PORTFOLIO | 2012 APARNA RADHAKRISHNAN
Aparna Radhakrishnan
I am currently pursuing my B.Arch. from BMS College of Engineering and I’m attempting to further my education outside the realm of my collegiate experiences through an internship in the professional field of Architecture. I firmly believe that an internship will help me grow as a designer, a student and as an individual, and will assist me to transition into the professional field. In turn I believe, that my abilities would be an asset to your firm as I am a quick learner, an attentive listener and a passionate designer.
Date of birth: 07-11-89
Academic Background:
Nationality: Indian
07—present
Email: aparna789@gmail.com Phone: 0091-9916443449
BMS College of Engineering, Bengaluru B.Arch.
2000—07
International Indian School, Riyadh, KSA
Experience + Activities:
Volunteered for Greenpeace India, 2007
Participated in Zonal NASA held at SIT, Tumkur in 2008.
Participated for NASA journalism Trophy, 2009.
Published writer for www.goal.com Indian edition, 2010.
Documentation of a residence for INTACH Bangalore, 2012.
Skills: [Human]
[Languages]
[Technology]
Manual Drafting
English (fluent)
AutoCAD (certified)
Sketching
Hindi (fluent)
Archi CAD (basic)
Model Making
Malayalam (mother tongue)
Google Sketch Up (basic)
Communication
Kannada (conversational)
Adobe Photoshop
Team Work
Tamil (conversational)
Lumion (basic)
Craftsmanship
French (elementary)
3dsMax (certified) Microsoft Office Suite
Interests: Football, literature, music, food, travel, photography, current affairs.
Table of Contents
Design
A Transit to Liberation. Finding light in the corners. Enso. Blending in with Green.
Furniture
Flat-pack furniture + Multi-use furniture Recycled furniture
Interiors
Rustic Sensibilities.
Rendering
Interpreting shadows. Artlantis rendering
Design tenets
Compositions + Logo Design
Portraits
Reading faces.
Photography
Distorted visions.
Writing
Exploring voices.
Architectural Thesis synopsis.
Dispersion– A center from where random points/lines move outwards
A Transit to Liberation Studio: 2nd year Design studio Project: Community Centre Location: Sajjanrao Circle, Bengaluru
Intentional dispersion that puts an end to the randomness and brings about a ‘balance’.
The Community Centre acts as a transit zone for various neighborhoods. Situated in an active commercial atmosphere, this facility calls for a liberating experience, but be a part of the context at the same time.
Balance through weights
Suspended feel to the buildings by raising the blocks
To have a connection with the context, the functional spaces/blocks were raised to a certain height, which enables visual connectivity. To bring about a certain balance to the aesthetics, concrete spheres were placed at particular locations to concentrate focus.
The concrete spheres mark the heights visually and also brings about a grounded feel to the otherwise raised blocks. The community facilities such as the Community Health Centre are on the fore front for easy accessibility. The recreational facilities are focused towards the central open courtyard to promote interaction between the spaces and to create an active atmosphere.
Finding light in the corners Studio: 3rd year Design studio Project: International School Location: Hebbal, Bengaluru
USERS
SPACES
Inhabit
Comfort
Perceive Tangible
Present/Showcase/
Absorb
Grows into you
Adapt
Changes you
Users define Spaces and vice-versa
Site Context
The academic block was planned in such a way keeping in mind the movement pattern of the students and teachers inside the school building. Accordingly the functions were allocated spaces in the ground level and first floor level.
The directionality of the site was taken into consideration to determine locations for the different zones– Academic, Residential, Administration.
“By the time I recognize this moment This moment will be gone But I will bend the light, pretend that It somehow lingered on.” - ‘Clarity’. John C. Mayer
Library Building Detailing
First Floor Plan
Master Plan
Site Sections
The existing vegetation towards the entrance of the site was retained to act as a buffer zone. The academic block was located close to the lakeside of the site and the hostels towards the residential area surrounding the site.
Enso Studio: 4th year Design studio Project: Hospice for palliative care Location: Kanakpura road, Bengaluru Each cluster has its own public/ private zones Activities that compliment each other
Free spirited movement forms clusters Zones– neighborhood clusters.
Enso as the central theme around which everything else is placed The mind frees itself and the body takes control in such a space.
Cluster Interaction.
Locating spaces defined by circulation pattern
Enso also expresses the movement of the spirit at that particular time.
Site Analysis Activity zoning
Circulation study
Consultation rooms
Residential blocks
ENSO space
Sharing rooms
Administration block
Medical block
Master Plan
Enso space
Rooms + water body
Residential block
Library + Information Centre
Sections
Blending in with green. Studio: 4th year Design studio Project: Architect’s studio Location: Sadashiv Nagar, Bengaluru Concept
Existing trees on the site inform the design process by containing spaces enveloping these trees.
The spaces were zoned out in such a way so as to informally segregate the private and public areas. A courtyard at the center, divides the private and public areas of the studio. Further, a direct link between the Principal Architect’s office and the studio spaces was incorporated in the form of a bridge, hidden away from the public area. The open-air informal gathering space becomes the interaction zone within the site with easy access to the café in the adjacent site.
1st wing—open to public
2nd wing—Architect’s office + studio spaces Open courtyard to promote interaction
Curved wall– easy circulation
Design Process
3rd wing—-Recreation + interaction zone
Courtyard-illuminates space
Flat-roof construction
Faced with wooden panels
Opens out to OAT
Plan
Furniture design Studio: 4th year Interior Design studio
Coffee table that can be stored away as a flat pack after use.
Storage Cabinet that can also accommodate curio pieces on the top.
Modifying solids and Voids to a useable module. Studio: 1st year Design studio Project: Converting a previously done
Rustic Sensibilities Studio: 4th year Interior Design studio Project: Dining Area + Informal Space that opens out to a Patio
The layout of the Dining and Informal areas were planned in such a manner to provide for clear distinction of spaces– Formal and Informal. A level difference was incorporated to add in some interesting features to the portion. The floor is finished in oxidized paint and this brings in the needed rustic finish. The upholstery was toned down to two colors of Klein blue and fuchsia. Furniture was kept to a minimum and inbuilt furniture was added.
The low seating the in the informal area brings about a spacious look to the room. This space open out to the patio, bringing in sufficient light for a relaxed noon.
Other pieces to decorate the spaces were chosen keeping in mind the color palette and finishes required.
Interpreting Shadows Studio: 2nd year Architectural Presentation studio Project: Rendering with Ink
Artlantis Rendering Studio: 2nd year Architectural Presentation studio Project: Software Rendering
Comprehending the Tenets of Design Studio: 1st year design studio
A pose representing movement using dots of varying sizes. Collage
Logo Design Studio: 1st year design studio Project: Office Stationary for an Event Management Company
Reading Faces. Personal works Pencil on paper
Oil pastel + Pencil on paper
Poster paints on paper
Distorted visions. Personal Photography
Indian Institute of Management, Bengaluru
Peanut Festival, Bull Temple Road, Bengaluru
Kerala, 2010
Savitri Bhavan, Auroville, Pondicherry
Lucknow, 2012
Kolkata, 2012
Sikkim, 2012
Exploring Voices NASA Journalism trophy Entry, 2009. Haven of Trust. Creating a breathing-livable space is the ultimate motto of architecture. If this fails then the intention of design, which is to provide sustainable solutions, will not be met. Architecture being a social art influences the society and the persons that make use of it. The environment you are in influences your thinking and stimulates you to react in a certain manner. And this in turn shapes up the quality of life. Architecture follows a concept or philosophy which is decided keeping the context of the building in mind. An architect converts this philosophy into a tangible existence and the same philosophy is meant to be experienced by the persons using the created space. The positive vibe that you get by staying in a healthy, comfortable environment can never be received from a chaotic, claustrophobic one. For example, the United Nations provide food, clothing and shelter to the war-stricken areas, to people affected by natural calamities etc. The food and clothing is collected or funded and then distributed to the refugees. But they don’t really rehabilitate them to a proper shelter. Instead, they put them under tents and refugee camps. This definitely does not give them a hope for a new beginning. One has a natural inertia and if nothing is done about their rehabilitation, they will continue to just live their life on the aids supplied to them, as most people tend to perform the actions that require the least
effort and think thoughts that are easiest to feel. But instead, if they are rehabilitated into a proper “built” shelter, we also assure them of their safety, security and well-being. This brings about the human dimension of architecture as a social cause and how it can set their standard of living. If they are not shifted into a proper “built space”, they will still live their lives as refugees and continue to do so. Low-cost housing using locally available materials like that of the architecture of Ar. Laurie Baker is one such example. He was hailed as the “poor man’s architect”. His greatest contribution was his unique architectural expression, which was cost effective and ecologically sustainable, which moved the expert and the layman alike. There are a few architects like Baker who realize it as a social obligation on their part to help others with the knowledge they have about how much nature and created space can affect lives. Societal living also calls for face-to-face interactions. The significance of public spaces becomes even the more relevant in such situations. If the streets are all methodically planned, filled with similar looking buildings, the monotony and lack of any interesting factor would prevent a person from actually taking a stroll down the street. Architecture again can play a major role in developing public spaces into interesting “hangouts”. The Forum at Rome was meant to be a market place. But it did work out to be a widely used public space for gatherings because of its interesting elements and architectural style. Another example is of Manek Chowk in Gujarat, India, which goes through a transformation throughout the day- from a bustling commercial activity centre in the daytime to an open-air food court in the night. As both, an art and a materialistic tool, architecture reflects the true strength of a society. It becomes an important component of our daily lives and its influence is definitely felt over a period of time. And since it is an evolved form of a basic need “shelter”, one cannot avoid it!
Architectural Thesis – Synopsis.
Project: Football stadium with Training Academy in Bengaluru, India. The project aims to bring about a change to the one-sport notion prevailing in India. Football being such a popular game world over, needs the infrastructural support to develop here in India, where the fan base is huge for the sport. Along with proposing a training facility, a stadium solely built for football matches is part of the project to develop a certain model that can be implemented elsewhere in the country, for an all round development of the game. The focus of design in the stadium component is the roof structure and the detailing of the movement space that tunnels the spectator from the entrance pavilions to their seats. A visitors’ gallery is also part of the stadium, which will showcase the history of the sport in the country to raise awareness. In recent times, the existing stadiums have been revamped to support the bid for Under-17 FIFA World Cup, 2017. Also, there have been proposals for construction of new stadiums. Keeping in mind these positive developments, now would be the right time to go forward with such a project.
Progress:
Thesis Outline— Case studies (completed)
Site Analysis Project program Zoning
Design Process— Thesis Abstracts (ongoing)
Thesis concepts Conceptual sketches + study models Initial design drawings