Following the open call, Making Matters will now take shape as an exhibition celebrating the craft and relevance of physical architectural modelmaking. From 2 March to 2 April 2026, the exhibition will be on view at Material Source Studio, Manchester, presenting a curated selection of physical models from international practices, exploring scale, process, and materiality. Organised by AiM in partnership with ECC Italy, B.15 Modelmaking Workshop, and the Manchester Society of Architects, Making Matters invites professionals, students, and the wider public to rediscover the value of models as tools for thinking, designing, and communicating architecture. The official exhibition launch will take place on March 5 and will be an invitation-only event.

Festival Day: In the Making

On 26 March 2026, as part of a public programme co-curated by AiM, MSA, and ECC Italy, three dynamic panel conversations will explore modelmaking as a critical and consequential architectural practice. Moderated by ECC Italy, the programme brings together international voices and diverse practices to foreground architecture not only as a design discipline, but as a social, political, and cultural act. Throughout the day, the panels will examine how models operate as tools of thinking, communication, and transformation, shaping processes, narratives, and ultimately the built environment itself. Discover more and get the tickets by following this link.