057 Rural Revival Catalogue 1/20 Client Rural UK communities Location UK Budget ​ Collaborators Kerry Dragon - Architect Marinella Nikolova - Architect Downloads ​ Supporting the rebirth of rural experiences As our personal worlds seem to shrink we believe that reconnecting with nature is one of the only, generally applicable, ways of healing both mind and body after the collective struggles of the past six months with the Covid-19 crisis. This is an exceptionally difficult time for many environmental conservation charities such as the National Trust, English Heritage and the RSPB. With drastically reduced visitors numbers comes significant financial impacts, however, as with any crisis in confidence one tried and tested way out of difficulty is strategic investment and expansion. Our catalogue proposes a series of cost effective, environmentally sustainable and high quality WikiHouse structures that lean into the volunteer support networks that many rural charities can call upon which aim to rejuvenate or expand on existing provisions. With so much of the rural economy dependent on local tourism without this investment from key organisations we worry about the recovery of rural areas which have been equally affected by the economic downturn. Without the the broad base of capital incentives to recover as many urban areas countryside towns and villages are extremely reliant on national conservation charities to give people reasons to return to the countryside. With products ranging from glamping pods, bike storage facilities, modular off-grid toilets, solar electric vehicle charging points and small cafe stands to ticket booths, gathering halls, outdoor kitchens and rangers storage, we have tried to create opportunities for the "everyday expansion" that can create targeted increases in visitor numbers for minimal investment. Our use of the WikiHouse construction system makes these building easy for volunteers to build, low impact, fully demountable and moveable and very cost effective. If any rural enterprises would like to read about the full scope of the options available please download the catalogue in the downloads section below or feel free to contact us to discuss.

075 Dorset Avenue Extension 1/5 Client Private Client Location Manchester Budget £100k Collaborators ​ Downloads ​ ​ This tight angular little site was destined for something more than the original timber frame garage (falling down) and side garden. With a change in family circumstances prompting a closer integration of grandparents into their children's and grandchildren's lives, the extension provides a new bedroom, accessible shower room and large kitchen/dining/living space for family meals, entertaining and cooking together.

The Mayfield Imaginarium: Reflection Architecture Unknown March 2023 Article AU's artistic reinvention of Mayfield Train Depot based on the responses to our community consultation, planning games, workshops and talks undertaken as part of the Mayfield Imaginarium Following the current buzz that has hit Manchester in recent times is Depot Mayfield and the first new park in the city in a century and look back at when AU asked Manchester what it wanted the derelict site to become. For the readers that aren’t aware, Depot Mayfield, located across from Piccadilly Station was built in 1910 as a railway yard for Mayfield station, and used by the Royal Mail as a distribution centre until the 1980s, the site lay dormant for almost three decades. As part of a £1billion regeneration project lead by regen specialists U+I, Depot Mayfield currently provides a platform for a diverse programme of arts, music, industry, culture and community events in this unique found space showcasing Manchester’s industrial past. Along with the new park, there will be a raft of new homes, office and ‘cultural’ offerings, over the coming years. It was not long ago that Architecture Unknown? When reading the poorly formed original SRF in 2016/17, decided to throw our hat in the ring. In collaboration with Hometown Plus, Manchester Sheld and Urbed, we felt that it was important to open a wider discussion around Manchester City Council's SRF and ran a series of workshops, games and open lectures to discuss alternative proposals that embraced user engagement. Thus, the Mayfield Imaginarium was born. Participants modelling a new vision for Mayfield in plasticine True Mancunian input was sought during this process. We asked people to generate ideas for what they want in our future city to be, what can Mayfield be. We aimed to incubate imaginative, considered and diverse aspirations and a pioneering approach for Mayfield through a series of six professional workshops and seven core activities; all of which spanned over a weekend. This garnered over 100 members of the public that attended and 423 responses from social media. The ‘Mayfield Imaginarium weekend’ transformed urban design into a series of ‘games’ including a cool wall to rate Manchester’s buildings and an importance wheel to gauge the relative priority of functions, a build-a-block Mayfield and a “What’s the Future?” comments board. We provoked the public to think big and bold. Looking at today’s scheme that is undergoing, it is interesting to AU that there are so many similarities in approach to the function of the space. Prioritising the arts, start-ups and local production alongside the rejuvenation of the public park, all of which adds to a public realm that Manchester has long yearned for. It may have taken another decade or so to get there but hey, looks well good to us! Read more here: https://www.architectureunknown.co.uk/projects/Mayfield-Imaginarium 1/3

Regenerating a Lost Sense of Adventure Architecture Unknown Februrary 2019 News Regenerated, a concept vision of the new Scout Hut constructed using WikiHouse community-building technology We love working with community led clients and the Scouts with their long tradition of helping young people learn vital skills are one of the best examples imaginable. Our clients, the 2nd Whalley Range Scout Group, is made up of intrepid Cubs, Beavers, Scouts and Explorers who have provided endless inspiration and incredible volunteers/parents who have been incredible to work with. However, unfortunately, the existing Scout Hut where all of this magic happens is two parts incredible mixed with one part crumbling. Over time, the Hut has become increasingly decrepit and saving these inefficient timber framed structures was never a viable option. Having stood the test of time for over 60 years of service, the Scout Troop required a modern facility to meet the needs of the next 100 years to continue bringing adventure to the youth of today. Adding value to a project like this is more nuanced than it might seem at first glance. The stories that are embodied within the existing hut are part of that building. Tearing them down to make way for something sparkling and brand new might mean leaving behind those long years which have added weight and purpose to the weekly activities of the Scouts. We were very keen to ensure that our new proposals protected the heart of the Scouts and that the building was a part of the existing community before it was even constructed. Give that problem to four groups of excited young people and you end up with cardboard robots designed to help build the new hut and a series of bridge proposals exploring the structural capacity of twine! We're always in awe of the capabilities of these children and young adults which is why we thought WikiHouse might be a perfect fit to enable a community design to come to life through construction engagement. The site of adventure - sketches of the place where the magic happens We're experts in WikiHouse and know how rewarding it can be to complete a building that is close to your heart. Building the new Scout Hut as a team is one of the best ways of building a new series of memories and continuity into the proposal and will give them a unique insight into the construction industry. The new building comprises a large hall, meeting room, kitchen and ancillary spaces such as toilets and stores. Set on a sloping site it has two levels and an external veranda/walkway leading down to the main entrance from the road. Clad entirely in Siberian Larch, the building will age to a becoming silver colour which will sit nicely against the dark slate of the roof. We're currently at tender and will be soon appointing a main contractor to partner with through the construction period which starts in June. Right now we are continuing to fund raise for this project so if you or anyone you know might like to support or get involved please contact us on social media or via email (info@architectureunknown.co.uk ). We can't wait to speak to you about this amazing project. 1/5

103 Ashley Drive 1/7 Client Private Client Location Stockport Budget £100k Collaborators ​ Downloads ​ Suburban Black Timber Box Who says that modern design doesn't fit in the suburbs? Certainly not us! Our client wanted to add a sleek modern extension to their traditional suburban 60's semi in Bramhall and we were only too happy to oblige. Belying it's dark exterior our design for the interior spaces is bright and expansive with high ceilings featuring living walls and exposed brickwork that embraces the Japanese inspired rear garden. Crittall style glazing and a skylight spanning the width of the house maximise the light and creates a welcoming and warm space that leans into the honestly expressed materials. Visible beams and other structural elements further highlight the new against the existing while in the kitchen dark colours, modern cabinetry, wooden counters and polished concrete flooring with lots of countertop space elevate the internal spaces to a high standard. The project comprises a conservatory demolition and new large rear and a side extension to the existing house to make it fit for modern living and comfortable all year round. The materiality of the scheme has played a big part in defining and formulating the design response. A dark, palette of colours and materials in a contemporary industrial style, with some touches of exposed timber, brick and metal sit against the existing brick and generous amounts of natural light provided by large sliding doors and picture window. This is really exciting project and hope to go to planning very shortly.

WikiHouse SKYLARK Launch Event Architecture Unknown March 2022 Article Skylark Launch Event It was with great pleasure that the AU team were invited to attend the recent launch event of the new updated Wikihouse building system, Skylark at the Building Centre in London. It's not very often that we get the chance to venture south, especially in these Covid times, so we jumped at the chance and the whole team hopped on a train for a big day out in London. The launch event was pencilled in for 6pm, however, the WikiHouse foundation and the team at Open Systems Lab were building their excellent protype in the late morning, giving us the chance to experience its assembly first hand, and pitch in where we can. We can safely say this didn't take too long and the team of volunteers had it assmebled in no time. This allowed us to sneak off and be wandering northerners in the big smoke. We explored the sites and sounds the area and then nipped into British Muesum, may be not the most architecturally relevant place we could visit but a wonderful place none the less. As always, a few books were aquired before we headed back for the party. Clayton lays out the stats The launch party was extremely well attended, with the upstairs space at the building centre packed out for the big reveal. Stiring speaches by Alastair, Clayton and his team ignited a fire in the crowd and our team, the wonderful canapes and free beers also helped. But in all seriousness, this new Skylark system can be a game changer for WikiHouse. Open Systems Lab (the creators) have evolved the original system from Wren, actually this is system is based on a completely different structural approach and is accompanied by all the relevant strutural calculations required, making it far more accessible for the common person. I won't go into the details, but it is certainly worth going to the website and having a read. It certainly is revolutionary in places but we do think it does come with some limitations. It is our view that our own branch of Wren, which we call Magpie, sits nicely, beside and complementarly to Skylark. We believe that there is a place for both systems and each systems suitablity will depend on the architectural and thus structural resolution the design seeks. This means that the AU team will bring the Skylark system into our repetioire of construction solution options, adding our expertise to the system but also continuing to develop Magpie along side Skylark. Exciting times ahead on the WikiHouse and self build front. 1/17

061 Hackney Self-build Challenge 1/5 Client Private Client Location Hackney, London Budget ​ Collaborators Elaine Creswell, Cat Higham - reShaped Landscape Design: Mike Foat - Mantis Energy Downloads ​ Light, Natural, WikiHouse A quick turn around project for an exciting competition entry in Hackney. We were engaged by a private client to assist in the design of a new build WikiHouse family home on a small infill site which was being sold far below its market value as test case to unlock the massive potential of small plots for those languishing on the self-build register. All councils are required to maintain a register of all those people interested in building their own home but very few local authorities have taken any further concrete steps to ensure that this untapped potential for residential construction becomes an effective part of their housing supply strategy.

Spring 2022 EZINE04 - Download Now Architecture Unknown March 2022 News RIBA Journal Rising Star 2021 Welcome back to the Spring Edition of the Architecture Unknown Ezine where you can get all your AU News update fixes. It’s been a very busy start of the year with exciting updates from the planning side and some new interesting projects. To all our friends, clients and casual readers, as we head into spring we hope you had an enjoyable and great start to 2022 and hope to see you over the coming months. Follow us on our social media and website to keep up to date with our latest projects. Until next time. Daniel AU Co-Director EXCITING NEWS Further recognition for the 2nd Whalley Range Scout Hall has come in with the building making the longlist for the MacEwan Award and was featured in the recent RIBAJournal. Meanwhile AU and our Director Daniel Kelso were recognised by online magazine Techround in a recent article 'Which UK Universities have the Most Successful Startup Founders?' ​ RIBA Journal Rising Star 2021 We’re proud to announce that our director Charlie has been awarded a Rising Star 2021 award by the Royal Institute of British Architect’s Journal. PLANNING PERMISSION GRANTED Front extension and rear alterations for the Brooks Road project in Manchester. Going on site at the start of April. Another WIKIHOUSE DESIGN is ready to be submitted for planning AU were appointed to design a WikiHouse meditation retreat in the Lake District, which is to be submitted for planning in spring 2022. We have worked closely with naked build co. on this to deliver a unique scheme for our client. Go to the Projects page to see the latest images for this existing project. 72 OSWALD RD GREATER MANCHESTER HOUSE EXTENSION - Private client An Edwardian Home Extension seeking to accommodate a growing family. The proposal adds a brick side ground floor extension and attic conversion with associated zinc clad dormer to the property. This will create living space in the kitchen area and add a fourth bedroom with improved home office space. Planning for the scheme has been achieved late 2021 and we’re looking forward to this going on site later in the year. WIKIHOUSE BUILD for naked build co. We started 2022 with the opportunity to test build our new Wikihouse Magpie prototype with Naked Build in the Lake District! The Architecture Unknown Team made it to site and learned more about how to design, engage and build with Wikihouse. It was great fun and a good learning experience Magpie, as explained in our previous winter Ezine is our new version of the WikiHouse that is designed for community-self build projects. Our passion is to help people understand the benefits of using Wihikouse. Design and construction is the start to creating an inclusive dialogue. Yet another milestone for this great construction system that we want to share with you. The WikiHouse Skylark launch on the 10th of February at the Building Centre in London was a wonderful way to connect with like-minded people and have a glimpse at the new WikiHouse system, Skylark. 1/7

Bias in Architecture: Fact or Fiction Charlie Butterwick September 2016 Article The brain is a complex place full of an indistinguishable mix of facts and fictions “People don’t want to hear the truth because they don’t want their truths destroyed.” Friedrich Nietzsche Bias ˈbʌɪəs’ (noun) “The support of or opposition to a particular person or thing in an unfair way, due to the influence of personal opinions on one’s judgment” Cambridge English Dictionary Is it possible to separate bias and action? Identities are constructed through the internal assimilation of data received from our external environment, be it sensory, experiential, mnemonic, memetic or spiritual. Our perception is our reality. We are a product of our nurture filtered through our nature. Identities are tied up with where you come from, who you know, what we’ve done, how it made us feel, individual genetics, whether we are supported and or possibly cut down. As Alistair McIntyre put it, “We are never more (and sometimes less) than the co-authors of our own narratives.” The ways in which we are raised, grow and personally evolve become truths by which we guide our lives, they are the building blocks of our identities. Though this does not absolve any moral responsibility, it shows the relative powerlessness of our own truths and the inconsequentiality of our certainty in these personal definitions of right and wrong. It must point us to the inevitable fact that all actions are inevitably biased without recourse. Can we do anything about this? Without a magic button for infinite empathy for everyone all the time, being able to walk in another’s shoes is a rare gift that is totally incompatible with the challenging scale of designing cities. Despite many architects best intentions (or otherwise), we must accept that the only way to do architecture is together, using tactics that fuel the creative construction of identities that embrace the difference and heterogeneity between people through debate and dialogue.. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Bias in architecture has a crucial bearing on the type of city we are building for future generations. The neo-liberal city being constructed around us today fundamentally undermines our identity constructs and processes of relation. In 1967, Robert Park said “In making the city man has remade himself”. The city around us is one that I believe is biased, increasingly elitist and othering because the process and people by which it is being made are removed from the many thousands of people who endure it every day. As the last infrastructures of post-war social planning are eroded, communally anchoring institutions that once provided spaces of public dialogue, stability, ownership and identity are erased and not replaced. Personal truths, which were in part supported by roles undertaken within these structures, are cast adrift. Today,it is widely intuited that something has been lost that our parents had but that our children may not. We feel powerless to resist. As with many things, bias in city building has been privatised. How have our lives and our cities reached this point? And why do architects not embrace community engagement as a route to simply doing a decent job? Talk to an architect and what quickly emerges is that community engagement is seen as a hassle that further complicates the already complex process of designing buildings because of the divergent opinions between citizens themselves and between the public and paying clients. Not to play the world’s smallest violin for the profession but they find themselves in a challenging position between getting paid and fighting for a positive, socially relevant contribution to the built environment. Instead architects refer to guides and regulations, minimum standards and optimal arrangements, pedestrian and vehicular movement analyses, the whim of their clients and glossy subscription magazines. These are the standards by which the profession engages the outside world and judges success or failure. These convenient lies are told to allow them the freedom to be absolved of personal responsibility and remain insulated from the criticism of others. These new, double-thought truths are a key factor in the obfuscation of the actual effect of buildings on people in cities. Citizens are reduced to our lowest common denominator, bodies in space without agency, impulse of the need for identity. A list of biases is long but interesting reading. How many apply to you? In reference to Nietzsche’s opening quote I would only modify it to read that people don’t want to hear other’s truths because they don’t want their truths destroyed. The opposition of radically different truths, a phenomena that summarises 2016 in my opinion, can often feel like an assault not just on what we feel is good but on our very sense of self. To overcome this barrier we must do three things. Firstly, we must accept that there is no objectivity in the world, everyone and everything they do is biased. We must see that bias is only threatening when its hegemonic, but ultimately that bias only becomes scary when it ends a conversation. If we accept and understand each other’s biases then we may still remain biased but we have opened ourselves to change and true communally directed action. If we fail to do this then we are on a path to letting personal bias be the driving force for widely felt change. We must oppose this by devolving decision making especially in the making of large constructs such as buildings in cities. We must ask anyone affected about the consequences to them, not guess or analyse, and then accept the answers. We must ask broadly; we must ask as many people as possible by creating forums for these divergent identities, these truths, to be represented on a personal level. Secondly, we must convince those few who are already powerful decision makers that they are ruining us, the people, even killing us and our futures, by bettering themselves; a conflict of truths. We can only do this by being tireless, insistent, noisy and articulate. We must organise not to argue for change but to make changes. Start a community project, talk to your neighbours, find a group, become a person in someone else’s network, give your time for free, always ask questions especially when something sounds too good to be true, organise even in the smallest ways, ask for help if you need it but above all we must not stop. Finally, we need to design the processes by which decisions are implemented so that there is ongoing communal responsibility and ownership, because inevitably human beings will change their minds. Many will say that this is too great a challenge, that we can’t possibly override our human nature, that this isn’t how things are meant to be! To them I say, we’re a fucking clever species and when we recognise something is in our best interest we achieve it, against the odds and in spite of the challenges, so let’s get to work. To conclude, the title of this piece is only partly true and even then only my opinion though it’s stated as a fact. Bias is not just architecture, bias is everything. So, what’s my bias? What’s my investment? Put bluntly, I hope these words encourage you to call me and ask for my help in a project you and your neighbours are considering, not because you want to enact my truth but because you already have debated your own and you want to test it against reality. I hope that you’re looking for someone to question and to challenge, an invested neighbour, a co-conspirator, a technical skill set and a knowledge base to enable you to achieve your neighbourhood’s dreams. I look forward to hearing from you. 1/7

096 Dean Drive Remodel 1/7 Client Private Client Location Bowden, South Manchester Budget £250k Collaborators ING Engineering - Ian Grindley, Trend Design and Build Downloads ​ Adding Character Value Our client for this project approached us to add vibrancy to her "very ordinary" (her words!) detached house in Bowdon. We proposed a major extension and internal reconfiguration of this mid-late 20th century two-storey property to create a modern family home with character and fun. The project’s core aim is to give this house a wow factor currently sorely missed. The internal arrangement are of a typical late 90's character, with the design we have sought to bring height, light and beauty and bring this home into the 21st century. Following a deep dig design process it was decided that a subtle contemporary form was to be developed, one that that reflects the features of the existing house, but seeks to also elevate it. The plan form references the elevational profile of the prominent half-hipped roofs and creates a new terminus for the building that steps down to the garden level. The resulting set back at the first floor level allows the existing external wall line at the rear too flow round in scaled version of the ground floor and ties into the existing roof pitch. This leaves a very tall vaulted space internally which will make the perfect contemplative office space with its own east facing balcony to capture the morning sunlight through the trees. The materiality and window placement of the building echo the traditional architecture of the apse in a church in a modern style. The solid base, here in brick, contrasts with arched windows above over two levels which will be recessed in a timber clad finish with a traditional tile roof. An extensive attic conversion with a dormer is also proposed which creates two new large bedrooms and a music studio. The redevelopment of the first floor to rationalise the existing bedrooms, add a laundry room and refreshed master bedroom ensuite is also proposed. We're hoping to start on site in early April.

Home Life: Supported, Self-Built, Housing First Initiative Architecture Unknown April 2023 Article ​ Manchester, like many other cities around the world, has a significant homelessness problem. According to the latest figures, there are around 1,200 people sleeping rough in Greater Manchester on any given night, with many more living in temporary accommodation or sofa-surfing. There are a number of factors that contribute to homelessness in Manchester, including high housing costs, poverty, mental health issues, addiction, and family breakdown. In recent years, there has also been a rise in the number of people becoming homeless as a result of the UK government's welfare reform policies. There are a number of organizations and charities in Manchester that work to support homeless people and provide them with essential services, such as food, shelter, and healthcare. These include the Booth Centre, the Mustard Tree, Coffee4Craig and the umbrella organisation, Manchester Homeless Partnership, which includes all 10 boroughs under the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. However, despite the efforts of these wonderful organisations, there is still much work to be done to support those who are sleeping rough or living in precarious housing situations. ​ We at Architecture Unknown want to lend a hand and use our design expertise to directly enable homeless people to be involved in the design and construction of bespoke homes as part of a unique Housing First strategy. Through the concept of self-build homes, we want to offer opportunities for skill advancement, construction site training, exposure to contractor employers, personalised support and ongoing assessment. This would address social isolation within the homeless community whilst creating vibrant housing developments within existing neighbourhoods that positively impacts their surroundings. By using placemaking we can enable homeless resident led-briefing, leading to participatory design processes and finally community-led construction, promoting engagement at every level. We at AU are ready to take action- all we need is you! 1/3

044 Mass Customised Community Homes 1/9 Client Digital Woodoo Location Ulverston, Cumbria Budget ​ Collaborators Clayton Prest - Architecture 00, WikiHouse Trust - www.architecture00.net Power to Change - Funders - www.powertochange.org.uk Downloads Full Report - www.bit.ly/3gbbBaw Researching Community Led Housing A serious piece of research requires a serious introduction! We were asked to collaborate with Architecture 00 to plot the future course of micro-manufacturing and distribution of WikiHouses in the UK for up-and-coming manufacturing startup, Digital Woodoo. Our remit was to examine the construction industry as a landscape ripe for disruption, show how the tide might be turned in favour of communities and community owned businesses and propose a business model for Digital Woodoo. We showed how: The current provision of housing is failing even the more basic standards of provision and that the strangle hold that big developers have over the majority of housing is both unsustainable and highly disruptable. The values of community-led housing groups and innovative small-to-medium sized contractors can be aligned to the mutual advantage of both using WikiHouse. A design process based on clear communication, managed expectations and mutual respect could be forged through the adoption of a three staged information exchange standard, the Design Code, Design Guide and Design Passport giving cost certainty but also freedom to these potential partnerships. This hypothesis might work in action as we designed ten unique homes that respond to the individual desires of a simulation group of users and the theoretical constraints of both the Design Code and Design Guide. We modelled these people living in their homes over time and showed how each home might be adapted to meet the requirements of many different types of key life changes demonstrating both the flexibility of the WikiHouse system and meeting the requirements for a lifetime home. Out of all this we showed how Digitial Woodoo could find a niche as both an advocate of Mass Customised Community Housing and a manufacturer/erector of WikiHouses, championing the causes of communities across the North-West.