BA2 in Architecture develops core architectural skills while encouraging creative exploration. Students engage with urgent questions around environment and the role of architecture within the community.
Studio 2.1 - Guardians of the Canals: The Vision for Castlefield
Castlefield is one of Manchester’s most layered urban landscapes, shaped by intersecting waterways, railway viaducts, and industrial remnants. Within this complex setting lie underused post-industrial “pockets” - brownfield and residual spaces that offer opportunities to rethink the area’s social, economic, and ecological role.
MSA second-year students developed a vision for Castlefield in collaboration with the community-led Castlefield Forum. Their proposals reinvigorate overlooked sites while strengthening local identity. Each scheme centres on a small facility for environmental scientists - such as ecologists, botanists, or hydrologists - working alongside the water, paired with public spaces that encourage environmental awareness and community engagement.
Studio 2.2 - Creating Creative Spaces
Chorlton is known for its independent shops, vibrant social life, and strong community character, yet it also contains buildings awaiting renewal. These sites provide an opportunity to rethink how existing fabric can support changing patterns of living and working.
Student proposals respond through adaptive reuse - transforming existing structures to meet contemporary needs while reducing the embodied carbon of demolition and rebuilding. Working with high street sites, students retain much of the existing fabric while introducing carefully considered new interventions. Programmes combine spaces for making, collaboration, and living, reflecting Chorlton’s creative identity.
Together, the projects demonstrate how thoughtful design can support local life, extend the lifespan of buildings, and promote more sustainable urban futures.
We extend our sincere thanks to our staff, contributors, and, most importantly, our students. It has been a pleasure to work with you all.
