Architecture Portfolio

Questions & Ideas

Graduate School Portfolio Aniruddh Sharan

Exploring architecture as a medium for strategic interventions & designed experiences

An architect with a background in humanities and a deep interest in the juxtaposition of vernacular and contemporary through adaptive reuse, I try to strike a balance between addressing contextual challenges, creating memorable user experiences, and sustainable designs.

Curated below are some of my works, academic and professional, spanning across scale, typology, and contexts. They look to raise critical questions and investigate different ideas to address them. Shaped by multi-disciplinary interests and experiences, I look forward to constantly learning and widening my horizons.

How can libraries become relevant today?

Reviving public libraries as a ‘Third Place’

Can vacant rooftops facilitate urban housing?

Can a house ‘grow’ alongside a growing family?

How to build, without competing, within a fort ?

How to breathe new life into an existing space?

Where can ‘vernacular’ & ‘contemporary’ meet?

Can private towers & public parks coexist?

HOW CAN LIBRARIES BECOME RELEVANT TODAY?

Undertaken as a design & research thesis, this project allowed me to explore the potential synthesis of historical research, strategic intervention, program derivation, and user-centric architectural design.

In an age of digitalization and easy access to knowledge, libraries are finding it hard to remain relevant, often becoming derelict spaces. Although a greenfield project in itself, the proposal aims to revive the larger institution by re-imagining the existing model of public libraries, through the study of alternative roles and their spatial translation.

The proposal redesigns the library as a cultural and learning center, facilitating dissemination as well as active creation of knowledge. It aims to bring different programs together, attract wider audiences and encourage cross-learning. By addressing contemporary user needs, it aims to help reactivate the institution as a vibrant public space.

In terms of design, the project investigates how user experiences, translated spatially through sections, can become the primary driver of form. Taking into account the local need for a common meeting point, it generates an open, public realm. Thus, instead of becoming a restricted institution, the library is capable of fostering interactions and encouraging learning through exploration.

Project

Undergraduate Thesis

Tutors

Rahul Sen | ML Bahri

Reviving public libraries as a ‘Third Place’

Academic

Dwarka, Delhi

Why are libraries still important?

In an age of abundant knowledge, libraries have to become a mediator of exposure and a common platform for sharing & learning

Free access & Exposure to all

Conducive Environment

Sharing & Cross-Learning Dialogue & Social interaction

Evolution of form & design

Overtime, the library has shifted its focus from the books to it’s user & their experience

Books

Reading

Inward looking Circular plan

Reading

Books

Working

Outward looking Open plan

Books

Reading

Surrounded by books Deep plan

Reading

Books

Digital

Multi zoned Plan with atrium

Traditional Forms of Libraries

Changing forms of Libraries

Problem Identification

Even though there is a large network of the Delhi Public Library, most spaces are inactive and unknown to wider audiences

Unilateral focus on collections

Poor visibility & presence

Segregated zones

No exploration

Quiet, restrictive, dominating space

Changing role of Libraries

Through alternative models, libraries need to address contemporary user needs & regain relevance in society

‘Container of Knowledge’ Exclusive, Quiet, Restricted

‘Enabler of learning’ Interactive, open, multi-functional

State of Indian Public Libraries

Changing models of Libraries

Urban Stitch Precinct-Level response

Commercial Offices & IT parks

Zoning Plan of the neighbourhood

Third Place Site-Level response

Specialised Function

Specialised Function

Common public realm

Programmed & Programme free spaces

Inter-connected Building-Level response

Atrium creates visual cross connections, but traps heat

School & Colleges, no common platform Need for a cultural & co-learning space

Self contained Residential societies with kids & elderly

+ +

Culture Center Expanded role of Public Library

+ Knowledge Center

Dissemination of Culture Special occasion

Creation of Culture Activated ground

Special events + Daily needs = Constant activation

Re-contextualised as a stilted courtyard, allowing for connection and circulation

Learning by Doing

Residences

Learning through Experience

Public Realm

General Library

Teen’s Library

Kids’ Library

Tuition Classes

Classrooms

Spillout Bridge

Co-working offices

Rooftop Amphitheatre

Auditorium

Dance & Music studio

Multi-Purpose Halls

Art Store

Art Gallery

Primary School

Learning through Interactions

Learning through exposure

Metro Station

Office Hub

Isolated blocks

Prevents cross - learning and divides users into dedicated audiences

Under one roof yet disconnected Brings the users together, however due to floor divisions, they are unable to meet

Visually connected but The atrium allows for cross-connections but hinders user movement

Creating the ‘in between’ meeting spaces

Allowing spaces to flow into each other, the section creates volumetrically varying, collective meeting points. The visual connections intrigues new users to explore and learn organically

but restricted cross-connections movement across

floor

Surface as a space generator Profile creates connected outdoor spaces but loss in floor space & programmatic volume

Visually & Spatially connected

Without losing the built volume, allows for common spaces and spill out zones

the

1. Cafe’ 2. Drop off

Entry

Visitor help desk

Restaurant

Outdoor dining

General Library

Kids’ Library

Balcony

Multi-media library

13. Teen’s Library

14.

Co-working space

Stepped atrium

Upper level plan Library as connector

1. Pedestrian Entry

2. Vehicular Entry

3. Info. Center

4. Retail

5. Cafe’

6. Multi-purpose Hall

7. Dance Studios

8. Library living room

9. Kid’s Library

10. Teen’s Library

11. General Library

12. Public Bridge

13. Classrooms

14. Art Gallery

15. Auditorium

16. Event lawns

Visually inter-connected spaces encouraging explorations

Bridges fostering cross connections & dialogue

CAN VACANT ROOFTOPS FACILITATE URBAN HOUSING?

Adaptive reuse of ordinary spaces can be a way of not only building sustainably, but also make the most of the existing resources, thereby making it an affordable strategy.

Rapid urbanism, limited availability of land and rising property prices, have led to a major housing deficit in our cities making them increasingly unaffordable specially for the young working professionals and students. As a young graduate myself, I faced the similar issue and started noticing that there was no specific real estate typology catering to this user group. Most people share and rent larger apartments, which are designed for families, and are unable to cater to their dynamic, specific user requirements.

Rooftops are a dimension which constitute a large piece of urban infrastructure, but remain largely, under utilized. By hosting lightweight additions, this project proposes an alternative for demolition and simultaneously creating affordable dwellings. The design aims at creating flexible, multi-purpose spaces facilitated with daylight, insulation and outdoor connections.

With a deep interest in designing small spaces, this project allowed me to explore the potential of tiny houses to become not only a luxury escape but a solution for healthy, comfortable and affordable urban living.

Re-imagining tiny living for young professionals

Personal Project 2020

Bangalore

Circular in nature, Modular by design

Designed as lightweight additions, the units are made up of prefabricated components, allowing for easy assembly & disassembly

Plug & Play

Building upon ‘rented spaces’ & utilizing existing site services, to minimize costs

TOILET

KITCHEN LIVING SLEEPING DECK

Separate Zones

Distinct spaces created within the tight footprint creating different experiences

Flat Pack

Allows for installation & removal without heavy machinery, leaving the site in its original condition

Daylight & Flow

Enhancing indoor-outdoor usability & natural daylight in all spaces

Lightweight construction

Made up of CLT panels, reduces the added load on existing structures

Expandable design

Modular structure grid allows for multidirectional extensions

5. Skylight

2. Metal seamed roof

4. Steel structural framework

1. CLT Wall Panels

7. Retractable Furniture

3. Aluminium Sliding Panels

6. Kitchen Island

8. Movable Desk Providing daylight, ventilation & quicker drying in bathroom

Allows for integration of domestic solar panel Prefabricated ‘I-sections’ bolted together to form the structure Lightweight, insulated walls serving as structure & finish

Hidden storage & bed unit, creates space for multiple uses

9 ft high glazing, allowing natural daylighting for entire floor plate

Concealed storage with Washing Machine

Movable workspace capable of serving as dining table

Same place, Multiple spaces

Adapting to the changing needs of the users throughout the day, the spaces serve multiple functions and transform their character

3000mm

Morning Sleeping | Cooking | Lounging

Daytime Work from Home | Reading | Yoga

Quiet Evenings

Cooking | Dining | Sleeping

Entertaining Nights

Food & Beverages | Talking & Lounging

6000mm

Scalable design

Still ensuring daylight & outdoor spaces for each unit

Connected spaces yet Separated zones

Allowing for change of space and varying user experiences

Restricted physical space, Expanded mental space

The bedroom opens to the deck, while kitchen chaos remains out of sight

Professional Project

CAN A HOUSE ‘GROW’ ALONGSIDE A GROWING FAMILY?

Building upon the built

Jangpura, Delhi

This project gave me a chance to translate the idea of rooftop extensions into built practice and develop the concept further by incorporating structure and services. It also exposed me to the legalities and economics involved with adaptive reuse.

A growing feature in contemporary Indian society is a desire to live urban, nuclear lives, but remain connected as a traditional, large family. Coupled with the problem of limited unbuilt parcels of land in the city, reviving existing houses to accommodate new familial changes can help build sustainably and preserve the associated memories.

With a desire to lead such an independent yet connected life, a young family was looking for a new house. We proposed building on top of the ancestral house, where the father had grown up as a child himself - thereby retaining a home for the grandparents and an independent dwelling for the young family.

Highlighting this approach, the project proposed a lightweight metal and timber addition with a dry wall system, to create a warm abode in the middle of urban life. It incorporated changing volumes and carved out indoor-outdoor connections within the tight footprint. Designed during the pandemic, the entire house was made up of kit-of-parts, to minimize the work on-site.

Project Role

Concept Design | Design development and detailing | Presentations

Project Team

Studio Lotus : Ambrish Arora | Ansel Colaco | Adil Hussain

Status

Sanctioning

Structural analysis of the existing house was undertaken and temporary additions were dismantled

Lightweight steel structure, integrated with services, was designed like a kit-of-parts using standard member sizes allowing for quicker construction

1. Entrance Vestibule 2. Storage 3. Living Space

Terrace with Pergola

Dining

Open kitchen

Bar nook

Parent’s bedroom

Light well court

Balconies were carved out to provide outdoor connections. To reduce site work, a modular cement board wall system was designed for the facade

The roofs were split to frame vistas, informed from the interior user experience. The truss was made up of metal plates & timber infills

Fluid floor plan with connected outdoor spaces, facilitated a larger sense of living. Changing volumes - larger for collective gathering, smaller for bedrooms creating intimate spaces, generated range of user experiences.

Current Condition

Entry Experience

Facing a primary busy road, views were framed strategically

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3.

4.

8.

11.

HOW TO BUILD, WITHOUT COMPETING, WITHIN A FORT?

Building within a historical context is a challenging task especially, in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, as history is a living, daily reality. The building fabric has developed over multiple centuries and continues to interact and grow with the contemporary needs of society.

The project is a new intervention within the Mehrangarh fort, a 15th-century palace turned museum and one of the most visited tourist destinations. To facilitate the contemporary role of the fort, an ambitious ‘Knowledge Center’, containing an art conservation facility, research library, and conference hall, was proposed.

Since available land within the fort walls is becoming scarce over the years, the proposed building was located in a ‘ditch’ between the fort walls and the adjoining Chokelao palace. The design was envisioned as an extension of the ground plane and instead of building above, was imagined to be a labyrinth below the ground - merging within the fort instead of competing against it.

Initially a competition, I joined the project right after the commission was won and was involved in the design development of the proposal. Synthesizing site conditions, changing public programs and services alongside design, was a great learning in translating ideas into built form within a sensitive context.

Project Role

Design development and detailing | Presentations | Construction drawings

Project Team

Studio Lotus : Ansel Colaco | Adil Hussain

Status

Under Construction

Creating the ‘Knowledge Center’ in Mehrangarh Fort

Jodhpur, Rajasthan

Drawn in collaboration with Prajwal Amin & Jatin Khandelwal

Inverted Building

Instead of building ground up, the new intervention was designed within a ditch, to minimize the visual interference, allowing for seamless integration with the existing ground and creation of an extended public plaza.

1. Existing Palace

2. Restored Arches

3. Existing Step-well

4. Public plaza

5. Foyer

6. Conference Hall

7. Rooftop Restaurant

8. Reception

9. Washrooms

10. Lift

11. Kitchen

12. Art Conservation Lab

13. Documentation Studio

14. Materials Library 15. Artifact Workshop 16. Research office 17. Director’s office 18. Reading room

19. Public Library 20. Balcony 21. Staff cafe’ 22. Server room

Battery room

Public terrace

Water reservoir 26. Landscape garden

Site specific Design Guides

An important mandate was matching the datum lines of the existing fort wall adjacent to the conference block. Since the intervention was visible from the main fort, the rooftop became another visible & vital experience.

Hybrid Structural System

The conference block was built as adaptive reuse of the existing garage structure, abutting the fort wall, and thus designed in RCC. To keep the additional foundations shallow, lightweight metal framework was used for designing the new labs.

1. 100 x 100 mm MS Box sections

2. Connecting Plate forming a 300mm column

3. MS beams welded to form connectors

4. Half-lap cut MS beam with bolted connection

5. MS Plate stiffeners

Proposed Design Conference hall & public plaza

Existing Condition Stables turned into parking garages

HOW TO BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO AN

EXISTING PLACE

Reviving an old house into a hospitality experience

Professional Project 2022 Matial, Uttarakhand

An intervention within a historic building itself, the project looked to revive an old structure belonging to the colonial era of British India. Originally built as a bakery, this stone structure was retrofitted post-independence, as a home by the local village chief.

However, today the building faced many challenges, structurally and experientially. Due to poor insulation, it remained sparsely occupied throughout the year. The rooms added in the tall, central volume remained cut off from views or sunlight, making them cold and intimidating. The living space, due to its linear arrangement, created dead pockets and restricted interaction with the beautiful hills outside.

In order to revive its occupancy, and allow more people to enjoy this experience, the building was re-imagined as a rentable hospitality suite. The design focused on enhancing the experience of the occupants while celebrating the present building in all its truth and glory.

Being the ‘Project Architect’, this was a fascinating learning in adaptive reuse. Apart from the technical challenges of intersecting new and old structures, it led to interesting questions of overlapping narratives and implications of retention or change.

Project Role

Concept Design | Design Development | Site co-ordination

Project Team

Studio Lotus : Ambrish Arora | Ansel Colaco

Status

Construction drawing

Adapted as an old house, the bedrooms were currently located in the central higher volume. This made it cold and intimidating experience, without direct sunlight or connection with views outside.

The central, larger volume was re-designed to host inter-connected public spaces. The side flanks, with a lower volume, were redesigned as cozy, intimate bedrooms with framed views of the mountains.

1. Entrance Foyer

2. Living space 3. Pool table 4. Bedroom

deck

Vehicular drop-off

1. Entrance Foyer

2. Open Kitchen

3. Dining table

4. Conservatory Living 5. Bedroom

Outdoor deck

Sequence Interventionof

Documentation & Analysis of existing building

Plinth Extension & Stone wall additions Insulated glazing & Flooring installation

Demolition of leaking roof & aging timber

Timber dry-wall room partitions & facade

Roof rafters restored with insulated sheeting

Existing Condition

Proposed Extension

Capturing views & sun across the day

Paint chipped to highlight stone masonry

Professional Project

2022

WHERE CAN ‘VERNACULAR’ & ‘CONTEMPORARY’ MEET?

Matial, Uttarakhand

Building a contemporary resort within the serene hills of Uttarakhand, posed an interesting challenge. On one hand, in an attempt to create authentic user experiences, our team looked to create a design informed by the context. While on the other hand, we became aware of the reality that ‘local materials’ themselves are becoming scarce and instead of mining further, require conservation.

Vernacular knowledge systems are a great lesson in building in sync with the cultural and ecological context. In the hilly Himalayan region, the local architecture is known as ‘Kath Kuni’ construction - which involves the use of timber and stone to create interlocking load-bearing walls.

But in the absence of these materials, we relied on careful re-interpretation. We studied the local scale and form, to create humble spaces. The project looked to re-examine the idea of luxury in hospitality by prioritizing connection with nature instead of grand gestures. Instead of mining for stone walls, we used stone obtained from the excavation to develop hybrid wall sections. Instead of timber bands, we used glulam to create a lightweight timber roof structure and reclaimed wood as facade shingles.

As the ‘Project Architect’ of the ‘Public Building’, seeing the project from concept to construction, allowed me to learn and collaborate with various people - from expert consultants to masons on site.

Project Role

Concept Explorations | Design Development | Construction administration

Project Team

Studio Lotus : Ambrish Arora | Ansel Colaco | Mohit Goel

Status

Construction

RAAS Devanya - A retreat in the hills

Evolution of building programme & resulting form

Building along the contour Maximising the views

Programme expansion

Pool incorporated to minimize built

Served and serving spaces

Incorporating ‘Back of House’

Recreating the mountain village, the Public building caters to 20 keys & supporting services Overall Site Plan

Programme consolidation

Universally accessible rooms added

Challenges of recreating the past

Despite lack of ‘local materials’, informed the design by studying vernacular form & construction

Traditional vocabulary, contemporary material application

Cantilevering entry level structure was designed using Glulam, while stone from excavation were used in walls

Concrete Retaining wall + Framed structure + Stone walls

Vernacular Section Heavy base & Cantilevering top

Interlocking Wood & Stone Kath-kuni construction

Section Iterations exploring User experiences

Metal columns & rafters Services

Glulam Timber columns & rafters

Re-interpreting vernacular form with contemporary program

Creating an intimate scale, the section was designed in steps to work with the contour instead of against them.

At any given moment, the user thus experiences a single story space, making it more homely instead of an intimidating experience

1. Reception

2. Bar & Lounge

3. Pool & smoke

4. Spa rooms

5. Gym & Games

6. Staircase

7. Room corridor

8. Pool deck

9. Heated pool

10. Landscape deck

11. Underfloor heating

12. MEP Services

13. Retaining wall passage

14. Entry level road

Merging vernacular material with contemporary energy-efficient standards

Working with the stone locally excavated during the process of digging foundations, various wall sections were devised to incorporate insulation within traditional materials to result in ecologically high performing facade system

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

1. VM Zinc seam roof sheet

2.18mm plyboard

3. Vapour Barrier

4. Purlins & Rockwool Insulation

5. Planked timber ceiling

6. Glulam truss

7. Clerestory window for south light

8. Glazing

9. Slate stone coping

10. Metal cross column

11. Timber infill member

12. Retaining wall

13. Drainage channel

14. 150mm thk. Stone Masonry

15. 75mm thk. Insulation board

16. 225mm thk. AAC block with plaster

17. Concrete lintel

18. Timber lintel

225mm thk. Stone Masonry

Glulam beam

Timber mullions

L.G.S.F drywall system

Timber framework

Timber shingles

Timber jamb

Openable insulated windows

Timber railing fixed to the

CAN PRIVATE TOWERS AND PUBLIC PARKS COEXIST?

Urban Redevelopment of an existing neighbourhood

Academic Project 2019 Janakpuri, Delhi

Developing upon the ideas of revitalization and activation of public spaces, this project looked at the problem at an urban scale through the redevelopment of a mixed-use neighborhood in Delhi.

With the increasing population in our cities, there is a rising demand for the densification of existing built fabric. But development driven by capital often results in different user experiences for different classes. Being connected with natural, open spaces is becoming a privilege within a congested urban city. The proposal thus aimed at recognizing the existing, central park as a critical resource and extending it to everyone - within and beyond the site.

The scheme was driven to create a pedestrian-friendly precinct, capable of inviting and connecting with the larger networks adjacent to it. Apart from housing, it provided supporting amenities such as offices, retail and recreational facilities to create a thriving and inter-connected urban living experience. An elevated podium loop enhanced the common public spaces.

All the spaces, from the hotel to low-income housing, were visually treated with similar attention and aesthetic, to erase the biased divide between different zones and create a unified neighborhood.

Project Role

Site Analysis | Concept Design | Design Detailing | Model making

Project Team

Anam Nasim | Sharon Sabu | Veeresh Angiras

Made in collaboration with Anam Nasim, Sharon Sabu, Veeresh Angiras

Current Zoning

A largely residential neighborhood, the current site hosts a commercial market, temple & schools nearby

Mobility structure

The site is flanked by a major road network and also accessible by city-wide metro railway

Potential network of greens

Although there are many parks, they remain restricted, privatized and isolated

Activity Mapping

Temporal activation of spaces influenced by informal markets, school hours and office commute traffic

Connected podium level for relief on upper spaces but inward-looking blocks with unusable scale

Larger open space - extending the park into a plaza but created segregated zones of built-unbuilt

Zoning of hotel & commercial - act as noise buffers but park restricted by housing blocks

Shallow housing floor plate - cross ventilation across units but hotel rooms facing adjacent buildings

Porous build form allows central greens to ‘bleed out’ and connect with larger context

Stage 1

Built around self shaded courtyards but housing adjacent to busy road

Stage 4

Stage 5

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 6

Global move

Enabling the central park to remain accessible & visually connected

Parallel Bars

Inward Looking Courts

Sheltered yet Porous

Allows for movement, but no connection between blocks Shared space, yet allows movement & independence

Creates shared sense of place but not inviting

Pedestrian centric design

Car movement was restricted to the peripheries, while the bridge and terraces recreated elevated common spill-out spaces

Multi-Level site experiences for diverse user groups : Private experiences above, public thoroughfare below

Framing urban vistas & extending the park

Porous site edges inviting the context

The elevated bridge creates a vehicular-free public realm while allowing space underneath for hosting informal markets & cycling tracks.

Academic

CAN A SINGLE DOOR LEAD TO MULTIPLE PATHS?

Located in a neglected neighborhood next to a busy thoroughfare, the interactive installation was proposed as an intervention for reactivating the public space.

Devised as frames within a frame, it allowed users to generate multiple iterative paths. This was symbolic of how everyone is capable of charting their own journeys, each story being unique and different.

Intentionally minimal in its outlook, the door in the middle of nowhere, was designed to intrigue the audience. Through the use of color, the intervention looked to attract users, allowing them to engage with the design.

HOW CAN ONE

BEYOND ARCHITECTURE?

Social resilience in post-disaster reconstruction

Published by the Journal of the (JIIA), this research paper studied of building social resilience through reconstruction. It led to an understanding technical skill, the process in which has a huge bearing on its impact the problems it looks to solve.

Project Role

Research | Writing | Editing section

Project Team

Anam Nasim | Sharon Sabu | Veeresh

Installation for tactical urbanism

ONE ‘BUILD’ ARCHITECTURE?

reconstruction

Odisha

the Indian Institute of Architects studied the processes and ways through post-disaster housing understanding that apart from the which the project is undertaken impact and success at addressing

BESIDES PROJECTS ; REFLECTIONS ON PRACTICE

Designing a publication on Studio Lotus

New Delhi

Initiated a publication project to highlight the processes behind the projects, in an attempt to address common issues faced by practitioners. Through critical reflection, it aimed to showcase the workings of a contemporary design studio and address the reason and learnings from experiments, instead of just the finished products. A combination of key projects, interviews, and insights, it looked to narrate the development of the practice over 20 years.

Project Role

section on ‘Cyclones in Odisha’

Veeresh Angiras | Dr. Chaitali Basu

Curator & Editorial design | Project lead | Writing and drawing

Project Team

Mrinalini Ghadhiok (Editor) | Ananya Khaitan (Graphic Designer)