IN-PERSON Manchester Livable Cities

Abstract

Founded in 1907, California College of the Arts was established in Oakland as an Arts and Crafts institution where craft served as a critique of industrialization. As the San Francisco Bay Area’s primary port and manufacturing hub, Oakland became a key node in regional commerce, now shifting toward a post-industrial condition of declining production and housing-led development, as seen in cities like Manchester. As the school approaches its planned closure in 2027 under rising costs and declining enrollment, this project extends that original position, proposing a new form of interdisciplinary, production-based education that responds to today’s Technological Revolution. With the campus vacated, redevelopment plans replace most facilities with 500 housing units across 1.5 hectares, preserving the historic estate and grounds. Eight-story buildings fill the site, with retail at the primary frontage. While addressing housing demand, this approach replaces a diverse educational community with residential monoculture, where retail and internal amenities often remain underutilized and disconnected from the public. Our project repurposes the frontage as a compact, production-based art and design school that replaces underperforming retail with active, public-facing programming. Student run retail, galleries, and a cafe bring continuous activity to the street, improving access to the historic estate and strengthening public engagement. As technological change reshapes labor, semester-based learning is replaced with four-week, workshop-driven modules focused on interdisciplinary practice and material intelligence. This model builds technical skill and supports workforce adaptability, while the school’s integration at the ground level establishes a more active and accessible alternative to residential monoculture.