This week we had a brilliant workplace tour of the B15 model making workshop by Scott Miller and his team. Great to see how our future architects are taught such a wide spectrum of bespoke skills in a wide variety of materials from wood, jesmonite to concrete.

The finished models are breathtaking!

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B.15 modelmaking workshop was established in 1970 with the opening of the Architecture and Planning Building, now known as the Humanities Bridgeford Street Building. At the time of it’s opening and throughout the ensuing years the school consisted of 100-150 students. This changed dramatically upon the joint agreement between The University of Manchester and Manchester Metroplitan University to form the Manchester School of Architecture in 1996 which continues to present day. 

Today the school has over 1000 students and the workshop continues to offer Modelmaking services and advice across all UG and PG courses on offer. At its heart B.15 is a traditional machine shop that has evolved to accommodate more contemporary equipment such as Laser Cutter, 3D Printers and a CNC machine and craft processes such as moulding and casting. This range of equipment and processes is utilised through staff student consultation that is tailored to each students requirements. The space is supervised by four members of technical staff from a range of backgrounds. They are Scott Miller, Paulina Voang, Lara Gerrard and Angus Riddell. Find out more about their work via B.15 social media @b15workshop and the B.15 Blog page: www.manchester.ac.uk/b15workshop

Date: 7 Jul 2021

Author: Cassandra Hodgkinson

Once again, we held a Technicial Stills competition, but with a slight difference.

This year we were looking for photographs to represent the work that techncial staff across The Unviersity of Manchester had been involved with over the past year – whether working from home, back on campus, in the field or something in-between.

There were over 50 photographs submitted, and we hope you enjoy the collage of them that we include with this article. They were all sent for judging by Russell Hart.

Russell works for The Unviersity of Manchester as a designer in the Division of Communications, Marketing and Student Recruitment. However, he is also a freelance photographer, who specialises in football, people and events. If you would like to see more of his work, you can visit his website https://www.russell-hart.co.uk/. It is his passion and interest in photography that qualified him as the right person to assess the photographs that were submitted.

In 3^rd place:

Megan Barker – Research Technician, Department of Earth and Environmental Science (FSE) with the photo “Amanita muscaria – an ectomycorrhizal beauty”.

In 2^nd place:

Holly Langridge – Research Technician, Department of Earth and Environmental Science, (FSE) with the photo “Suspended roots wide”.

In 1^st place:

Sanjai Patel – Fly Facility Manager (FBMH) with the photo “Sorting fruit flies for gender and phenotype”.

The comment submitted from Russells:

The winning photo is a strong documentative composition and to me represents how staff have continued to perform their field of work despite the unique circumstances of the last year or so, and images such as this will act as an important record for people to look back on in years to come!

Everyone on the TEaM Steering Group is very appreciative for the engagement with this competition, and will look forward to using the entries to produce the TEaM desk calendar for the 2021/22 academic year.

There have been many changes in the way technical staff have had to work and adapt to the fluctuating conditions under Covid. 2020 was quite a year! Watch the Geography laboratories review.

For both the individual and team awards the judges were looking for outstanding performance and, more specifically, evidence of how the individuals or teams have significantly and tangibly contributed to maintaining a positive, open and respectful working environment where people work cooperatively together, have excelled at breaking down boundaries and communicating fully to achieve outstanding organisational benefits. Teams also had to demonstrate that they have a shared ethos which has led to either a significant one-off achievement or to sustained high performance

Small Team: Geography Laboratory Team, School of Environment, Education and Development, FHUMS Team members: John Moore, Jonathan Yarwood, Thomas Bishop, Martin Kay The Geography Laboratory Team is based in the School of Environment, Education and Development.

This team of four is described as being extremely enthusiastic and experienced. The aim of the team is always to give the best support possible to students, academics and researchers wishing to use the laboratories.

Members always strive to go the ‘extra mile’ in all aspects of their work. Their commitment and dedication has ensured that the laboratories have thrived in recent years and represent a worldclass facility. They have worked together to deliver the highest standards in both teaching and research and this has been recognised in outstanding student feedback and also has contributed to the production of world-leading research outputs.

In addition to this success, the team has also been very active in wider University initiatives, especially in sustainability and outreach activities to local schools.