Industrial Wilderness

Considering we've both lived in Manchester for two years, neither Dan or myself have visited Salford. The adventure started on Bank Holiday Monday and we boarded the tram (I was probably a bit too excited about this!) with the riffraff and ended up on the outskirts of the city under the looming gaze of the new BBC HQ. First stop was the IWM North, having scrutinised the external cladding of this Daniel Libeskind building we had a good look around inside. Next we went and grabbed some lunch at The Lowry where we saw many a painting from the main man himself and a photography exhibition by Mary McCartney, which has beautiful black and white photos of ballet dancers. All in all, I'm glad I've ticket Salford off my list before I leave Manchester but I wouldn't rush back to this empty wasteland. Hopefully warmer weather will draw the crowds...

Afternoon Tea

For the Afternoon Tea session, I was asked to design a flyer to advertise the event. Using my new Wacom Bamboo graphics tablet (an early Christmas present) I produced this illustration based on a cup of tea I once had. The poster went down really well, and I hope to do more of these in the future!

Paper Cinema

Last night we went to see The Paper Cinema's production of Homer's The Odyssey at the Contact Theatre in Manchester. It was the last of the tour dates, and we got the last three tickets, and I am so glad we did. The live performance is created with live ink drawing and moving hand drawn and cut-out illustrations, all to live music created by three musicians alongside the two puppeteers. It was  feast for the eyes, watching the projection on screen, or the moving pieces, or the music makers. The whole experience was fantastic (the video gives you an idea of the splendour) and I hope to see some more Paper Cinema when they're next on tour.

Video by The Difference Machine

Cut Paper

After brunch at Kim By The Sea, Hannah and I headed to the Manchester Art Gallery to visit the Paper at the Cutting Edge exhibition. Who knew the wonderful things that can be created by paper and a scalpel! We were particularly enamoured by Anderson M Studio's stop motion films, Sarah Bridgeland's 1950s inspired pieces and Rob Ryan's massive and beautiful paper cut. We've been very much inspired!

Crazy Town

On Saturday lunchtime I arrived in Wales to catch up with my university unit for a study visit to Portmeirion. It was designed and built by the somewhat eccentric architect Clough William-Ellis, and for us was a surreal backdrop to create films about perception, imagination and form. It has really got me thinking/stretching my brain but through the creative process I think we have come up with incredibly interesting outcomes.

Slice of Knowing

I'm going to be a first year teaching assistant again this year. Part of the application was to create an image, my interpretation of what I'd bring to the role. I suppose I'm the Spoon of Instruction!

Wrapped Trees

When you're out and about and you see something unusual and knitted, after posting it online, I am the person you tag in the photo! It happens a lot, but I don't mind! Lucy spotted these interesting wool wrapped trees in Hulme park over the summer and as I walked back from town on Saturday afternoon I was happy to see they were still there. They're something out of the ordinary that makes you stop, change route and go and discover. I wonder what other weird and wonderful things have popped up in Manchester since I've been away?!

London v Manchester

Over the last few weeks I have been absorbing the art and culture of the two cities. In London I wasn't too sure about Herzog & de Meuron's Serpentine Pavilion - it just felt so dark "inside"or underneath but the flexible use of space and varied seating arrangements were clever. I also checked out the Heatherwick Studio: Designing the Extraordinary exhibition at the V&A. Seemingly crammed into a small room, there was so much to see from furniture to architecture to vehicle design. It really got me back in the mood for studying and thinking about the collaborative designer I want to be. Back in Manchester I love seeing the paintings of Lowry at the Manchester Art Gallery and we had fun in the kaleidoscope of the interactive exhibition space.

Tatton Park

We have been making the most of a few free weeks to escape the city of Manchester and go to explore the surrounding countryside. Last week we went for a 'trek' in the Peak District, and today we visited Tatton Park. First we had a picnic in the parkland and then had a wander around the beautiful gardens.

Architectural Graphics

It's late and I should be in bed but my mind is teaming with ideas. Our portfolio deadline is on Friday and I have been wracking my brains to think of the best way to present my work. A3 booklet, half A1 sheets, I just can't decide! Then I came across this graphical image by the architect Kate Macintosh - who was in the film Utopia London which we saw when we first started our studies here in Manchester. I love the almost dirty colour, muted tones and simple fonts. Dan said why not set your portfolio out like an old housing brochure, it is housing I'm doing after all. Here are some great American examples. The mind keep whirring...

Image from Utopia London

This Place

Yesterday on the bus into town, the route I always take on the occasions I get the bus, I saw a sign a sign which read: on this site Charlotte Bronte wrote Jane Eyre. It's one of my favourite books and it was written a 5 minute from where I currently live!

Image by Sam Kittinger via thefoxisblack

Latin Jam

Last night we went to the Latin jazz jam at Matt and Phred's. As soon as the music started I was transported to the warmth of Cuba. Anyone is invited to jam with the band, and a saxophonist, a flute player, a drummer and this wonder singer joined in. Summertiiiime and the living is easy. Today I've been listening to the Buena Vista Social Club to keep me in the Caribbean spirit.

Luxury?

Yesterday, the girls and I went up to New Islington to check out one of the two sites which we will be using to investigate our architectural ideas this semester. The one here in North Manchester is the quasi-urban site. It has been the subject of much debate in relation to the regeneration of this part of the city. I don't really understand the place in itself; as you step further and further away from the bustling city centre you are met by a quiet graveyard of red brick warehouses. Past is this developing wasteland, which, though full of potential, I don't see quite working in its current state. Where are the small shops and businesses, the village heart? Anyway, let's see what our investigations bring up. Here's our unit blog: Architecture as Urban Catalyst.

They're Alive

Fiona came to visit this weekend and on Sunday morning we made a cultural trip to the Manchester Museum. It was literally stuffed with taxidermy (!) but also had a small collection of live creatures in the vivarium. Chameleons, bright orange frogs, snakes, iguanas! Well worth a visit!

Also check out Fiona's blog of her time at an orphanage in Cambodia - her photography is ace!

Urbanized

On Thursday night we went to see a screening of the Gary Hustwit film documentary, Urbanized. I haven't (yet) seen his other two films, Helvetic and Objectified, but having read reviews about this one and seen the trailer, I was really keen to go. The film presents case studies of different cities who have input different ideas to solve the problems caused by the mass urbanisation of our planet. 

The mayor of Bogota was fantastic, so enthusiastic having taken his position in office to bring in a super bus ways and ignore cars to focus on cycle and pedestrian networks. My ears pricked up about Detroit, who's population has decreased from 2 million to 700,000 in recent years, as the communities have started up urban gardens in the plots of lands where houses have been abandoned.

In a debate after these issues were discussed in relation to Manchester and what I concluded is that it is all about deeds not words. We, the individuals, need to get of our bottoms and make a different.

All in all it was a truly inspiring film.

Trailer from urbanizedfilm.com

Food Futures

So I'm supposed to be packing. After work tomorrow, I'm heading back up to Manchester for the next semester of study. I really need to get back into my dissertation reading, so this distraction is valid. I've just received the current issue of Icon magazine and it's called 'The Future of Food'. Just up my street and they have an article on my favourite architects, Work AC. I must keep packing, but I'm looking forward to sitting down and having a read of this when I get back up north!

Image from Icon

Art Gallery

On Tuesday afternoon I met Helen and Christina to have a wander around the Manchester Art Gallery. I loved seeing the Lowrys and above are a few more of my favourites.

At Night

Computer rendering is something that's taking architectural design onto another level, something I've yet to get my head around. Jack, a fellow Manchester architecture student, has entered one of his MA project renders into the 4th Advanced Architecture Contest. Please 'like' the image at the link here and share it too!

Image by Jack O'Reilly

Insta Gram

Clockwise from top left: inside/outside warehouse/striplight; choco pud from our dinner party; sunrise in Hulme; Delilah the orchid; tonight's fish pie; funky lampshade. Life in Manchester is good, especially with Instagram in tow!

Men's Clothes

Lucy and I reconvened in the Northern Quarter for lunch on Saturday and on the way to an art shop, our eyes were caught by a lovely wooly hat! In Oi Polloi they sell menswear though the man inside assured us girls could wear them too. The hat's by Howlin' by Morrison, knitted in Ireland. I'd like one for the winter approaching!

Images from Howlin' by Morrison