The MSA is at the forefront of placing teaching on the climate and biodiversity crises throughout our student programmes – making us one of the most progressive schools of architecture. We continue to innovate and add to our holistic and pluralistic approach which places climate justice central to our teaching.

We are currently progressing the roll-out of MMU’s award winning carbon literacy programme to ensure that all our students are certified carbon literate by 2026. Our BA1 were the first to receive the training during their BA Skills programme in the second semester.

We are delighted to welcome visiting professor, Mina Hasman, to the MSA. Mina is a widely recognised industry expert. She currently leads SOM’s sustainability practice and is co-leader of the firm’s Climate Action Group. Mina also led the Cross-Industry Action Group which developed the Climate Framework. She was elected to RIBA’s Council in July 2022. Mina will bring her extensive knowledge and experience to help the MSA’s ambition to be at the forefront of tackling climate change, the approach to teaching climate literacy, and will provide lectures and masterclasses to our students.

We additionally welcome Dr Kate Simpson. Kate’s work focuses on housing transitions, particularly post occupancy evaluation, peoples' experiences of energy and digital technology retrofits, design tools and evaluation toward net zero. She recently contributed to the LETI Climate Emergency Retrofit Guide. Kate will support the climate change lead to deliver across programmes, particularly around crucial issues such as retrofit and post-occupancy evaluation.

We also celebrate the achievements of our Climate Action Group, part of the Manchester Society of Student Architects. Led by Tioluwalase Delight Olojede, they have been involved in peer-to-peer learning through co-works, organised a ‘Treasure not Trash’ day to repurpose old models, and led a sustainability design charette with students from the University of Bath on Earth Day.

We look forward to further elevating the climate and biodiversity crisis in our school in the next academic year.

Dr Angela Connelly
MSA Climate Change Lead

MSSA Climate Action Group (CAG)

Our group aims to raise awareness of the built environment’s relationship with the Climate and Ecological Emergency.

This year we have organised different activities such as a trip to Castlefield Viaduct, an example of ecological and social revitalisation of post-carbon infrastructure. A Photography competition and submissions to MSSA’s M+ Zine.

In collaboration with MSA Co-Works, we hosted a series of workshops about sustainable ‘making’ looking at the creative process of model-making and scaling that up to buildings. Through these interactive sessions, students were able to express their concerns and questions on sustainability and model-making. The Earthships workshop was an exciting way to explore with natural and low-tech methods of design and construction.

We began an initiative called ‘Treasure, not Trash’ to rethink our design and ‘making’ culture through the lens of 'Reuse'. We had a studio clear-up of unused models and had a sorting session for the recycling, reuse or discarding of materials. As a group, we worked together to collect, dissemble, and sort the materials, and think of ways this ‘trash’ could turn into ‘treasure’. (The boxes are on the 3rd floor if you want to make use of any of the material).

For Earth Day, we hosted a design and modelling charrette in collaboration with Architecture students from the University of Bath. We discussed the importance of investing in the planet and designing for the ‘displaced’ and displacement due to climate change. The event opens doors for future collaborations and more interactive design and debate sessions.