1
Akshit Suraj Parmar
Education
2014-19
akshitparmar28@gmail.com +91-9833249955 Mumbai, India March 1996, Indian
Languages
English - Fluent Hindi - Fluent German - A1 level
Balwant Sheth School of Architecture
Additional Experiences
Art Installation 2018
GPA 3.40* ( as of 2017)
2012-14
Singapore International School
Diploma in Game Integration and Design | MAAC
- the Bombay Dhaba, 2018
2016 2017
Entrepreneurship 101 - MITx Future Cities - ETHx
Jaisalmer Fort Documentation
2018
Architecture Internship | Studio PM 05/2018 - 06/2018 Pavilion Design for Personal residence Architectural Assistant | Ar. Suvarna Ghosh 04/2017 - 07/2017 Freelance 3D motion graphic design | EUME Sustainability Intern | magicbus.org Lead Actor | Macbeths - North east India Tour LeadAmerica Conference - UC Berkeley
2002-12
Referenced on the last page
Singhania School, Thane ICSE Score - 95.4 %
2015
2017 2017 2018 2014 2013 2013
Accolades
Kala Ghoda Arts festival
Experimental Architecture Sculpture 2015 Digital Automation workshop - Arduino, 2016 Restaurant Design Proposal
IB Score - 37/45
Experiences
Individual Academic Projects
2018 2017 2017 2014 2008-12
3rd Place | Design Esquisse BSSA Honorable Mention | Design Esquisse BSSA 1st Place | Intra-College Debate Gold Medal | IAYP Camp, Khonda Village School Prefect by Election
- Student Collaboration 2015
Proficiencies
Rhinoceros Grasshopper Cinema 4D + Octane V-ray Sketchup Autodesk Revit Adobe Photoshop Adobe Indesign Adobe Illustrator Adobe After Effects Office Suite
*
Drum Set | 92% Grade III Trinity
*Individual Professional Project
2
URBAN EXODUS A procedural design Exploration Individual Academic Project Project Type: Public Build Program: Public Transportation Project Size: 20,000 sq,m Location: Mumbai, India Supervisor: Priyank Mehta Term: 2017
“You cannot separate the buildings out from the infrastructure of cites and the mobility of transit� - Norman Foster Mumbai is undergoing an infrastructural augmentation which could re-wire the future of the city. The inclusion of a mass rapid transit system into the densely networked cityscape is a pivotal design decision for the sensitive urban fabric of this informal city. Memorable and enjoyable stations create value for cities . In fact, a transit station or stop serves much more than a transportation function; it is be a setting for community interaction, a place that
fosters a diversity of activities. Linking transit to community institutions and cultural assets seeks out citizens that may not have considered themselves as transit stakeholders. The aim was to craft a mixture of permanent and temporary uses in buildings, kiosks paired with amenities all centred around the station. The internal harmony of this mixture paves way for triangulation. Chance interactions and serendipitous discoveries then become commonplace.
3
Site Analysis and Deductions I believe every project is exclusive to its site context, hence analysing the site for potential opportunities and downfalls is pivotal. The linear typology of general transportation media requires an impact assessment on the affected fringes of the site.
Hence for the design of the station, this process was reverse engineered to inspect the existing fringe along the proposed metro station, and respond to it in the way of localised interventions.
Localized Interventions across a linear typology
Roof Design Development Series Design Parameters: Sun Shading Optimization Recurring Geometry Structural Stability
4
Extrapolating geometry from intersecting | overlapping | disjoint curves using mesh extrusion and smoothing tools
As mentioned earlier, local design interventions along the linear extent of the proposed metro station are stitched together as a cohesive geometric entity using computation ( grasshopper ). Mesh tweens helped blend one geometry into another to create a singular surface.
Operations were categorised as time based activity spaces which regulate mobility and spatial efficiency of each intervention. As one progresses from Operand A to H, the localised response provides its own identity to the Metro Station. Extrusions of regular planar curves are used to diagrammatize the result of various spatial relationships.
5
The output from the primitive operations discussed earlier was then remodelled and smoothed to make cohesive connections between local sections. Spatial programming was an outcome of the spatial and functional properties of the geometric output. Hence function follows form in this case.
6
Welcome to Malad Metro Station, Mumbai. Endless possibilities and chance encounters await as you pick from multitudes of pre-designed paths to board or alight your metro. Do you have to make it back in time for dinner but you forgot to buy your wife’s favourite dessert ? Did your cellphone give up on you in the wee hours of the day ? Do you wish to sit amongst tropical trees and relax till your meeting begins couple of hours later ? This facility holds the right answers to all your questions, the station translates its user preferences into tailor-made experiences which do not hinder daily efficiency. Hope you enjoy the ride... - Excerpt from a marketing campaign design for the metro station
Plan at + 10 m Wing A : Conference Room for Hire Magazine stall Access to open areas Wing B : Art Gallery walk Wing C : Viewing Deck Cafe overlooking Metro
Wing A
Wing B
Wing C
Plan at + 6 m Wing A : Sports Bar and Pub Leisure rentals Bakery (QSR) Wing B : Class spaces on rent Wing C : Conference Rooms Nature Trails
Plan at + 2 m
Wing A : Convenience Store Fresh foods market Administrative offices Wing B : Quick fix shops Bus Stop Wing C : Outdoor Rainforest Interactive library
7
Section for Operand E
Sections represent the structural system deployed for this distinct design style which is an uninterrupted ferro- cement shell structure reinforced with steel ribs that run across longitudinally.
Section for Operand B
Section for Operand A
8
Social housing an experimental design technique Individual Academic Project Project Type: Public Build Program: Community Housing Project Size: 5,000 sq,m Location: Mumbai, India Supervisor: Dean Trilochan Chhaya Term: 2016
Taking inspiration from the meandering bazaars of Mumbai and the sensitive relationships that are by-products of the intrinsic social fabric, this project is conceived as a low-rise housing complex for 400 teachers and students of the NMIMS University. Located along the fringe of a canal with bridges connecting to the campus, this project tries to coalesce the complex relationships and hierarchies shared between Teachers and Students. There is an alarming need for the term ‘Social’ to be re-introduced in the isolating housing trends.
Spaces that encourage collaboration are perfect environments to sustain societies because Humans are social beings. The negotiant capabilities of design carry implications that alter social patterns. A community of like minded individuals like - artists or teachers or students or professionals give birth to a new language of design that reflects their social behaviour. This approach nullifies the generalised design practices which ignore the diversity of its users.
9
Experiments in Particle flows The phenomenon of cohesion in water molecules is a metaphor for the societal instincts of man which pushes him to maintain a dynamic flux in his bonds with other men. This interpretation drove a series of studies and experiments which linked social behaviour to fluid dynamics. Collectively, we operate as swarms that follow rules that are set by the environment that we inhabit. These rules can be categorised into behavioural properties like attraction, repulsion and, turbulence to name a few.
Rotation along YZ plane
The proposed site lies sandwiched between a serene canal and a bustling primary street. Its elongated edges help usher circulation and movement towards the short edge of the canal resulting in the most public functions to be planned accordingly.
The site offers a delectable fringe of a canal that divides (connects) the houses to the university. Since the other edge is a traffic laden primary street, experimenting with designs which opened the site to the more tranquil edge seemed ideal. Using fluid dynamics ( x- particles for C4D ), different combinations of attractors, repellents and, turbulence were simulated to interpret the activity of social flow through a day’s run.
Rotation along XY plane
Rotation along XZ plane
The controlled yet unpredictable fluid behaviour led to creation of a modular family of geometrical spaces which could be re-appropriated in multiple ways in order to achieve different outcomes. For example, the red geometry is rotated along the YZ plane to change the aerodynamic flow.
10
Blue - Blue Typology
Influences from traditional architectural forms like Step wells (India) and Souks (Turkey) reflect in the planning of the housing units as well as their configuration as a whole. These techniques provide better circulation, ventilation and shelter from the tropical heat of Mumbai
Blue - Blue
Red - Red
Green - Green
Longitudinal section
11
A central Courtyard actively operates as a shared space between all typologies of houses. It also serves as access to parking areas, thus increasing social traffic and cohesive opportunities.
The overall configuration of housing typologies is a reflection of the initial experiments that analysed fluid behaviour. The orientation of houses turns linear along the fringes and enables the access routes to dominate social interaction. On the contrary as one moves towards the road, the houses align themselves to barricade the community and filter out pedestrian circulation.
Ground Floor Plan
12
“Society is to the individual what the sun and showers are to the seed. It develops him, expands him, unfolds him, calls him out of himself. Other men are his opportunity. Each one is a match which ignites some new tinder in him unignitible by any previous match. Without these the sparks of individuality would sleep in him forever.� ORISON SWETT MARDEN, Architects of Fate
Through a Sieve
An exploded view unveils the distinctive layers that effortlessly interlock with each other to create a comprehensive system of interaction
13
Fabricated Fantasies Re-imagining a future for a historical setting Individual Academic Project Type: Alternative Modular Technology Program: Variable Project Size: 1200 sq,m Location: Nomadic Carnivals Supervisor: Milind Merchant Term: 2017 This is a speculative project about reimagining a future for the abandoned architecture of traveling fairs, but with yesterday’s technologies. Although, this project directly references the setting of a carnival, it is not only about being entertaining, but also about exploring new architectural forms and programs which have potential to change resource re-usability, transportation, and building techniques.
14
Simmons Hall, MIT
Porosity
Low Stress Rebars
High Stress Rebars
Pre-Fab Perforated Concrete Modules
Simmons Hall, MIT by Steven Holl is a building which is enveloped by a structurally operational facade. The pre-fabricated concrete modules are irreplaceable and unique to their position in the complex structural grid of the porous building. To understand underlying patterns, I skinned the façades to recognise the differing thickness’s of rebars used across the building fascia. The outcome of this exercise was an interesting revelation of the relationships shared between the rebar thickness,
porosity levels and location of the sampled region. These cues influenced my design direction to use similar principles to generate a system which doesn’t work identically. Designing a new system for an alternate future where robots with inbuilt building tools inhabit a structure and alter its functionality to meet changing demands. The following series takes one through the sentient process of building in the near future.
15
16
17
The core tenets of the near future are reduce, reuse, and recycle. Comparable with the steam-punk philosophy and style, it comes from a spirit of customization and repurposing, rejection of mass culture and disposable commodities, and a demand for accessible technology that can be repaired rather than replaced.
Sentient Robots like ‘Sir Build-alot’ populate the cities that provide constant feedback to trigger responses and alter their states. This speculation regards AI as an extended tool for efficient architectural design.
18
Accolades : Honorable mention, Bssa 2017
Grafting r128.1
Alternative approach to a design philosophy Individual Academic Project Project Type: Sustainable Design Program: Guest House Project Size: 400 sq,m Location: Stuttgart, Germany Supervisor: Dean Trilochan Chaya Term: 2017
R128 is a state of the art house, designed by Werner Sobek as his own residence. A German engineer and architect, Mr, Sobek has strong design beliefs which reflect distinctly in the alien glass-box that sits amidst nature’s dense outgrowth. The house is a mere floating steel frame structure that embraces a descending hillock on it’s hind. The design challenge lay in proposing a guest house for Sobek’s R128. The consequent design strategy oscillates between adaptation and contradiction.
Sobek’s radical way of living was a precursor to the design. A modular bath tub enveloped by glass is one of the many radical gestures that R128 enabled in its integrated design. The guest house as a response, respects the philosophy of unfettered living while maintaining a balance with conventional living styles.
19
R128 utilizes the unhindered possibilities offered by the robust combo of Glass and Steel. Experiences are tailor-made for timespace and position inside or outside the House
R128.1 is a scion of R128, just like an offshoot of a parent plant. R128.1 has genes/ design gestures which replicate those of R128 along with mutated properties which hail R128.1 as an interpretation. R128.1 deals with visual and physical connectivity just like an offspring connected by an umbilical cord. The sensitive relationship between the two entities are confluential and contradicting at the same time, The site offers great opportunity for R128.1 to be hidden in plain sight while retaining the radical audacity of it’s parent R128.
Analysing R128
R128 takes inspiration from engineering marvels like airplanes to emulate ethereal experiences like walking on a floating plank as the primary access to the house.
20
The shape logic of most modern buildings including R128 follows a Base object geometry which can be simply identified. In this case it was a three dimensional array of cubes stacked vertically. Design development of R128.1 required geometrical analysis of the Cube in terms of operations to understand the possible mutations of a single cube.
Design Development
21
R128.1 tries to achieve a smooth transition into R128 with the elements progressively transforming and organising themselves as one moves from one entity to another. The plan of R128.1 shows varying degrees of fragmentation based on proximity to R128.
22
Actual Image*
Individual Professional Project Project Type: Private Commission Program: Pavilion Project Size: 49 sq.m Location: Parmar House, Thane Supervisor: Engineer Kannan Krishnan Term: 2017
A tranquil corner Upcycling an old warehouse in my backyard As a 4th year architecture student, I was presented with a great opportunity to deploy design capabilities in my first material project. The backyard of my house is a parcel of land which was acquired after the house was constructed. Formerly an old warehouse measuring 60 sq.m. It’s imposing character and detestable orientation made it a problem waiting to be solved. With the help of a highly experienced team of engineers and
fabricators, I was able to envision a quaint pavilion which reflected the qualities of my family. An extremely enlightening challenge was the recycling of the MS section columns from the Old warehouse and utilizing them in the new design. Refurbished metal columns stand shrouded in cement boards to support the translucent roof that disperses soft light at all times of the day.
23
The design development of the pavilion was undertaken as a string of questions that accompanied the design brief. As each question procedurally sought its answer, the final design revealed itself as a sharp gesture. Some of the considered questions were: \\Position on Plot \\Orientation in Plan \\Method of using re-cycled material \\Architectural Language \\Utility
Positioning the Pavilion The configuration of the pavilion was a design decision that sprouted out of commonplace observations. Our family ‘frangipani’ tree is considered a pivot when it comes to visual and physical movement in the compound. The pavilion tries to strategically acquire the widest vantage cone by diagonally positioning itself to the tree. A guest visiting the house also goes through a series of experiences which climax into the pavilion perching itself in an endless panorama.
Demolition of the decrepit warehouse exposes the rusted but robust metal sections which were retained for future use.
24
Section Details of MS columns with RCC footing
Inspired by Mies Van Der Rohe’s international style and modernist ideals, efforts were taken to minimise the imprint of the pavilion. The elements that produce the sense of space are linear members that appear floating in elevation. Translucent roofing reduces the opacity of the pavilion in plan, making it an ethereal body that blends into its natural landscape.
25
Jan 2017
‘Come full circle’
Dec 2016 Translucent Polycarbonate Sheets 8mm thick Mild Steel Welded Grid
Aluminium Composite Board
Outdoor skid-proof tiles
Materials in synchrony with design intentions
26
Additional Projects..
Anti-Library design, Tokyo
Measured drawings, 2014
Hand carved sculpture for hotel design, Sri Lanka 2015
Kala Ghoda Art Installation “In-Bloom�
Personal 3D graphics project, 1 of 30
Parametric design Sculpture, 2015
3D modelling for EUME massaging backpack
27