We had an amazing four days at our first ever Manchester PLACED Academy Studio Summer School.
Our Manchester summer school was generously hosted by Manchester School of Architecture (MSA) and saw us welcome 42 young people to kick off our 2025-26 Studio programme, with an intense four days of workshops!
Over the four days, we:
⭐️ Had a group of over 40+ young people in the room every day
⭐️ Heard from a range of professionals in the built environment, including Lindsay Bush and Rachel Newton of Manchester School of Architecture, Jess Twigg and Jess Postgate of LDA Design, Luke Richards of Lucid Design Studio Ltd., Elliot Read of PJA, Tim Marjot of Levitt Bernstein, Kiran Kenny of Planit, Louise Taylor of BDP (Building Design Partnership Ltd), Jennifer Oliver of Civic Engineers, Oliver Boaler of Rochdale Development Agency and Linda Jean Pittwood Ph.D of National Trust
⭐️ Heard from PLACED Ambassadors Matt Fear, Erin Taafe, Nancy Marrs, Katie Allan, Graeme Moore, and Elise Ainsworth (PLACED Academy Alumni)
⭐️ Were given a fantastic guided tour of the Castlefield Viaduct by National Trust, where the young people conducted themed site analysis and sketched a section of the viaduct
⭐️ Discussed key themes, communities and collective ideas. Our cohort thought about who they were designing for and why, then designed phase two of the Castlefield Viaduct
⭐️ Introduced lots of concepts including social value, masterplanning, heritage, biodiversity and how to incorporate them in designs
⭐️ Saw our young people design, model and present their version of phase two of the Castlefield Viaduct to their peers and supporting professionals, including The National Trust and PLACED team
We’re very proud of our cohort for getting stuck in and contributing to the design and presentation of their phase two viaduct projects. They impressed all the supporting professionals and university staff with their creativity and skill sets!
Our young people also got a first hand look at different careers in the built environment. Many young people discussed their career of interest and potential education pathways with supporting professionals!
⏰ The programme continues in September with monthly sessions to support our cohort’s ongoing development and we can’t wait. Our first skills session will focus on architectural drawing, on Tuesday 14th of September, so keep an eye out for that!
A huge thank you to everyone involved in making PLACED Academy possible, with their support, time and sponsorship. It’s a real team effort, and the impact is clear to see.
Thank you to the Manchester School of Architecture for hosting us and giving our young people an insight into higher education!
