Portfolio of Selected Works

Anuj Mittal

anuj.mittal@iaac.net

ARCHITECTURE&ME PORTFOLIO OF WORKS

contents PROJECTS 1 2 3

PNEUME

KAUSHIK RESIDENCE FLYING CARPET

4 5

METALLIC SPACES

6

COM - HOME

7

GOOD WOOD

INCLUSIVE HOUSING

RESEARCH 9

GLUED LAMINATED TIMBER BAMBOO CONSTRUCTION

10

EARTH CONSTRUCTION

8

11

“

FACE LESS

”

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 under 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 PERSONAL AGENDA 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 aka 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

parameters

1

2

parameters

mesh 1

3

radiation analysis

4

adjusting opening size

5

mesh 2

6 genetic

sunlight analysis

optimisation

geometry

8

machine learning

trained 10 neural network

sunlight hours radiation therml climate index wind speed dry bulb temperature relative humidity barometric pressure humidity ratio

{ } 10A

6

sunlight hours radiation therml climate index wind speed dry bulb temperature relative humidity barometric pressure humidity ratio

{ } { }

input tensor set

9

output tensor set

optimised 11 parameters

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.

Although exposed concrete brings a lot rigidity to the design process, it helps you grow as an Architect.

As a recent graduate, it was a wonderful experience experimenting with concrete.

2

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

3

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.

4

Sunken Courtyard / Games Room/ Home Theater

BIO - CLIMATIC STUDY 21 June 1300 hrs

21 June 1300 hrs

21 Dec 1300 hrs

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.

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.

Solar

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

5

SECTION LONGITUDNAL

6

SECTION TRANSVERSE

7

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 no margin of error.

The Services were casted along with the walls. The entire building was planned accordingly.

SHUTTERING PLAN

FRAME ELEVATION

TYPICAL SHUTTERING SECTION 8

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

9

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.

10

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

11

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 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 wires 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

12

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

13

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

14

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

15

ASSEMBLY STRATEGY

1A

Measure and cut the piece

2C

16

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

17

04

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.

18

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

19

20

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

21

22

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.

23

05

GOOD WOOD

DATA INFORMED STRUCTURES

ROBOTIC FABRICATION SEMINAR

GROUP OF 6

CAN SCRAP PLANAR TIMBER BE USED TO CONSTRUCT SINGLE LAYER FREE FORM STRUCTURES ?

24

CONCEPT

BRIEF

GOODWOOD

T

1

UPLOAD YOUR 3D DESIGN

2

he 3 month advanced robotic fabrication seminar was focussed on the 4th industrial revolution, forging a way for the circular economy away from the linear economy of today.

“Machine execution should not merely be regarded simply as a service tool for materializing design but rather an opportunity to inform the design process as one which integrates machine-logic across all scales of production. Material choice and fabrication methods are not innocent decisions, but are rather predetermined factors which guide the design both with respect to artifact and process from start to end.”

Neri Oxman (2007) The seminar was focused on upcycling of the scrapwood with robotic intervention. Barcelona wastes 35% of the raw wood used in the industries today. To tackle this problem, we started cataloging the scrap wood from Poblenou using openCV for python in grasshopper.

Key focus was on how to optimise the wastage to make a product and how to extract material from the scrap wood for the next product. The major concern was to automise the entire process and to make it user firendly.

GOODWOOD is an online scrap wood database system. Do you want to build your own timber structure without buying expensive new timber material?

Goodwood understands your problem!

GOODWOOD, we assist in your timber structure analysis and provide you with quality recycled woods.

Register and become a member now!

ANALYSE YOUR GEOMETRY AND SEARCH IN OUR SCRAPWOOD DATABASE

01 TIMBER -INDEX-00123213-LOCATION-BCN 02 TIMBER -INDEX-0554343-LOCATION-MAD 03 TIMBER -INDEX-0234745-LOCATION-VLC

2

YOUR INFORMATION NAME

LOCATION

SUBMIT

Online portal for goodwood for the residents of Poblenou

25

scra

1A

Collection of scrapwood

1B

Organising scrapwood using Kuka

1C

Taking a snapshot for computer vision

1D

Extracting vectorlines using OpenCV library for python in grasshopper

Alg 3A fittin

2A 26

Geometry drawn on rhino

2B

Tangent plane intersection method

2C

application of metaheuristic optimisation placement techniques

ROBOTIC INTERVENTION STRATEGY

ap otimization

4B

gorithm for A ng in scrap

3B

fitting the requisite piece into the scrapwoods

3C

Calculating scrap and panel efficiency and feeding back the information to Black box 1

new geometry based on planarize surface and optimize placement result.

n

4B

loop feedback for black box 27

SCRAPWOOD CATALOGUE RECYCLE continuous offcut cycle

woof optimisation

recycle

New piece

scrap wood moisture detection

FINAL BUILD-UP DIAGRAM

Planarization of freeform shape

optimisation of scrapwood panalisation in free form shape

sequece of steps for prototype 1

28

Assembly of the form with the pieces from scrap wood

ARCHITECTURAL VISION

1 A robot collects the scrap pieces of wood and place them in an ordered shape ready to be scanned

4 The robot collects the oriented pieces of scrap wood and cuts them to match the target design shape needed for the surface.

2 Using unmanned aerial vehicles the parts are scanned to ouput their geometrical qualities in to a digital model

3 A robot collects the scanned pieces of wood and places them next to the cutting robot in the correct orientation

5 After finishing the cut the robot collects the parts and placed them ready to be assembled in the planarized surface

29

06 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

S

mart 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.

30

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 dressing up a building with energy saving devices is not necessarily smart, while a distrust of technological solutions is pretty stupid.

M

ajority of architecture is focused around one primary function. A lot of spaces are built because there need exists but only for a few hours in a day. These spaces are left empty 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

31

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.

32

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

33

SITE STUDY

S

mart architecture cooperates: it responds to its surroundings. Not only does this apply to the physical environment: climate, urban landscape, conditions like that. It is also true for the social environment, for the political and historical context.

SITE SPECS

T

he site is situated in the Heart of the New Delhi, Capital of INDIA. To make it work in the future, The people have to accept it.

Site Area 8.82 Acre ( 35700 Sqm ) FAR 300 Built Up Area 107100 Sqm

With the current standard residences, A typical 2 Bedroom Apartment takes up around 210 Sqm.

ambassador hotel support housing

sujan singh park

khan market

Image of a physical model made at a scale of 1:10 showing the details of the facade.

support hosuing golf apartments golf links

Convenience Shopping TotLot Club

Total Area Left for Housing

1500 Sqm

1000 Sqm

10000 Sqm

12500 Sqm

94600 Sqm

Lets take 30% of the Area of Housing for Circulation.

STRENGTH

The project, High density-High rise Residential project is in consideration by the DDA as per the current Newspapers.

WEAKNESS

It is a non conventional project which people may not accept

OPPORTUNITY

Close proximity to the metro station.

THREAT

Pedestrian linkages disrupted due to major roads on 2 sides of the Site.

34

Circulation Area Units Unit Area Total Units

28300 Sqm

66220 Sqm 210 Sqm

315 Units

THE NEED

In 8.2 Acres, We can fit around 315 Units with the conventional techniques. The ratio is Unacceptable if we have to think about the future of our cities.We need to rethink and arrive at a solution which will make our future secure.

This thesis is aimed at bringing Us one step closer to achieving that dream

SITE PLAN

ROADWAYS, VEHICULAR MOVEMENT AND SECURITY POINT SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES

South Entrace Plaza

Drop Off

Drop Off DROP OFF

DROP OFF Block B

Block A basement ENTRY/ EXIT

Block D

Block C

JOGGING TRACK Jogging Track

Primary School

BADMINTON/BASBasket ball Court/ KETBALL COURT Badmintton Court

SKATING /CYCLING

PARTY LAWN Party Lawn

Block E

SWIMMING POOL EWS Block

Club House

OAT

CLUB HOUSE

Convinience Store

Block F

MEDITATION

Meditation POINT Zone

Block G

bASEMENT ENTRY/EXIT East Entrace Plaza

35

07

INCLUSIVE HOUSING

HIGH DENSITY HOUSING FOR DIFFERENT ECONOMIC GROUPS SITE DELHI SEVENTH SEMESTER

BRIEF

T

he brief demanded and economically inclusive, high density housing in Dwarka, a satellite town of New Delhi. We explored concepts of inclusivity while learning the key aspects of any good housing; services, light and ventilation, space efficiency.

36

INCLUSIVE STRATEGIES

1

3

HIG, MIG, LIG Entry

All types of units are provided on the same floor next to each other.

-Each home has its own ‘baitak’.

-The EWS units can use this space to spill out without having to pay for the same.

EWS Entry

The entry of the EWS and HIG,MIG,LIG is separate in the conventional gated community. The First step towards making an economically inclusive society is to remove such notions from the younger generations

4

-Circulation routes are long.

People can meet and greet on different levels.

-Cores are few with skip stop elevators.

CIrculation floors are busy with a greater mix of people.

2 Individual

6

HIG, MIG, LIG Entry

EWS Core

Even though the Bye-Law states that at 25% of the Dwelling Units should belong to EWS, many developers place different cores for the rich and the poor. This divide needs to stop.

5

Couple

Family

Space allocated on the basis of need Infinite incremental and decremental combinations No Bias on economic, social or physical grounds

37

CIRCULATION AND SERVICES

Layout Plan at G, 3rd, 6th,9th, 12th and 15th level

MASSING Jan

Mar

Jul

Oct

Layout Plan at 1st, 4th, 7th,10th and 13th level

SERVICES FIRE SAFETY

Fire staircases have been provided at each end of the building.

SERVICE ELEVATOR Service elevators have been provided for the differently abled and for heavy loads at each minor core Layout Plan at 2nd, 5th, 8th,11th and 16th level

38

Layout Plan at community centre level

LAYOUT PLANS

1

3

2 EWS STUDIO

CORE

CORE

CORE

3 BHK

CORE

EWS STUDIO EWS

CORE

CORE

CORE

CORE

CORE

EWS

2 BHK

EWS

2 BHK

CORE

2 BHK

CORE

2 BHK

3 BHK

CORE

STRUCTURE The structure is made in RCC column and beam framing with columns of sizes 500mX500 and beams of sizes 600mX300mm.

UNITS

STUDIO STUDIO

Ventilation shaft of dimension 3000x3000 have been provided for ventilation of the shafts as well as taking out the grey and the soiled water pipes

SECTION 39

SITE PLAN 3

INCLUSIVITY

1

The axis responds to the context by orienting itself to the village pond.

Also, There is no “backside� to the housing.

The heights of the blocks closer to the village have been kept at a minimum so as to keep the rise in height gradual

CLIMATIC

All the circulation corridors face inside the courtyards and are shaded at all times.

The heights of the clusters have been varied so that all apartments receive adequate sunlight including those on the lower floors.

5

6

1 8

1

9

10 6

2

7

LANDSCAPE

6

Terrace gardens on the roof reduce heat gains and promote interaction of a different kind.

9

5

2

7

3

4 1 Jogging Path 2 Open Greens Entrance 3 Village Pond 4 5 Convenience Stores 40

Drop Off 6 Pedestrian Entrance 7 Parking 8 9 Sunken Court Library 10

1

8

1

MATERIAL RESEARCH

08 GLUED LAMINATED TIMBER 2

W

hile going through my search and exploration of different materials used as building materials, Wood was one of the most commonly available materials. Although commonly used, most people don’t use timber as structural elements since the weather is not conducive. The Summers are hot and the winters are harsh. We have a good amount of rain as well as termites.

FINGER JOINT

4

Side Piece

Glue Even Plank with grains in the other direction

Side Piece

Hard Wood

Hard Wood

Side Piece

Hard Wood

42

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.

43

09 BAMBOO CONSTRUCTION U WORKSHOP - KARYASHALA

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 world.

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 Architecture 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 steel gusset plates to create a column.

44

Bamboo column with the foundation

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 truss. 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.

45

10

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, available 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.

46

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 47

11

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” 48

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.

49

FACELESS USER MANUAL AND ADVERTISEMENT

50

WORKING

THE PRODUCT

51

Anuj Mittal anuj.mittal@iaac.net

11 T

SECOND ATTEMPT

TRANSLUCENT CONCRETE FIRST ATTEMPT

4

he translucent concrete was a very intriguing subject. After looking at some videos online, i was surprised to find out that there were only a handful of people actually making it commercially, and non in India. Since i couldn’t buy the product, I chose to make one for me.

1 light transmitting Fibre Optics

The second attempt was made to make a bigger translucent concrete panel.

This panel was 450mmX600mm.

The other difference in this panel was to get the fibre optics in a grid rather than organic nature.

This was done by lazer cutting the grid in an acrylic sheet and inserting the optics through the holes before casting the panel.

The end result was tremendous.

It was better than what i hoped for.

The next step in this is to make a structural roof so as to get the light inside without compromising on the structure.,

The framework

2 3 1” blocks

casted block

54

The light emitting fibre Optics PMMA were dropped inside the framework while pouring concrete. The resulted concrete block was then cured for 21 days and then cut into thinner blocks of 1”. The results were magnifient. Since the fibre optics were dropped in the frame, the resulting pattern was more organic.