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Carma Masson

Senior Lecturer

A qualified architect, Carma is the Owner of Playground, a multidisciplinary architecture and design studio based in Manchester focused on creating playful, engaging and memorable spaces and places for people.

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About

A qualified architect, Carma is the Owner of Playground, a multidisciplinary architecture and design studio based in Manchester focused on creating playful, engaging and memorable spaces and places for people.

A qualified architect, Carma is the Owner of Playground, a multidisciplinary architecture and design studio based in Manchester focused on creating playful, engaging and memorable spaces and places for people.

Previous to setting up her own studio, Carma worked for various award-winning architecture, interior and multidisciplinary design practices, and think tanks, in London, Manchester and Kent, including: aberrant architecture; the Klassnik Corporation; Office S+M; WHAT_architecture and Publica.

During her time in practice, Carma has been involved in projects across a range of sectors including residential, educational, community, hospitality and commercial. Some of her most celebrated work to date has included a primary school Hillingdon made from LEGO bricks; a colourful kindergarten in Haggerston designed by its pupils; a series of playgrounds across Clapham; a civic stage and time based currency for the people of Swansea; a local urban landmark for the town of Barking; and a series of bespoke visual merchandising pieces designed with local shop owners in Finsbury Park.

Carma studied at Sheffield University, Canterbury School of Architecture (where she graduated with Distinction) and The CASS, London Metropolitan University. Throughout her career she has had her work exhibited in London, Manchester and Kent; and published online and in magazines, and has been recognised with various awards.

Alongside her work in practice, Carma has continued to teach; currently teaching on the Foundation in Architecture at both Manchester School of Architecture, previously having taught BA and MA Architecture and BA and MA Interior Design at MMU, Sheffield Hallam University, and The CASS, London Metropolitan University. She is a visiting critic at various schools of architecture and design, including: Canterbury School of Architecture (UCA), London Met and Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) and has previously worked as an industry mentor for the Stephen Lawrence Foundation.

Academic positions

  • Senior Lecturer
    Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, United Kingdom | 01 June 2023 - present

  • Associate Lecturer
    Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom | 01 September 2020 - present

Degrees

  • BA (Hons) Architecture
    University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom

  • Postgraduate Diploma in Architecture
    University for the Creative Arts, Canterbury, United Kingdom

  • Professional Qualification in Architecture
    London Metropolitan University, United Kingdom

  • Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching
    Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom

Postgraduate training

  • Advanced HE - Fellowship
    Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom

Languages

  • English
    Can read, write, speak, understand and peer review

  • French
    Can read, write, speak and understand

  • Dutch, Middle (ca.1050-1350)
    Can speak

Research interests

Carma's research is focused around Playful Architecture. She is currently working to define its core elements and to understand the psychology behind them and the effect they have on our perception of space and place.

Publications (2)

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Book

Playhouse

Featured 01 March 2024
AuthorsMasson C, Barney I, Ben C

In 2020, the Coronavirus outbreak left many of us having to spend extended periods of time at home in lockdown, restricting the opportunity to socialise and play in ways that we are used to. Brought to you by three Manchester design studios: Playground, Ben Clark Design and Barney Ibbotson Illustration; PLAYHOUSE was a competition to encourage creatives from all backgrounds to design something to enable people to play at home during lockdown. We hoped that the project would provide a great opportunity to support and promote creatives during a difficult period, while bringing some much-needed light-relief through play. We saw designs from a range of age groups and backgrounds including both professional, students and amateur architects, interior designers, product designers, graphic designers and artists. 80 of the best submissions were showcased on our social media pages. The competition was free and open to creatives from all disciplines both in the UK and abroad. The brief was shared across platforms worldwide, and we received 142 entries in total from 40 different countries.

Internet publication

Manifesto for a Playful City

Featured 15 August 2018 Child In the City Publisher

‘70 per cent of the world’s population will be living in urban areas by the middle of this century’ (Klanten and Hubner, 2010:2). As cities continue to get more populated, more and more strain will be put on cities to provide adequate facilities for their citizens, including those for play. Cities today are no longer playful: Modernism and Capitalism have together managed to destroy both the playful city itself and the playful attitude people once had ‘many persons feel that cities are no longer any good or any fun’ (Friedberg and Berkeley 1970:12). If we define playful as full of play, our cities are seen to provide very few opportunities to play. Those it does provide are restricted to certain ages of people, times, places and typologies; little is done to understand peoples play needs and changing wants. The city does not understand play. We believe that if the city understood play and its importance to the both the human and the city, it would aim to create a more playful city – a city ultimately more enjoyable for all.

Activities (3)

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Invited keynote, lecture, or conference chair role

5th Architecture Conference

31 January 2024
Invited keynote, lecture, or conference chair role

ISPY! Exploring Playful Architecture in the City

22 June 2023 - The Building Centre London
Journal reviewing / refereeing

Charrette (ISSN 2054-6718)

01 April 2024
Association of Architectural Educators

Current teaching

Carma teaches BA Architecture in 2nd and 3rd year.

Teaching Activities (3)

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Course taught

BA Architecture

25 September 2020

Course taught

BA Architecture

25 September 2023

Course taught

BA Architecture

25 September 2023