements. Early bird deadline is 30th September.
—
Manchester Society of Architects Bank Details: 08-92-99 / 65538177
—
Date: 09.11.23 Time: 18:30 Location: Hallé St Peter’s Price: £95 + VAT per person (early bird)
One Off House Unbuilt Award Winner: TC Residence by Alter Studio This complete transformation of an existing bungalow draws on the spirit of the locality to create a quiet cluster of domestic forms, and an intriguing enfilade of living spaces.
One Off House Built Award Winner: Vestige by Smith & Young This modest new-build house demonstrates an extraordinary sensitivity to its suburban context and at the same time, expresses a contemporary formal and spatial dynamic; at the same time simple but beautifully detailed interiors offer a sense of calm.
Community Unbuilt Award Winner: Wellbank Community Hub by Artform Architects This community hub design sensitively translates the barn building typology into a multi-functional building whose generous gabled porticos and epic roofs feel at home in its rural setting.
Community Built Award Winner: Church of Ascension Reconstruction by Buttress This project is a miraculous resurrection of Salford’s Church of Ascension, destroyed by arson. Exemplary in its use of traditional materials, the reconstruction has introduced more light and universal access to a once again welcoming and resilient community facility.
Small Project Award Winner: Little Underbank by Kelsall Architects This is a joyful restoration of a derelict Grade II Stockport building into a co-working community space and shop. This project preserves and celebrates heritage on a budget, proving the value that care and imagination are the key to the revival of places.
Commercial Unbuilt Award Winner: Florence Square, Water Lane by DLA This scheme creates a sense of generosity at its base, with double height colonnades and generous public spaces at its base. Façade material, patterning and proportions are all handled careful to create a quietly sophisticated pair of buildings.
Commercial Built Award Winner: 11 & 12 Wellington Place by TP Bennett The project is not only a BREAAM Outstanding office building, but it represents good urban design offering an interstitial passage and bridge, and a façade language that offers human scale and rhythm and generous streetscape language to its heritage context.
Commercial Retrofit & Extension Award Winner: Tileyard North by Hawkins Brown This multi-building restoration of Grade II Listed mill buildings embodies their ability to provide robust new social and cultural infrastructure perfectly suited for the creative industries, but also with generous civic spaces that will enrich its wider locality.
Multiple Residential Unbuilt Award Winner: Passivhaus Living & Co-working at The George by Ollier Smurthwaite Architects This project, part of a trio of substantial urban buildings, promises to be a characterful and well proportioned hybrid of residential tower and warehouse. Dwellings are well planned, neighbouring brick viaduct is playfully channelled to become a co-working hub, forming a generous gesture to the street.
Multiple Residential Built Award Winner: Project 531 by Project 3 Architects This project successfully introduces medium density 4-plex residential typology into a low rise residential neighbourhood. Entrances and thresholds have been articulated carefully, although they lack that green threshold, the planted buffer zone that the neighbouring dwellings enjoy.
Residential Retrofit & Extension Award Winner: Ford House by LIND Studio This project is a complex conversion of a Grade II listed building into a multi-occupancy building. At the same time extends it to create two additional dwellings. The stony character of the existing building is captured in the new extension and celebrated in both detail and in the way light is handled against the interior finishes.
Future Architect award Winner: Topo-Licy by Thomas Lee, Alexander Wallace & Samuel Mason This masters thesis project Topolicy is a fully developed architectural proposition that operates across multiple physical and conceptual scales. The students have deployed their critical assessment of Cumbria’s regional development policies as a springboard for the architectural imagination in the service of local communities and ecologies. Their proposed interventions – clustered buildings, landscapes and even construction methodologies are represented with rigour and extraordinary beauty.
Lifetime Achievement Award Winner: Stephen Hodder This year’s lifetime achievement award goes to someone synonymous with Manchester architecture but who has also left their mark beyond. Still creating outstanding work this year marks their 40th year in practice; Stephen Hodder MBE. He founded Hodder Associates in 1992 and within a year won the Royal Fine Arts Commission/Sunday Times Building of the Year award for Colne Swimming Pool, followed by the Stirling Prize for the Centenary Building at the University of Salford. Throughout his career, Stephen has received numerous honours, including an MBE, honorary doctorates, and has served in influential positions such as RIBA President. He continues to receive recognition with over 60 major awards, including 17 for the Welcome Building at RHS Bridgewater.
Presidents Choice Award Winner: Tileyard North by Hawkins Brown This project resurrects a group of derelict listed buildings to create a facility of national significance. Their brief was to fix a missing piece in the waterfront of Wakefield. That is achieved by faithful restoration and artful new interventions with place making at its heart.
Our mission is ‘to champion and nurture the present and future architects of our city region’. This event is all about championing the excellent work that you all produce and so it’s great to see you turn out in force to celebrate the achievements of Manchester’s Architects. This year’s presentation event took place in an example of that work with New Century Hall being a fantastic refurbishment project by Sheppard Robson. We were pleased to be joined on the night by friends and colleagues from across the construction industry.
We couldn’t put on events of that scale and quality without the support of our amazing sponsors. A huge thank you to – Wienerberger, Beplas, RGB Facades, Solos, Reynaers Aluminium, QPSL, SieMatic, Cosentino and of course the RIBA North West!
The achievements of our members and us coming together each year to celebrate that is well matched to the very definition of society. There were a good number and range of submissions this year and competition in some categories was very strong so unfortunately there were some very worthy schemes that didn’t pick up a prize. Thank you to everyone that entered and well done to all the winners.
Our independent judge for this year was the only UK architect to have received the RIBA’s Stirling Prize, The Manser Medal (twice!), RIBA House of the Year and the Stephen Lawrence Prize – Alison Brooks. Raised in Ontario before moving to London, Alison founded her practice in 1996. Much of her career has been dedicated to housing including the outstanding Stirling Prize winning Accordia in Cambridge, and Stirling shortlisted Newhall Be. Recently the Smile, a timber pavilion for the 2016 London Design Festival attracted global attention. We were delighted she could join us in person on the night to present the awards.
Alison Brooks will be this year’s judge of the Manchester Society of Architects Awards and we couldn’t be move thrilled!
Alison Brooks is one of the UK’s most highly awarded and internationally acclaimed architects. Raised in Welland and Guelph in Ontario, she studied architecture at the University of Waterloo before moving to the UK in 1988. Since founding her practice in 1996 she has emerged as one of the UK’s most inventive architects with works encompassing urban design and housing, higher education buildings, private houses and public buildings for the arts. In addition to receiving over 70 awards for design achievement she is the only UK architect to have received all of the RIBA’s most prestigious architectural awards: the Stirling Prize, the Manser Medal (twice), RIBA House of the Year 2020 and the Stephen Lawrence Prize.
Alison Brooks’ architectural approach springs from invested research into specific geographies, climate and cultures of each project so that her design solutions to emerge as both unique and relevant to the constituencies they serve. This is beautifully exemplified by her recently completed Cohen Quadrangle at Exeter College, Oxford. The first Oxford College to be designed by a female architect, this building demonstrates the conceptual rigour, sculptural qualities and ingenious detailing that is her practice trademark.
Alison has dedicated much of her professional career to housing design and has completed over 1000 dwellings across the UK, including the Stirling Prize-winning Accordia, Cambridge; Stirling Prize-shortlisted Newhall Be; and Mies EU Award finalist Ely Court in London. Recent high-profile commissions include mixed-use, high density urban developments in London, Vancouver and Toronto.
In the arts and education sector she is currently designing an Entrance Building and Literature Centre for Homerton College Cambridge and an art museum and study centre for one Cambridge’s oldest Colleges. Her cultural projects include the Folkestone Performing Arts Centre and the Smile, the world-famous timber pavilion for the 2016 London Design Festival. In 2022 her practice attained 2nd place in the international competition for the London School of Economics Firoz Llalji Global Hub.
Alison has become a public voice for the profession advocating the role of women in architecture, the resurgence of building craft and the value of timber as an expressive, low carbon building technology. In 2012 she was awarded BD Architect of the Year. She was subsequently awarded 2013 AJ Woman Architect of the Year in recognition of her work in housing, regeneration and education. In 2017 Alison was appointed Royal Designer for Industry by the Royal Society of Arts; London Mayor’s Design Advocate and AJ 100 Contribution to the Profession Award. In 2020 her practice was awarded Dezeen Architect of the Year and BD Housing Architect of the Year.
Alison Brooks has contributed to architectural education for over fifteen years as External Examiner for University of Central London, University of Bath, University of Lincoln and the Architectural Association. She taught a Diploma School Unit at the Architectural Association Diploma School from 2008-2010 and served as External Examiner from 2016-2019. In 2018 Alison was appointed as the John T. Dunlop Design Critic in Architecture at Harvard GSD. Since 2018 she has been Visiting Professor for the Masters in Collective Housing at ETSAM, Universidad Politécnica of Madrid. Alison is currently the Gensler Visiting Critic at Cornell’s AAP School and was awarded the Bethune Award by the University at Buffalo. Alison lectures internationally on architecture and urban design and serves on numerous international design competition juries.
In 2014 Alison was awarded an Alumni Achievement Award by the University of Waterloo, followed by a 2016 Doctorate of Engineering (Hon Causa).
2022RIBA South Building of the Year Cohen Quad Exeter College
2021 RIBA House of the Year Windward House
2021RIBA National Award Windward House
2021 HDA Building with Nature Knight’s Park
2020 BHA Sustainable Development of the Year Knight’s Park
A night to remember as the MSA Dinner makes it return
The MSA Dinner has been a main-stay on the architectural calendar for decades, however, due to the events over the course of the pandemic, it’s not been held since 2019. It was great to finally bring the dinner back to the architectural community of Manchester – a chance to get together, to celebrate the successes over the past year, and ultimately – to party. And the attendees did just that!
Held for the first time at Victoria Warehouse, the venue is made up of two storage warehouses that were used during the early to mid 20th century. It was redeveloped as a music and event space in 2012 and given its current name in 2018. The MSA dinner took over ‘The Bays’ – a space made up of an adjoining bar and dinner / dancing space, built in 1932 for cotton stock, and later storage for Kellogg’s, McVitie’s and Cadbury’s; the Bay’s rich history and interesting architecture made them ideal space for our society dinner.
The event had something for everyone – delicious food, a quality bar service, music from the incredible ‘Mr Wilson’s Second Liners’, a DJ, dancing, Photo Booth and even a dedicated caricaturist who was on hand all night to turn Manchester’s most notable architects into cartoon versions of themselves.
The night was a complete sell-out and we hope to see the dinner returning to it’s right place as a mainstay on the architectural calendar for years to come.
Finally – we couldn’t put on events of that scale and quality without the support of our amazing sponsors. A huge thank you to – AluK, Wienerberger, Beplas, Project Four, Komastyle, Bench Master, QPSL, Solus Ceramics and of course the RIBA North West!
Do Architecture schools prepare you for the real world? We invite you to an open discussion about resilience and Architecture across all stages of your career.
The Manchester Society of Architects (MSA) have collaborated with the MSADU and MSA&U to facilitate this well needed discourse that will promote awareness of the need to prioritise mental health and wellbeing in architectural education and practice.
Time: 5.30pm Location: 403 Benzie Building Tickets are not required for this event
Manchester Society of Architects is pleased to announce a new sponsorship partnership with Solus Ceramics.
“As new sponsors of the Manchester Society of Architects, Solus Ceramics will engage productively and to mutual benefit with the Architecture and Design community of Manchester.
As well as supplying high quality ceramic, porcelain and stone materials, Solus offers RIBA-accredited CPDs, PTV Slip resistance testing, EPD and sustainability documents along with specification writing services. We advocate for sustainable building practices and work with manufacturers who take social and environmental responsibilities seriously. Our team will provide you with support at every stage; from design, to delivery, to installation, to aftercare. We want to become Manchester’s preferred supplier and we believe we have the quality of service this great city demands.
We look forward to supporting the MSA and its members with Solus Sessions, our productive-learning and idea-sharing events. Artists, artisans, and designers have created a menu of guided experiences that you can enjoy as an individual or with your teams. Watch this space for more information.”
Mark Atherton, Head of Regional Sales at Solus Ceramics
Tickets for this year’s MSA annual dinner are now available for purchase. As always, spaces are limited so don’t miss out on your chance to attend.
The event will start at 19:00 with arrival drinks at the stunning Victoria Warehouse, followed by dinner and a night of entertainment coming to a close around 01:00.
Tickets are now priced at £115+VAT per person and each table sits a maximum of 10 people. To purchase a ticket, please email proof of a Bacs transaction to dinner@the-msa.co.uk and await confirmation. In the email, please include the address that you’d like the invoice to be addressed to – along with any additional information such as any questions or dietary requirements.
Manchester Society of Architects Bank Details: 08-92-99 / 65538177
Date: 17.11.22 Time: 19:00 Location: Victoria Warehouse Price: £115 +VAT per person
Quantum Profile Systems Ltd hosted its first ever Building Product Specification Afternoon and Beer Festival on Thursday 14th July 2022, in proud partnership with Manchester Society of Architects.
The event was a great success, with a wide range of building product manufacturers offering their expertise via an exhibition and in 6 micro-CPD sessions. All Architects and Specifiers in attendance were also welcomed to an RIBA accredited tour of the QPSL factory, showcasing Lean manufacturing in action.
After the CPDs and factory tours throughout the afternoon, those in attendance were invited to stay at the QPSL site for food, drink and live music in the evening. There were a wide range of craft beers on offer, along with wines and spirits, and fantastic food including beef brisket and pulled pork.
“It was the perfect combination of food, fun and learning, our members thoroughly enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere” Rob McGinnes President, Manchester Society of Architects.
QPSL and MSA would like to thank all those who came to the event, we hope everybody enjoyed themselves as much as we did! Many thanks also to the manufacturers who shared their expert knowledge on the day:
1. Quantum Flooring – Stair Nosings, Entrance Matting & Flooring Accessories
2. Dacatie – Cavity Closers & Fire Barriers
3. Altro – Floorcoverings
4. Teknos – Paints & Coatings
5. Uzin Utz – Adhesives & Screeds
6. Contract Flooring Association – Flooring Trade body
7. British Woodworking Federation – Timber Industry Trade body
8. SpecifiedBy – Specification Directory
9. Tarkett – Floorcoverings
10. West-Port – Timber Windows & Doors
11. PDS – Doorsets & Fire Doors
12. Xtratherm – Insulation & Enveloping Solutions
13. Forbo – Floorcoverings
14. OH Industri – Door Panels and Door Blanks
