Selected works 2021-2024 Architecture PORTFOLIO | RIBA Part 2
AKANKSHA BARADA
AKANKSHA BARADA
+44 7825017322
baradaakanksha@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/akankshabarada
London, UK
EDUCATION
Master of Architecture (ARB/RIBA Part 2) | Merit 2023 University of East London, United Kingdom
Master of Architecture (ARB/RIBA Part 2) | High Distinction 2021
RMIT University, Australia
Bachelor of Architecture | First class Distincition 2019
ITM-SAAD University, India
WORK EXPERIENCE
Architectural Assistant
Kappa planning ltd., Lewisham, London, UK
Freelance Architectural Designer
Vadodara, Gujarat, India
Junior Architect
Art & Architecture Associates, Vadodara, India
Junior Architect
HK Architects, Ahmedabad, India
Intern Architect
Udesign studio, Ahmedabad, India
09/2022 - 02/2023
02/2021 - 08/2022
05/2020 - 01/2021
06/2019 - 05/2020
TECHNICAL SKILLS
05/2018 - 10/2018
2D/3D AutoCAD | Rhino | Sketchup | Zbrush | Revit | Grasshopper
Render Enscape | Lumion | Keyshot | Vray
Image Indesign | Photoshop | Illustrator
Other MS Office | Sketching | Model Making | Digital Fabrication
PROFESSIONAL SKILLS
Strong Leadership | Effective Communication | Strategic Collaboration
Analytical Problem-Solving | Excellent Client Relations | Adaptive Negotiation
WORKSHOPS
Pollution Pods by Michael Pinsky 2 weeks
Kings Cross, London, UK
Air Rustle by MEDS(Meeting of Design Students) – Cierzo 4 weeks
City Center, Zaragoza, Spain
Dust to Dust by D-lab Studio 3 weeks
Stratford, London, UK
Emerging Architecture at MS University 2 weeks
Vadodara, Gujarat, India
Bamboo Geodesic Dome at Inter-College Fest 1 week
Vadodara, Gujarat, India
ACHIEVEMENTS
Architecture Course Representative 2022 | 2023 University of East London, UK
Student Ambassador 2021
University of East London, UK
Architectural Competition Winner 2019
National Association of Students of Architecture (NASA)
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08
CONTENTS
Weaving Fashions Future Civic Centre | Barcelona
Hybrid Education
Recreational Centre | London
Hereditary
Mid-Rise Tower | Melbourne
Cudham Lane North
Residence | London
Royston Road
New Build Apartments | London
Pollution Pods
Artistic Installation | London
Air Rustle
Pavilion Design | Zaragoza
Hand Drawings Sketches
WEAVING FASHIONS FUTURE
Civic Centre, Barcelona
AI Architecture | University of East London
Tutors: Isaie Bloch & Igor Pantic | UNIT 6
Masters final year project brief was to create well-crafted civic centre that significantly impacts “World Capital of Architecture 2026”, Barcelona through its novel architecture. The aim was to explore innovative spatial human-AI hybrids and introduce diverse non-stylistic attributes that would serve as a model for problem-solving, creativity and identity in the city. The design process focused on direct application of learnt AI principles back into design, ensuring clear authorship over a comprehensive architecture contributing to a more sustainable proposal. Inspired by the New European Bauhaus initiative, the goal was to create an inclusive civic centre that transcends functionality, fostering environmental harmony, dialogue, and diversity appreciation. Given the scale of ambitions, both architectural creations & design methodologies extended beyond conventional human imagination.
Spatial Hybrids Midjourney
In the initial research, insights were gathered from critical case studies conducted during a unit trip to Barcelona. Various design principles and non-stylistic attributes were identified for one selected project, which were documented as spatial prompts for AI. These prompts generated imaginative spatial variations using AI, based on seemingly unrelated concepts. Unique components produced by AI transitioned from 2D output into a controlled 3D model, aiming to speculate on the overall typology and impact on a larger scale. Due to the complexity of the AI outcomes, only a few aspects of the proposal, like morphology, organization, and tectonics, were developed in the chunk model.
ENDESA Pavilion, IAAC
Geometric void formation
Triangulated geometry Modularity, Solid v/s Open Tectonics, Projections
Area of focus - 2D:
Defined modularity with irregular solid and void spaces.
Module Type 1:
Exploring modularity through cutting out a cube with one or two 2D planer cuts to create interesting voids.
3D Interpretation:
The 2D geometry was laid out on each face of a cube to create a 3D volumetric module with irregular solids and voids.
Module Type 2:
Exploring modularity through breaking a cube into two different interlocking solids with a single 3D cut.
The Spatial chunk model produced is a human-AI spatial Hybrid, showcasing a clear integration of AI design principles. The obtained attributes of modularity, organization and tectonics from this design served as the foundation for the main architectural proposal.
Organizational strategy:
These modules with different spatial qualities and tectonics were strategically placed adjacent inorder to achieve a larger scale design output.
Planning Stratergy:
Populating these modules strategically in plan while incorporating void spaces inorder to achieve good circulation and spatial qulaties for the proposal.
Stacking a solid mass on top that interlocks with the module’s geometry and creates projections to balance the complexity of overall design. Then, adding one module of a larger scale in the interior to create an intersting void and transcend functionality of the design.
Architectural Proposal
Polemic
Apart from its sunny lifestyle, culture, and football, Barcelona is recognized as the “5th world fashion capital” and “The International Capital of Bridal Fashion”. Catalonia’s fashion is growing on a global scale everyday due to its expanding textile industries, fashion schools, designer brands, fashion districts, and global events. However, the sector lacks to address the challenges like fashion hegemony, sustainability, and digitalization. With the potential scope of these developments, what if Barcelona could become the number one fashion capital in the world?
Thesis
The proposed civic centre aims to expand Barcelona’s fashion industry and create a dynamic fashion cluster that looks beyond the future of fashion. The project seeked to enhance industry strengths like fashion education, textile industry, and spanish art & culture by fostering collaboration between local designers and global giants, promoting sustainability through re-commerce, and innovating digitalization of cultural assets. Thus, the building program was derived, comprising an educational quarter, a production quarter, and a global tourist hub. This initiative created a comprehensive civic center that responds to the city and its needs while having a global influence to boost Barcelona’s worldwide recognition.
The building’s layout was guided by site accessibility and views, while two intersecting solids employed the spatial chunk’s strategy for the initial massing.
Existing site conditions were enhanced by widening the pedestrian axis & connecting gardens through a permeable urban space that integrates the chunk modules.
Roof was articulated for functionality as per program requirements, while a volumetric strategy incorporated cantilevers, terraces, and staggered floors into the massing.
A larger chunk module was added as a vertical element to balance the horizontal mass, while the urban space was intergrated with the site through a sunken plaza.
Green Room
Hair & Makeup
Photoshoot Studio
Cafeteria
Kitchen
Library
Sitting Lounge
Toilets
Outdoor Terrace
Green Roof
Exhibits
Admin
Workshop
Studios
Seminar Hall
Incubation Centre
Coworking Space
Bar
Toilets
Terraces
Modules
Sunken
Rail Beams (Glulam)
Trusses (Timber)
Catlan Vaults (Ceramic)
Technical Chunk Model
HYBRID EDUCATION
Recreational Centre, London
Sustainable Architecture | UEL
Tutors: Isaie Bloch & Igor Pantic | UNIT 6
The first-year project brief aimed to create a sustainable educational typology that generates alternative revenue streams and aligns with the university’s Vision2028, contributing to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The focus was on investigating spatial explorations and design strategies capable of accommodating hybrid programming while employing zero embedded carbon materials like engineered timber and 3D printed non-fired clay.
The design process incorporated digital design and large-scale digital fabrication to apply these learned principles, resulting in an informed architectural proposition. The goal was to propose a novel and sustainable architecture that meets rapidly changing demands and offers better integration between study, research, and future work, while serving its local community.
Digital Design and Fabrication
In the initial exercise, learnings were obtained from existing case studies focusing on both tectonic and spatial relationships. A volumetric model was explored by combining qualities from precedents and incorporating personal design developments like structural strategies and 3D printed components.
Subsequently, a structural chunk model was refined with the aim to develop spatial qualities on a macro scale, indicating materiality and constructional logics. Work was undertaken on a few aspects of the proposal, including primary and secondary structure, detailed joinery, and preparation of fabrication drawings. Finally, a physical model of Clay (3D printed) elements was built using digital fabrication.
Riverside Museum, Zaha Hadid
Ibsen Library, Kengo Kuma
Roof Massings
PRODUCTION PROCESS
3D Printing Clay Walls
The clay walls from the structural chunk model were divided into multiple parts to fit the printer’s size. The production process employed digital fabrication techniques to 3D print these parts, involving numerous trials and errors while iterating between digital design and fabrication.
Proposed Design intergrating structural strategies and 3D printed components
STRUCTURAL CHUNK MODEL
In the initial attempts, setting the printing direction to vertical with either a 4mm or 8mm nozzle failed due to the model’s single-surface design. Moreover, experimenting with printing speed and other settings also proved unsuccessful. Finally, success was achieved by offsetting the surface by 0.3cm on both sides. This adjustment allowed the model to be printed accurately, resulting in the successful production of the intended clay wall structure.
Dried printed clay wall
3D Printing the wet clay structure
Roof timber structure details and beams leaning on the 3D printed clay walls.
Joinery detail of timber columns, beams, and trusses connecting to the printed clay walls.
3D Printed Clay Walls Timber Columns & Roof Trusses Roof 1 (Zinc) & Roof 2 (CLT)
Roof System
Architectural Proposal
Polemic
Health crises are rising globally, with mental health worsening post-COVID. London exhibits lower personal well-being rates within communities, especially among students as they struggle with mental health issues like stress, anxiety, and depression, often overlooked. There is significant scope and demand to prioritize wellness and recreation. What if universities could address these challenges and bridge the gap between traditional education systems and the demand for holistic well-being through a new sustainable educational model?
Thesis
The proposal aimed to introduce wellbeing and recreational facilities at the University of East London campus for university and high school students, working professionals, and the community. The project sought to incorporate physical, mental, and social wellness through programs promoting recreation, leisure, and sports. Integrating these initiatives within a comprehensive wellness infrastructure and educational framework would enhance holistic student health and foster inclusive community development. This approach resulted in a novel educational typology that generated third-stream revenue for the university and its students, contributing to the university’s sustainability goals.
The initial iteration, guided by site accessibility and contextual connections, focused on interplay of levels creating a circulation loop around a centralized space.
Two such units employed a volumetric strategy, integrating varying slopes and heights based on site considerations to enhance spatial engagement.
Units were strategically placed and connected, creating engaging interconnections and adding volume at the central part of the building to meet the program requirements.
The roof was articulated to simplify the united mass while integrating sustainability with inclinations based on solar orientation, prioritizing views and courtyards.
Entrance
Reception
Climbing Workshop
Climbing Training
Recreational Pool
Hydrotherapy
Physciotherapy
Aerobic Pool
SPA
Water Sports Deck
Slate
Panels
Double
Glulam
Roof Overhang Detail
Rain Water Harvesting Detail
First Floor Structure
[CLT Slab, 3D Printed Walls, Glulam Columns, Wooden Panels]
Ground Floor Beam Structure (Glulam)
Ground Floor Structure
[CLT Slab, 3D Printed Walls, Glulam Columns, Wooden Panels]
Basement Beam Structure (Glulam)
Basement Structure [Concrete Retaining Walls & Floor, Glulam Columns]
Zinc Cladding
Slab
Beams
Beams
Final Render
HEREDITARY
Mid-Rise Tower, Melbourne
Tectonic Formation | RMIT University
Tutors: Marc Gibson
Core Techniques:
Develop Taxonomy of Sculptures
Topology Generation
Procedural Materials
Layered Parametric Procedures
Architectural Poché
3D Print Resolution
The studio centered around the idea of inheriting formal qualities through iterative digital processes. The lineage of Digital forms bore trademarks of their creation toolsets, whether through organizational spacing or topological rigidity. This revealed indexicality through phenotypic traits in the inherent formation of digital matter. In this studio, intentional subversion and curation of digital tools were explored to create adventurous forms for 3D printing. The aim was to create, refine, and position a digital toolset that interfaced bottom-up algorithmic generation of geometry and top-down intervention through sculpting.
Digital Sculptures
During the first half of the semester, the fundamentals of parametric logic, digital sculpting, and 3D print optimization were introduced to produce a wide array of digital sculptures.
Each object exhibited unique qualities, drawing inspiration from biology, art, or architecture to serve as descriptive adjectives. These attributes were further enhanced by capturing aesthetics and integrating materiality from precedents, resulting in refined sculptures. The ultimate goal was to explore the relationship between these sculptures and architecture.
COLLATED
Exterior Application
Interior Application
Spatial Qualities
The refined sculptures featured captivating horizontal and vertical cross-sections, resulting in enhanced architectural spaces that defy conventional human imagination.
Architectural Proposal
The second half of the semester focused on designing a mid-rise building for a site opposite Wesley Uniting Church on Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. The goal was to navigate the shift in architectural style from the existing context to the proposed design.
A critical aspect of this process involved the aggregation of sculptures, which served as a taxonomy of formal characteristics used in designing the architectural language of the project.
Melbourne’s renowned reputation for its unique and bold architectural styles provided an ideal context to introduce a novel architectural intervention. The site context had strong characteristics such as triangular building profiles and materiality, which inspired the concept for the project. The design focused on exploring form and typology, spatial and volumetric qualities, and the use of poche in architecture.
Transitioning from exterior to interior, the building section emphasized the interplay and interconnection of levels, creating innovative inhabitable spaces. A vertical key element was integrated between these spaces, serving as a dynamic centralized atrium with a skylight to enhance the intended transition. The approach yielded a novel architecture that transcends both functionality and aesthetics, resulting in an architectural icon that enhances Melbourne’s global brand.
The initial form was shaped by site contextual studies like triangular profiles and geometries, while integrating brick materiality.
A layer of vertical fins was strategically added to intersect the brick layer, enhancing spatial and volumetric qualities.
Floor plates were designed utilizing the spaces in between the two layers, following the principles of architectural poche.
A layer was added on top of the building structure to integrate sculptures, achieving the intended architectural style.
Final Render
Spatial Qualities
Inhabitable Spaces
These attributes were integrated into the final design, resulting in strong strategies for an informed architectural language.
Detailed Section
Detail Vignette
Exhibition Gallery Lecture Space
Perforated Mesh
Semi-solid Fins
Atrium
Solid Bricks
CUDHAM LANE NORTH
Residence, London
Extension & Alterations | RIBA Stages: 0-4
Kappa Planning Ltd. | Professional Work
The development included garage conversion with addition of a bay window, roof alterations to create a full barn hip style roof with dormer windows, and elevational alterations.
Stage 1 (Planning): Measured survey, existing drawings, proposed options, finalizing a proposal, submission to the planning department, and negotiation with the local authority.
Stage 2 (Building regulations): Structural survey, complying drawings, and submission to the building control, with revisions made for approval.
Stage 3 (Construction works): Site supervision
ROYSTON ROAD
New Build Apartments, London
6 Flats Design Proposal | RIBA Stages: 0-3 Kappa Planning Ltd. | Professional Work
The proposal aimed to create a three-storey building housing 6 flats, with refuse and cycle storage, associated parking, and private gardens for the ground floor units.
The building designed with consideration of preapplication advice and site constraints, featured a contemporary style with a green roof. It included a setback on the right side to minimize neighbor impact and create front space for parking and a garden, while the rear wall maintained distance from the culvert. The goal was to provide highquality living spaces within its limitations.
POLLUTION PODS
Artistic Installation, London
Geodesic Domes | COP26
Artist: Michael Pinsky | Built Workshop
The exhibition, comprising five geodesic domes connected by tunnels, replicated the environments of five global cities to illustrate varying air pollution levels. Merging visual arts and natural sciences, it aimed to influence public perceptions of climate change.
The project provided in-depth knowledge of timber construction, joineries, technical drawings along with hands-on experience on site. During the construction week, a group of 10 students initially built the installation at the university campus. Later, the pods toured Kings Cross, London, and Glasgow for COP26 Climate Change.
Joinery Detail
Footing Detail
AIR RUSTLE
Pavilion Design, Zaragoza
Urban Intervention | MEDS Cierzo
Tutor: Ilya Katliarski | Design & Built Workshop
MEDS (Meeting of Design Students) 2022 aimed to rejuvenate Zaragoza’s Las Fuentes neighborhood through a collaborative project of architecture, art, and design. The workshop focused on themes of renewing ancient winds, sustainability, and urban space regeneration.
A circular pavilion was designed with a corridor loop for locals to stroll and contemplate its breathable fabric skin, connecting them with the winds and their rustle. The construction provided valuable insights into foundational work, material usage, installation techniques, and craftsmanship, offering a complete design-to-build experience.
Module Front View
Module Top View
HAND DRAWINGS
Sketches
Creativity has been my childhood hobby, nurtured through artworks, crafts, and sketches that capture moments in time. Transitioning into architecture, maintaining carefully designed sketchbooks composed of tiny sketches has become my passion and a valuable asset in my journey. This skill enables me to conceptualize ideas, interpret client briefs, and refine designs on-site, while honing my observation skills and eye for detail.
I specialize in pen and ink tools for creating miniature sketches and fine hand drawings, showcasing my dedication to blending artistic skill with architectural expertise.
