Anuj Mittal
anuj.mittal@iaac.net +91-6397916113
ARCHITECTURE&ME PORTFOLIO OF WORKS
contents PROJECTS 1 2 3
02 08
KAUSHIK RESIDENCE FLYING CARPET
8
COM-HOME METALLIC SPACES FACE-LESS GLUED LAMINATED TIMBER BAMBOO CONSTRUCTION
9
EARTH CONSTRUCTION
4 5 6 7
“
PNEUME
18 24 28 34 38 40 42
”
THE GREAT DANGER FOR MOST OF US LIES NOT IN SETTING OUR AIM TOO HIGH AND FALLING SHORT; BUT IN SETTING OUR AIM TOO LOW, AND ACHIEVING OUR MARK.
MICHELANGELO
PROJECTS
01
PNUEME
BIOCLIMATIC CONCEPT SKIN SELF SUFFICIENT BUILDING STUDIO
P
neume is a project developed with Enric Ruiz Geli, principal Architect of Cloud 9 at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC). The studio was focussed on the overall developement of a sustainable architect; from the structure, the material, the economics, the construction cost, the energy consumption to the social responsiveness and the various other strategies that one would need to focus to be an architect in the coming years. The project was focused on the developement of a passive adaptive kinetic skin system which could protect the inhabitants from the outside environment. Often, skins are called upon to perform functions that are contradictory to each other. They are responsible for allowing as much solar heat in as possible, while also responsible for keeping it out at other times.They are responsible for keeping the weather outside of the buildings, but also called upon to let the building breathe. They are asked to shelter the inhabitants and keep them secure, while also allowing them to view the outside and still feel connected to nature.
THE IDEA IS TO EXPLORE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PASSIVE ADAPTIVE KINETIC SKIN SYSTEM BASED ON RESEARCH, SIMULATIONS, AND PROTOTYPES THAT WILL INTERACT AND RESPOND TO THE ENVIRONMENT WHICH HELPS IN REDUCING THE OVERALL ENERGY CONSUMPOTION OF THE BUILDING. 2
ANATOMY OF A BUILDING
finishing
All buidlings need to have finishes as per the requirements and cutting down cost from the finishing to fulfil the rest should not be an option
facade/skin finishing
skin
The skin or the facade has to perform a lot of functions and if designed properly, it can take a lot of load from the machinery by keeping the building confortable without consuming too much of energy.
Machinery
Machinery
The machinery viz HVAC is used to make the building habitable. If the building is not designed keeping passive technologies in mind, more and more emphasis is given to HVAC for comfort making the running of the building energy intensive.
structure
structure
Spend enough time to design the structure to make it as light in weight as possible. This reduces the overall fabrication time, production cost and material making it more sustainable.
By spending more time on digital fabrication and innovation during the structure phase, it is likely to save production costs and material. If the skin is designed well and is succesful, there would be a significant decrease in need of machinery and services like airconditioning and heating, and can decrease the 50/50 ratio. 3
MACHINE LEARNING The involvement of machine intelligence carries the process of design into a new association between two species which continuously influence each other during the search for an ideal design solution. Such design methodology is of high importance for a more integrated information rich and creative design thinking. The project integrates advanced modelling and heuristic search strategies to design workflow for managing and communicating multi-criteria search in the early design phase. It focuses on novel strategies for the formulation of design problems within the setting of high performance, cloud-enabled, multi-objective search. Accordingly, within the frame-work of well established platforms for parametric modelling, different parametrisation methods are investigated. The skin is attached to the structure at various nodes which allow the movement of upto 2M to and away from the structure to facilitate mutual shading. The aperture opening on the facade is directly proportional to the amount of radiation the face receives in any given hour. Based on these criteria, a Pseudo code was written to arrive at the best solutions at different times of the year.
January Total Radiation - 31.4 Total Sunlight - 96
4
February Total Radiation - 59.6 Total Sunlight - 114
March Total Radiation - 35.7 Total Sunlight - 109
Base Surface
April Total Radiation - 37.9 Total Sunlight - 115
Nodes movement flexibility
May Total Radiation - 39.8 Total Sunlight - 114
Scaling of openings depending on radiation
June Total Radiation - 33.3 Total Sunlight - 118
PHYSICAL PROTOTYPE A physical protype to test the idea was fabricated using teflon sheets filled with a PCM with boiling point of about 50 ° C and heat sealed. The cushion was inflated at around 52 °C and turned milky when the PCM changed from liquid to gas.
SUNLIGHT AND RADIATION DATA COLLECTION
Maximum Sunlight Hours // Minimum Radiation March, April, May, September, October
22°C
42°C
48°C
0 Secs
Maximum Sunlight Hours // Maximum Radiation January, February, November, December
53°C 3 Min 10 Secs
July Total Radiation - 39.5 Total Sunlight - 105
August Total Radiation - 42.5 Total Sunlight - 116
September Total Radiation - 50.0 Total Sunlight - 115
October Total Radiation - 59.3 Total Sunlight - 108
Minimum Sunlight Hours // Minimum Radiation June, July, August
November Total Radiation - 47.4 Total Sunlight - 99
December Total Radiation - 46.5 Total Sunlight - 102
5
PSEUDO CODE grasshopper ladybug
grasshopper ladybug
1
2 parameters
3 mesh 1
4 radiation analysis
parameters
adjusting opening size
trained neural network
-sunlight hours -radiation -thermal climate index -wind speed -dry bulb temperature -relative humidity 10A -barometric pressure -humidity ratio
{ } 6
8 9
machine learning
-sunlight hours -radiation -thermal climate index -wind speed -dry bulb temperature -relative humidity -barometric pressure -humidity ratio
{ } { }
input tensor set
10
geometry
output tensor set
optimised parameters
6 genetic optimisation
sunlight analysis
mesh 2
11
5
parameters
7
optimised geometry
Solar Chimney for creating a draft of air flow in summer and storing the heat in winter ETFE Cushion for protecting the vapour actuating membrane
The ETFE cushions are allowed to move at specific locations with the help of machine learning to reduce the overall radiation gain from the sun
Mistifiers for controlling the microclimate
Vapour pressure actuation of the facade Inner skin for the solar chimney and ventilation
Moving sleeves connecting the solar chimney with the building for ventilation
Vapour actuating membrane
Pneume - Bioclimatic responsive skin
Self Sufficient Building // IAAC // MAA01 7
02
KAUSHIK RESIDENCE
TWIN RESIDENCE, GURGAON Plot Area : 2000 sqyd Built up area : 25000 sqft
ARCHITECTURE
INI CHATTERJI ANUJ MITTAL
INTERIORS ANUJ MITTAL SHRUTI JALODIA
T
he brief for the project from the client was to build a twin residence independant of eachother and still connected by an integrated landscape. The twin residence belong to 2 siblings.
The design exercise went on for a few months trying to achieve the best possible solution to the clients needs. A cohesive development which can take them away from the pollution filled dusty roads of the capital region of New Delhi. The Architects sensibility for wanting to be true to the materials was welcomed by the clients. After weeks of deliberation and a few samples discarded, Fair-faced concrete became an integral part of the design statement. The idea was to create a micro climate of the site. Extra care was taken so that the basement of the residence doesn’t resemble a dungeon and is open from all sides for a good ventilation. 8
PLANNING CONCEPTS
1
Site Plan with Set backs according to Bye-Laws
MASSING STUDY
2
Conventional way of building on the entire site allowed so as to maximise the habitable area
Columns on the outer edges with 9� thk brick walls.
Bsic division of the square plot into 2 parts for the twin residence
3
Carving out the courtyard space to enhance the quality of space and bringing the columns closer to the centre
Opening up the outer walls for maximum light penetration and ventilation
4
Reducing the column size by making shear walls. Concrete structural walls
Making the structural walls fair-faced so that they can left exposed showing the natural beauty of the material
5
Shading the glass facade of the building from the intense heat of solar radiation.
DGU glass with the same coefficient of heat transfer is used so as to reduce the heat gain
Increasing the width of the floor as you go up so as to shade the floor below
9
PLANS - BUILT UP TOP ROOFING
The top roof made up of Zinc sheets is also the structure for the Solar Panels.
SECOND FLOOR
The Second floor has the service areas of both the houses. The outdoor Units of the HVAC system, the Hybrid Solar inverter and the battery banks, The Solar-cum-electric Boiler. Along with the service areas, the second floor also has the Guest Bedrooms
FIRST FLOOR
The First Floor is the main Habitable space for both the buildings. The master Bedroom along with the Master Lounge take up the major area. Rest of the area is taken by the personal kitchen and a Kids Bedroom.
GROUND FLOOR
The Ground Floor contains the formal areas of the house. The main entry foyer leads to the Drawing Room attached with Dining room and a secondary living area. The main Kitchen of the house is located on this floor.
Water Body / Living Area / Dining Area / Guest Bedroom / Kitchen
LOWER GROUND FLOOR
The Lower Ground Floor is the heart of the house. The swimming pool is on this level along with all the other entertainment areas. The home theatre, Games Room, Party Hall and the Pool Lounge. The Gym and the Office are on this level as well. 10
Sunken Courtyard / Games Room/ Home Theater
BIO - CLIMATIC STUDY 21 June 1300 hrs
21 June 1300 hrs
21 Dec 1300 hrs
Solar
The building was punctured by various sunken courtyards. Right in the middle of the site , The swimming pool cools down the intermediate area between the 2 residences by at least 5 °C. Mist Humidifiers were placed around the building to further cool down the hot air from the arid desert.
ls Solar P
Pane
anels
Solar
21 Dec 1300 hrs
ls Solar P
Pane
anels
Solar Panels placed on east west direction to get a more stable power generation
Mist Humidifier
11
SECTION LONGITUDNAL
12
SECTION TRANSVERSE
13
SHUTTERING DETAILS
SEQUENCE
T
he shuttering was made on site by skilled carpenters. Extreme care was taken to keep to the shuttering in line and level during casting of concrete since there was no margin of error. The Services were cast along with the walls. The entire building was planned accordingly.
SHUTTERING PLAN
FRAME ELEVATION
TYPICAL SHUTTERING SECTION 14
INSIDE ELEVATION
1
5
2
6
3
7
4
8
CIRCULAR COLUMN SHUTTERING DETAIL
C
asting the circular column was a big challenge. As ususal, the entire job was done on site. The formwork was first made in MS, but was soon shifted to Wood since a skilled carpenter was available on site. The challenge was to make a smooth finished column without any honeycombing. The overlap in the formwork along with a laminate finish shuttering made it possible. FRAME WITH MS BOX SECTION FAN BELT
6mm TH.MARINE GRADE PLY WITH 1mm TH. LAMINATE
6mm TH.MARINE GRADE PLY
NON STAINING WOODEN BLOCK 12x100mm
FRAME WITH MS BOX SECTION
NON STAINING WOODEN BLOCK 12x100mm
TWO LAYERS OF 6mm TH.MARINE GRADE PLY WITH LAMINATE
Actual image of the wall casted. The finish of the wall is very close to the intended finish. The services were casted inside the walls as shown in the image
WALL ELEVATION WHEN CASTED
NON STAINING WOODEN BLOCK 12x100mm
The shuttering when erect
15
ON SITE WORK Wooden baton for support
CONCEPT SKETCH
Frame with MS Box Section 60X40 Bracing with MS Box Section
Nut and Bolt for keeping the shuttering together
Non Staining wooden Gugoo PVC conduit Pipe 12mm thk Marine Ply 1mm thk Laminate
SHUTTERING DETAIL FOR EXPOSED SUNSHADE
The On-site construction of the project took 3 years to complete. It was extremely time consuming since the workers had to be trained to get the desired results. With no scope for error, Each and every thing had to be meticulously planned to the last milimeter from the beginning of the project.The entire work was done on-site with a Design Mix Concrete. 16
CANTILEVER STAIRCASE DETAIL
One of the external floating staircase.
50X270X10 MS plate
10 dia fastener
40X170X10 MS plate
50X270X10 MS plate
10 dia fastener
290 50 150
485 10 40X40 MS rod
T
270
485 10
10
40X40 MS rod
40X40 MS rod
ELEVATION FROM 2 SIDES
he Cantilever staircase was planned for the house to reduce the bulkiness of the the shear walls. Thin treads floating in mid air give a sense of freedon to the design. The floating staircase are very elegant, stylish and minimalist. The structure of the staircase is in MS solid rod of 40X40 grouted into the fair faced concrete walls. Extra care had to be given in order to keep the face of the wall beautiful. The MS plate bolted into the concrete with a fastener and welded to the rods which are inserted into the concrete wall
17
03
FLYING CARPET
DATA INFORMED STRUCTURES MUSHROOM SEMINAR - GROUP OF 24
T
he seminar was focussed towards making structural design an integral part of the design process for architects using the computational tools available.The seminar was directed by Manja Van De Worp, principal of Nous Engineering. A large part of the semiar was dedicated to understanding Karamba, structural analysis plugin for Grasshopper with hands on work on the site followed by lectures and practical sessions, which included tests and simulations. Key focus was to develop a structural principles of a “Mushroom�, which could pop out of anywhere while keeping the surroundings of the space in mind. We fabricated the proposed structure during a week-long workshop. The entire focus was given on studying the structure indepth and preparing the fabricaton files for the 1:1 structure. The entire structure is held in place by metal cables which are threaded through the members. The joinery is only between the carpet and the frame and not between each member.
The students enjoying on the Magic Carpet after a hard days work
18
DESIGN PRINCIPLE
SHEAR LOAD ANALYSIS
The stiffness of the overall form is determined by its ability to resist unfolding. With a purely extruded surface, it unfolds with virtually no resistance - which can be seen clearly in the unrolled geometry. We found that the more gaps in the unrolled surface equaled to greater resistance to unfolding.
Triangulated + Ruled Surface - Unrolled
Extruded Surface - Unrolled
The deformation decreases by 25% with the cables The location and size of the rods is defined according to the shear diagrams
POST TENSIONING ANALYSIS
Triangulated + Ruled Surface
Extruded Surface
Bottom cables - continuous Top cables - non continuous
19
STRUCTURAL PRINCIPLE
non developable surface
The Magic Carpet depends on geometric locking to keep a stable form and minimize deformations due to the completely hinged joinery between the elements which depends on a basic consecutive hinges principle.
Post tensioning cables
In order to make the Magic Carpet work, the edge rows had to be locked under this principle to keep the edge rows from deforming and affecting the global geometry and to make sure the geometric lock happens afterwards.
Geometric locking
Hinges Principle - Rotational Lock Braces
STRUCTURE ANALYSIS Depending on the global structural analysis of Magic Carpet, diagonal and parabolic cables were inserted to the surfaces which are serving as beams. With the insertion of the cables, the signicifant differences in displacement values* of the system can be observed under various load cases
Deformation
20
Shear
Utilization
Bending Moment MY
FABRICATION STRATEGY All the surface has more than three edges, and the edges are more than 100mm, in order to avoid pieces that are too small and hard to fabricate. Wedge detail for end junctions of the curved cables
2
1
joints for end-condition
cutting the timber stock into blocks
making holes using ABB along the vector
3
termination detail of the cables
Non-planar surfaces are kept warped instead of triangulated, in order to avoid too many L shape pieces that need to be CNC milled.
4
splicing solution for junctions where the cables are bending at sharp angles
Surfaces that span the entire width, with the help of cables, act as a beam to support the entire structure.
filleting the blocks for aesthetics
21
ASSEMBLY STRATEGY
1A
Measure and cut the piece
2C
22
Final structure on wheels
1B
Champhering the edges
1C
Sorting the pieces
1D
Assembling the first few contours on the ground
2A
Preparing the perimeter frame simultaneously
2B
Threading the elements to form the structure
23
04 COM-HOME COMPACT DESIGN SOLUTIONS FOR HIGH DENSITY LIVING SITE DELHI FINAL YEAR THESIS
THE QUEST
T
he search is based on a hypothetical program which explores different options in minimizing the wastage and utilizing the resources put into building to the maximum.
It is a demonstration housing to showcase the compact design solutions for families living in the new developing urban centers in India. It will be taking into account flexibility as an option to achieve the required living spaces. Reconfigurable living spaces, utilizing waste spaces in a house are also an option.
POPULATION CRISIS 1950
1.3 M
1980
5.5 M
2010
15.1 M
2040 DELHI POPULATION IN THE YEARS
36 M BREAK POINT
THE PROJECT Smart architecture offers an integral solution to a variety of design challenges: the environmental problem, the optimal use of space and other resources, a functional utilization of materials and technology, and aesthetics. The idea is to achieve the perfect balance between rigidity and fluidity so as to maintain the basic living spaces without any compromise and give them freedom of configuring their own spaces when required. After a thorough study of the basic functioning of the house, the spaces which are used occasionally but end up taking a lot of spaces should be given flexible arrangements, whereas, the spaces which are a must are to be provided permanently.
It has to give user the option of customization and to choose from a variety of designed spaces for the same unit. Flexibility in layout to be given importance.
“
Build Lesser, Build Smarter
”
People need ‘x’ space to live comfortably. In this THESIS, I want to question the existing parameters of requirements and evolve the most optimum space required to stay in. 24
Flexibility in spaces allows for overlapping of functions in the same space. Hence, lesser space and materials are required for the same features
OPTIONS OF FLEXIBILITY Smart architecture is technology-wise. Using advanced engineering and materials and equiping a building with energy saving devices is not necessarily smart, while a distrust of technological solutions may not be the best solution. Majority of architecture is focused around one primary function. A lot of spaces are built because their need exists but only for a few hours in a day. These spaces are left unused for the rest of the time. We need to question the space being vacant when so many of us don’t have a roof on our head.
“
Flexibility is not the exhaustive anticipation of all possible changes. Most changes are unpredictable. Flexibility is the creation of margin - excess capacity that enables different and even opposite interpretations and uses.”
REM KOOLHAAS
Actual image of the 1:10 model
25
CLUSTER/UNIT DESIGN
1
2
1. Minimizing the Circulation area, so as to increase the number of units in the given BUA. A square core with units on all sides is the most efficient way of building. 2. Minimizing the circulation area in the layouts of the units. Making more efficient units than the developers do currently. 3. The spaces in a house can be used on a time sharing basis. The spaces that are not used throughout the day can be modified to give way to other spaces that are used at a different time of the day. 4.Furniture for space saving needs to be integrated into the Architecture.
Living Dining 2 Bathroom Kitchen
Balcony Bedroom Bedroom
Party Study Exercise
Living Dining 2 Bathroom Kitchen
Balcony Bedroom Bedroom
Party Study Exercise
Balcony Bedroom Bedroom
Party Study Exercise
4
3 Opening up all sides of the apartment by chiseling out space from the Circulation spaces. rather than having a clunky box building, we can play around with the shape of the building as well
Smart architecture is technologywise. Using advanced engineering and materials and dressing up a building with energy saving devices is not necessarily smart, while a distrust of technological solutions is pretty stupid. 26
Living Dining 2 Bathroom Kitchen
Balcony Bedroom Bedroom
Party Study Exercise
Living Dining 2 Bathroom Kitchen
DESIGN FEATURES DESIGN CONCEPT
CHASSIS
T
he basic design works on a simple Japanese concept of Minimalism. The space is to be utilised not to its full capacity but the need of the users.
AUTOMATION Automation in the residential sector will change the way we perceive architecture. We have to evolve architecture to take full advantage of the flexibility provided by technology.
Top Tracks
The Walls can move at a touch of a button of any smart device based on the previous set scenes customisable to each user. With home automation, changing the arrangement of the house has never been easier.
“
The structure of the walls is a chassis made up of Aluminium tubes forming an empty 2’ cupboard with rollers on both the top and the bottom. The chassis can be fitted with any number of modular furniture which get built into the walls itself.
MODULAR FURNITURE
Bottom Tracks The chassis can have a maximum of 3 tracks. 2 perpendicular tracks and 1 transverse track
Top Rail acting as the guide for the chassis
Any smart device will be able to make things move at the users single command
”
Bottom Track fitted with multiple roller bearings . The entire weight of the movable wall is kept on the track
The Bed mod can be doubled as a Sofa Mod as well
The Dining Mod. It can cater to a maximum of 12 guest when opened to its maximum extent.
The Study Table Mod. A basic mod that lets user have access to their books any time.
The Shelving Mod. This can be used in multiple ways. Basic storage module
The Shelving Mod. This can be used in multiple ways. Basic storage module
27
05
METALLIC SPACES
DATA INFORMED STRUCTURES IAAC GLOBAL SUMMER SCHOOL
T
ASSISTANT TUTOR
he workshop took place in IAAC , Barcelona under the banner of Global Summer School (GSS) in 2018. ‘DIGITIZE’ was the brief of the GSS and at its simplest, it refers to the translation of analogue information into digital information. With rapid advancements in the capabilities and tools of digitization, it’s becoming increasingly possible to virtually translate and store every aspect of life in digital form, moving closer to the networked interconnections of everyday objects. This allows us to tranform and evolve informtation in real time, via a global exchange of information between multiple connected devices. The aim of the workshop was to explore a series methodologies looking to incorporate advanced design thinking, generative algorithms and dynamic material feedback to existing industrial processes, accompanied with novel interfaces for robotic programming and large scale automated construction. During the workshop, participants had the opportunity to explore form finding strategies through digital tools and scale models which were later built as a series of digitally fabricated architectural elements in 1:1 scale, embedded with smart sensorial interactions.
28
collage of the physical prototype with the digital rendition of the same
PARAMETRIC MODELLING
1 4
The intensive workshop was primarily focussed on parametric design and exploring the possibilities of achieving a catalogue of designs to compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the different possible outcomes. Grasshopper for Rhino was the tool to explore these designs and Michel Pryor’s pufferfish was used extensively.
1
parameter for changing the length of the side bars
2
To make it easier for the students to grasp the complexity, the entire process was subdivided into 2 parts, module detailing and the overall global geometry.
3
2
The modules were then morphed onto the global geometry to arrive at a form which could be fabricated keeping all the rods different.
parameter for changing the length of the middle bars
3
parameter for changing the position of the centre
4
turning and twisting the bounding box for variation
29
30
The rods were bent using a custom jig designed and fabricated especially for this project. Since all the pieces are customised, we had to be sure of the Z-codes generated from the grasshopper script. The entire process was first visualised digitally and then replicated physically.
ROBOTIC SIMULATION
There are 3 types of information that was necessary for the KUKA arm, the distance between the bends, the axial rotation and the bending angle. Since the entire process was done from scratch, the callibration took some time to be precise.
moving the rod
turning the axis
bending the rod
31
32
INTERACTION DESIGN
ARDUINO
USER TOUCH AS INPUT
Raw Data
via serial communication
MAX MSP
Musical Notes
LIGHT AND SOUND AS OUTPUT
Filtered Data
MAPMAPPER Individually addressable LED
Mapping data to LEDs
The workflow diagram of the interaction design where each metallic rod was acting as a capacitive touch input and the lights and sounds were corresponding to the input. 33
06
FACE LESS
ARTIFACT FROM THE FUTURE SPECULATIVE IDEATION SEMINAR -
I
GROUP OF 5
n the past few decades, individuals have experienced dramatic changes in some of the most established dimensions of human life: time, space, matter, and individuality. These changes strain our everyday life and how we interact with the environment bringing us to question and design for how we will live in the future. Imagine that you could take an archaeologist’s expedition to the future to collect objects and fragments of text or photos to understand what daily life will be like in 10, 20, or 50 years. Artifacts from the Future give us this tangible experience of the future. They make the details of a scenario concrete, helping us to understand, almost first-hand, what it will be like to live in a particular future. We focused on a future scenario in 2053,where the global population will have hit 10 billion and the strain on the environment in both natural and artificial frameworks, toxicity levels, health and life expectancy, social interaction, and much more, will all have severe effects on our day to day relations: how we interact with each other and with our habitat. Artifacts from the future will work towards the development of meta-objects taken from the future, 2053, and brought back to the present, along a series of specific thematics.
“INCREASED SURVEILLANCE / DECREASED PRIVACY” 34
PROTECTING INDIVIDUALS AGAINST NON-CONSENSUAL IDENTIFICATION BY INCREASING SOCIAL PRIVACY
SCENARIO 2052
December, 2053
www.faceless.com
FACE
mo
ny ano
us
BE YOURSELF. EVERYONE ELSE IS ALREADY TAKEN.
35
FACELESS USER MANUAL AND ADVERTISEMENT
36
WORKING
Faceless encrypts facial features by exciting air particles around the face to create a customisable shield around the head that is only visible to imaging devices.
THE PRODUCT
37
07 W
GLUED LAMINATED TIMBER 2 FINGER JOINT
hile exploring the different materials used as building materials, Wood was obviously one of the most commonly available materials. Although commonly used, most people didn’t use timber as structural elements anymore. The Summers are hot, the winters are harsh and an ample amount of rainfall. Also, the indian subcontinent has a lot of termite problems.
4
Side Piece
Glue Even Plank with grains in the other direction
Side Piece
Hard Wood
Hard Wood
Side Piece
Hard Wood
38
FIXING AND FORMWORK
Odd Plank with grains in one direction
SAWING THE TIMBER
Side Piece
flipping alternate planks along the grains
The wood tends to expand and contract along the grains. This causes warping in wood under extreme conditions. When every alternate plank is flipped along the grain, the expansion is countered by the plank glued to it. Thus a very stable wooden member is formed.
1
Hard Wood
ALTERNATING THE PLANKS
After discarding the Side Pieces and the Soft Core of the log, we are left with only the Hard wood. The hard wood is sliced into 1 inch planks and left to be seasoned or Kiln dried Any imperfection in the plank is sawed out until we get pieces of hardwood free from any defect.
We tried making the glued laminated timber inhouse to get to know the process and the benefits. The wood needs to be seasoned sufficiently to get rid of the moisture down. Instead of getting the regular plain sawn timber, special instructions were given to the lumber jack to get rid of the soft core. Only the hard wood is to be used.
Discard Soft Core
3
1 2 3 4 5 6
Nut and Bolt to keep the glued planks in place
Cutting the wood with a make-shift form work
The planks are finger joints with adhesive for maximum strength until the desired length is reached.
7 8 9
The contruction plan for the beam
The coconut wood beam was made in the studio for a project.
39
08 BAMBOO CONSTRUCTION WORKSHOP - KARYASHALA
U
sing bamboo as a structural member and making structures entirely out of bamboo is not a new thing, but its art and elegance is lost in the contemporary India. I had the opportunity to attend a Hands-On Bamboo workshop organised by Karyashala - An initiative towards promoting the use of Bamboo in the current Architectural practice.
The foundation requires creating a strong base with hard rocks and mortar. The bamboo is painted with a anti- termite coating and filled with mortar. By embedding a rebar in that mortar and casting the foundation, these bamboo members are connected to steel gusset plates to create a column.
Bamboo column with the foundation
40
1
FOUNDATION
making of the fish eye joint - the bamboo is cut as per the size needed and then grinded to the appropriate radius cuts.
BAMBOO TRUSS - FLAT
Flat Truss
2
The flat truss is the most commonly used Bamboo truss since the forces are distributed with minimum cost and effort. The construction of these trusses is relatively simple and requires no special labour.
JOINTS
3
Bamboo structure made in Kosi, Uttarakhand for a NGO
COLUMN
4
section of a fish eye joint Butt joint - The most common joinery in bamboo. Although not traditional, the metal joists work very well.
41
09 EARTH CONSTRUCTION
RAMMED EARTH MIX
WORKSHOP - SECMOL
T
he workshop took place in SECMOL Campus, winner of the International Terra Award. The workshop was organised by Sonam Wangchuck who won the Rolex laureate award in 2016. A large part of the proceedings was dedicated to hands on work on the site followed by lectures and practical sessions, which included tests and simulations. Key focus was on how to identify, interact with and understand soils and their behavior, earth stabilisation, building with different earthen techniques, elements and anatomy of earthen buildings and earthen and natural finishes. All of the above were superimposed over the context of an actual building process, which was designed by the group through a design charrette process.
Making and testing the mix
TESTING Rameed Earth wall constructed on the site showing the different layers of compaction
1 4
ADOBE BLOCKS
Adobe block is a sun dried brick, possible in all shapes and size. Mix earth and water with some husk and throw the mix into a mold. level with fingers and lift up the mold. The block is ready after drying evenly in the sun.
Making of Adobe Blocks
The participants from different parts of the world got a variety of soil/earth to test. The soil was tested for elasticity, compressive strength, moisture retention etc. 42
STRAW CLAY
3
A sample residential unit for an upcoming University in Ladakh made entirely out of natural materials.
Straw clay is a wonderful way of marrying a really sticky soil with any kind of dry fibrous matter. Once these two are mixed, we can shape or mold the slop into any shape that we want.
Straw clay mix
2
STONE FOUNDATION Water is a friend and an enemy. Earth building requires protection from the weather. Excess water reduces the compressive strength drastically. It needs a good solid foundation and a heavy water resistant roof if it needs to be used in the rainy areas 43
Anuj Mittal anuj.mittal@iaac.net +91-6397916113