Styal Stories

Research Impact, School Workshop and Exhibition, 2023

Styal Stories was one of the first projects that I worked on after leaving Manchester School of Architecture, developed in collaboration with Professor Luca Csepely-Knorr and Joy Burgess as part of the Women of the Welfare Landscape research, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

The project celebrated the legacy of pioneering landscape architect Brenda Colvin - the first woman to lead a national built environment institute. Colvin advocated for the educational potential of landscape, particularly for children, encouraging engagement with the natural world and championing children as the future custodians of the landscape around them.

Taking inspiration from her values, we developed a creative workshop for local school children, held on the landscape in and around Styal Primary School - a site originally designed by Colvin in the 1950s. The children explored the landscape through walking, drawing, and modelmaking, learning to see their surroundings as designed and evolving spaces.

Their imaginative responses were later showcased at a public exhibition at Quarry Bank Mill, just a short walk from the school. The exhibition combined research findings and archival material with interactive elements inspired by the workshop, including a design competition and a discovery trail, inviting visitors of all ages to engage with Colvin’s legacy and the wider themes of landscape, creativity and care.