Rather than a simulated form of practice, our interpretation of professional studies focused on using rigourous architectural approaches to justify deviation from habitual architectural behaviour. Developed and taught In collaboration with HTA Design, our professional studies unit undertakes a series of design-research investigations developed with partners across the city. In PS1, we worked with Southway Housing Trust to investigate the potential of retrofitting a ‘Radburn’ estate in south Manchester into an older people’s cohousing community. Each student was given a set of constraints to explore, creating a systematic feasibility study which was present to Southway Housing Trust. The proposals have significantly altered Southway’s understanding about how they might respond to issues of ageing and the potential to diversify housing stock without significant demolition.

Our PS2 brief was developed with Manchester City Council (MCC) and the Far East Consortium (FEC) –who are developing the 12,000 home ‘Northern Gateway’ regeneration programme in north Manchester. MCC and FEC wanted to understand how their development could be more equitable for existing residents and achieve the goals set out in the council’s ‘Age-Friendly’ strategy. Informed by a parallel academic research project and their own engaged research activities, students produced a series of masterplans and building proposals which combined housing, commercial space and social infrastructure. Each group was challenged to use design as a form of creative negotiation, bringing together the seemingly contradictory requirements of 5 stakeholders through design. The proposal will be formally reported back to MCC, FEC and local stakeholders in Autumn 2020.