MSA

Manchester School of Architecture has once again been ranked 5th in the world for Architecture and the Built Environment in the QS World University Rankings by Subject. It’s the fourth year in a row we’ve held this position, reflecting sustained strength in teaching, research and our close relationship with practice. Our performance recognises excellence in employability, academic reputation and research impact. It’s also a reflection of the work of our students, staff and alumni, and the practices who continue to engage with us. Professor Kevin Singh, Head of Manchester School of Architecture, said: “We are once again delighted and proud to have been ranked 5th in the prestigious QS world rankings for Architecture. It is even more pleasing that this is now the fourth year in a row we have been ranked 5th, an achievement which demonstrates a high level of achievement across a sustained period of time.”

After months of hard work, we’re excited to invite you to the End of Year Architecture Degree Show; showcasing the final projects, research, and design work developed across the year. The exhibition will be open to the public from 6 June – 19 June. • 3 June — Meet the Practice event and first private opening for architecture practices • 5 June — Private View for friends and family • 6–19 June — Public exhibition open to all Come explore speculative futures, material experiments, spatial investigations, and architectural proposals developed by this year’s cohort.

This year, the Manchester School of Architecture has hosted a series of MSA Collective events, bringing together voices from practice and academia to engage in critical discussions on political ecology, alternative spatial practices, and the evolving role of architecture today. We extend our sincere thanks to all our invited guests for their generous contributions, as well as to everyone who participated and helped shape these conversations. We look forward to welcoming you back to Manchester in the near future. @msa_collective

Welcome back to another exciting MSA LIVE project — Didsbury in Unity! Join us as we reimagine the United Didsbury Methodist Church to strengthen its community presence and create a more open, welcoming, and socially connected space for everyone. By transforming Room 3, the office, and part of the main church into a flexible community hub with direct street access, the project will support workshops, performances, meetings, and shared events throughout the week. Through greater transparency, improved accessibility, and sustainable design interventions, we aim to blur the boundary between church and street; encouraging connection, participation, and long-term community engagement. Stay tuned as we bring this vision to life and follow along to discover the many inspiring community projects our students will be involved in this year!

There's still time to feature your Degree Show project 🎉 In the lead up to Degree Show 2026 we'll be profiling students from across @mcrschart @mcrfashioninstitute @themsarch & @schoolofdigitalarts as well as offering students the chance to interview one another to encourage a sharing of creative ideas and allow the chance for you to play an active role in the promoting your own show. If you'd like to find out more & apply to get involved follow the link in our bio and fill out the 'Feature My Project' form 🔗

We’re pleased to announce a new collaboration with Omar Gandhi Architects @og_architect for the 2026 B.15 Modelmaking Awards! Modelmaking is an essential part of learning and design development. As such these awards are not only about the completed models but on the journey as a whole. We encourage anyone who has used models in their project to get involved. Looking forward to seeing your work! Open to all year groups on all MSA courses. Full submission details can be found on the B.15 blog - link in bio. Submission deadline Monday June 1st at 12 noon with final judging and winners presentation on Friday June 5th. Good luck! #manchesterschoolofarchitecture #b15modelmakingawards #architecturalmodels #architecturestudents #omargandhiarchitect

THE CITY PLAYHOUSE by Master of Architecture Syamin Amira Muriddan @mstudio.my from Flux Atelier. @flux_atelier_msa 🗣"The City Playhouse envisions play as a civic instrument—an architecture of care, connection, and collective imagination. Developed through a collaboration between the university, myself as the student, and LandSec U+I under the brief The Future of the Future, the project explores how play can serve as a temporal and spatial agent for urban transformation. More than a building, the City Playhouse is a prototype for participatory regeneration. Comprising a gallery, storehouses, a makerspace, a design studio, and a sorting facility—interwoven by a raised logistical corridor—it forms an infrastructural network for creativity, care, and exchange. Designed with a modular kit-of-parts approach, the architecture draws from recycled steel and circular material strategies to support adaptability and long-term resilience. From Placemaking to Playmaking, the thesis proposes a framework where incremental, playful interventions seed deeper systemic change. Beginning with speculative exercises in Flux:Labs and evolving through public co-design initiatives, the project culminates in a trail of site-responsive installations—inviting communities to imagine, construct, and reshape their urban futures. Grounded in the industrial legacy of its context yet open to the unknown, the City Playhouse challenges conventional notions of permanence. It positions architecture not as a fixed object, but as a living scaffold—capable of evolving alongside the city and its citizens. Through joy, reuse, and imagination, it poses a provocation: could play constitute a new architectural paradigm for the future?"

MSA LIVE 2026 is back—bringing together students, communities, and collaborators across Manchester to co-create real, impactful projects. It’s all about hands-on design, social engagement, and exploring how architecture can respond to real-world needs. We’re excited to see the ideas unfold and for the projects to kick off soon Built to Belong is a live refurbishment proposal for Brookfield Unitarian Church, a Victorian Grade II* listed place of worship in Gorton, Manchester. Commissioned by industrialist Richard Peacock, the church holds strong historical and regional significance and is currently listed on the Heritage at Risk Register. The project focuses on the sensitive refurbishment of the kitchen and toilet facilities to support wider community use while respecting listed-building constraints. The proposals aim to enable inclusive access, improve functionality, and support grant applications, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the church as both a place of worship and a community resource.

It was a pleasure (and with a sense of pride) to visit @dominickozerski Dominic Kozerski (who I studied with) at the stunning new @bonettikozerski studio (recently featured in Wallpaper magazine) earlier this week as part of the Manchester School of Architecture @themsarch annual M.Arch trip to New York kindly sponsored by @brickability What stood out was an absolute passion for design at all scales, whether a new build, an adaptive reuse project, an interior, a super yacht, a piece of furniture, or a display case. To produce great designs at all of these scales takes some doing and it was interesting to hear how this wonderful variety can impact the business model. The client list is mind blowing and they are even opening a cocktail bar downstairs - it’s so nice to see how the practice is growing and evolving. Thanks so much for allowing us to visit

Huge thanks to my friend Zoe Small and the team at @studiogang who welcomed the recent Manchester School of Architecture @themsarch tour of New York sponsored by @brickability to visit their NY studio. The visit was very inspiring and thought provoking and our students asked some in-depth questions including about the innovative use of shotcrete and movement joints! How central the model shop is to Studio Gang’s work resonates with the MSA and how our students engage with our @b15workshop On a personal level, the approach of “start with what’s there” is close to my heart as a lifelong proponent of adaptive reuse and responding to the existing context. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a group talk so much about a practice visit afterwards with many of the students inspired by the projects, studio environment, and working culture. I suspect some CVs will be being prepared!

Heartfelt thanks to the amazing team at @diller_scofidio_renfro for once again hosting the @themsarch design charette as part of our annual New York trip sponsored by @brickability @itsjoshcox 14 of our students were joined by 7 students from @clemsonschoolofarchitecture for an afternoon design challenge to propose a new or revamped pier in the city. The day before we visited numerous potential sites along the Hudson and East Rivers, as well as over in Brooklyn around the DUMBO area. The students were supported by myself and Victoria Jolley from MSA, Peter Laurence from Clemson, and MSA / @manmetuni Visiting Professor Jilly Traganou from Parsons New School. Finally, each team presented their proposals to Ben Gilmartin Charles Berman Michael Samoc and Chris Andreacola from DS+R who offered local insights as well as practice insights into such projects. It was an inspirational day for all! Special thanks as ever to Katherine Gittings Kliewer for the organisation and of course to Liz Diller herself for the generous invitation!

Start spreading the news…..traditional first picture from the annual Manchester School of Architecture @themsarch trip to #newyork sponsored by our good friends at @brickability - looking forward to joining up with students from @clemsonschoolofarchitecture for the preparation work for the day charette at @diller_scofidio_renfro on Friday