Aparna Portfolio-Fall 2020 by Aparna Ramanathan

APARNA RAMANATHAN RAMESH SELECTED WORKS FALL 2020

CONTENTS Assemble Construct Research Retrofit Scale Orient Model Curve

ASSEMBLE Partner: Christopher Bloom This project takes a New York lot occupied by a rock 18’ high that spans through the site to create a townhouse. This section focuses on the stairs in particular. It creates two sets of stairs differentiated by material and form, one that incorporates the rock and another that explores verticality.

In Asian Philosophy, Yin-Yang refers to the complementary nature of forces, light & dark, day & night, active & passive. We experience space in such oxymorons too, the site is a composition of opposites, the natural rock, and the concrete skyline of the city. This project capitalizes this experience to experiment on this juxtaposition, through the spaces that unite or divide us- through stairs.

ASSEMBLE

CONSTRUCT Partners: Jack Li, Husan Ahmad, Rana Zebib This project looks at an existing cabin to analyze its construction. Sunset Cabin by Taylor Smith Architects in Ontario was designed as a peaceful retreat, that was attentive to its surrounding landscape. It gets its name from the plays on light illuminating effect at night. This project focused on how it achieved this effect.

ASSEMBLE

B Certain gaps in the facade allow for light to penetrate through during the day, and the light from inside cabin goes out those gaps, generating an illuminating effect at night. Another funfact is that this cabin is sited halfway up the hill, and it boasts a green roof which helps the cabin blend into the forest.

A CONSTRUCT

B 10

CONSTRUCT

The project was prefabricated offsite, decreasing construction time and eliminating destruction of the landscape which could have come from onsite construction. Components were numbered and disassembled and reassembled on site.

CONSTRUCT

RESEARCH

Partners: SUS 7400 A: Case Studies in Sustainability, Spring 20 This was a semester long class that looked at designing a circular economy in Wayuu, Columbia that focused on Sustainability. Although this tackled several topics, I was one of the designers that focused on water which will be presented in this portfolio.

CONSTRUCT

This arid region receives little to no rainfall, and lacks enough freshwater supply, so the team decided to capitalize the available water, while creating alternate sources of capital. A seawater greenhouse was created which will be illustrated in the following pages, there were other water solutions but they werent architectectural solutions

RESEARCH

This project began with a comparison of the Modulightor (another single family, one lot, New York house by Rudolph) and 23 Beekman Place. Through comparison we understood that the vertical axis in Rudolphs designs was amplified through addition while the horizontal axis was amplified by subtraction.

RETROFIT

Partner: Crystal Ng

This project used 23 Beekman Place, New York designed by Paul Rudolph to study and interpret the architects work. The project was to analyze the architect and the building and retrofit it using his design principles. We used the theme of verticality and horizontality to achieve this. The plan here analyzes cones of vision or wave travel in 23 Beekman Place after the retrofit inspired by Rudolphs drawings of Mies Van Der Rohe’s Barcelona Pavilion.

A further analysis was conducted in Beekman Place to condense three methods as illustrated in the following page that create horizontality in Beekman Place. This building had the view from the street to the river which pushed Rudolph to focus on horizontality, our retrofit maximizes it

RETROFIT

Secret Spaces

Aligning Spatial Lines

Holes that Break Barriers

Vericality & Horizontality

RETROFIT

SCALE Partners: Luis Conte, Edsel Peralta This project used the scale of the city to design solutions for it. I focused on the relationship between bureaucratic borders and their manifestationpublic buildings to understand the relationship between various components of bureaucracy in High Line, Bronx in New York.

EXISTING- SOUTH EAST; 2ND FLOOR

PROPOSED- SOUTH EAST; 2ND FLOOR

EXISTING- KITCHEN; 3RD FLOOR

PROPOSED-KITCHEN; 3RD FLOOR

RETROFIT

Yellow represents yellow represents fire companies & fire stations, blue represents police precincts & police stations, red represents state assembly districts & polling booths and black represents school districts & school buildings

ARRESTS, SHOOTINGS, AND BUREAUCRACY

bx3 5

0.12 Miles

¯ D ATA S O U R C E S

NYPD Arrest Data: https://data.cityofnewyork.us/ Public-Safety/NYPD-Arrest-DataYear-to-Date-/uip8-fykc

B Arrests, Shootings and Bureaucracy

L SO&L SD, I A S TF AT N SPCOHL O E RC E S TOROI C 1 3O-G VR O SDCI H L TP R A TMI SN G& LIBRARIES

School Districts SchoolsZones School Beacon Programs for Beacon Programs Youth Department of Youth Youth and Department of Child Development Programs and Child Development (DYCD) (DYCD)

Libraries Public Library Building Footprint Footprints Building

D AATTAA SS O OU U RR CC EESS D School https:// School DistrictsDistricts Data: data.cityofnewyork.us/ https://data.cityofnewyork.us/ Education/School-Districts/ Education/Schoolr8nuymqj Districts/r8nuymqj

Independent building

Apartment Building with store provision

Independent building

Independent Building- NYPL Independent Building- NYPL

Where are the Spaces of Learning?

DA ATTAA SS O OU U RR CC EESS D

Schoolshttps://www.google.com/ Schools Data: maps/ https://www.google.com/maps/ place/Highbridge,+The+Bronx, place/Highbridge,+The+Bronx, +NY/ +NY/@40.8355889, @40.8355889,-73.9256253,15.26z/ -73.9256253,15.26z/ data=!4m5!3m4! data=!4m5!3m4! 1s0x89c2f4259dd0b307:0x78eeb21 1s0x89c2f4259dd0b307: 8m2!3d40.836916!4d-73.9271294 0x78eeb218m2!3d40.836916! 4d-73.9271294 Beacon Programs- https:// www1.nyc.gov/site/dycd/services/ Beacons Programs Data: after-school/beacon-youthhttps://www1. programs.page nyc.gov/site/dycd/services

Independent building

Sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, Intermap, increment P PCorp., Sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, Intermap, increment Corp.,GEBCO, GEBCO,USGS, USGS,FAO, FAO,NPS, NPS,NRCAN, NRCAN,GeoBase, GeoBase,IGN, IGN,Kadaster KadasterNL, NL,Ordnance OrdnanceSurvey, Survey,Esri EsriJapan, Japan,METI, METI,Esri EsriChina China(Hong (HongKong), Kong),(c) (c)OpenStreetMap OpenStreetMapcontributors, contributors,and andthe the GIS GIS User User Community Community

/after-school/beacon-youth DYCD Programs- https:// programs.page data.cityofnewyork.us/Education/ DYCD-Literacy-Programs-Map/ty8zDYCD Programs Data: v9d2 https://data.cityofnewyork.us /Education/DYCD-LiteracyLibrarieshttps:// Programs-Map/ty8zv9d2 data.cityofnewyork.us/Business/ Library/p4pf-fyc4 Libraries Data: https://data. cityofnewyork.us/Business /Library/p4pf-fyc4 00

0.07 0.15 0.07

0.3 Miles

Sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, Intermap, increment PP Corp., Sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, Intermap, increment Corp.,GEBCO, GEBCO,USGS, USGS,FAO, FAO,NPS, NPS,NRCAN, NRCAN,GeoBase, GeoBase,IGN, IGN,Kadaster KadasterNL, NL,Ordnance OrdnanceSurvey, Survey,Esri EsriJapan, Japan,METI, METI,Esri EsriChina China(Hong (HongKong), Kong),(c) (c)OpenStreetMap OpenStreetMapcontributors, contributors,and andthe the GIS GIS User User Community Community

SCALE

SS CT A H TOEO A L SDS IESM T RB ILY CT 9L SO&L SD, I A S TF AT N SPCOHL O E RC E S TOROI C 1 3O-G VR O SDCI H L TP R A TMI SN G& LIBRARIES

Libraries Public Library Building Footprint Footprints Building

Independent building

School https:// School DistrictsDistricts Data: data.cityofnewyork.us/ https://data.cityofnewyork.us/ Education/School-Districts/ Education/Schoolr8nuymqj Districts/r8nuymqj Schoolshttps://www.google.com/ Schools Data: maps/ https://www.google.com/maps/ place/Highbridge,+The+Bronx, place/Highbridge,+The+Bronx, +NY/ +NY/@40.8355889, @40.8355889,-73.9256253,15.26z/ -73.9256253,15.26z/ data=!4m5!3m4! data=!4m5!3m4! 1s0x89c2f4259dd0b307:0x78eeb21 1s0x89c2f4259dd0b307: 8m2!3d40.836916!4d-73.9271294 0x78eeb218m2!3d40.836916! 4d-73.9271294 Beacon Programs- https:// www1.nyc.gov/site/dycd/services/ Beacons Programs Data: after-school/beacon-youthhttps://www1. programs.page nyc.gov/site/dycd/services /after-school/beacon-youth DYCD Programs- https:// programs.page data.cityofnewyork.us/Education/ DYCD-Literacy-Programs-Map/ty8zDYCD Programs Data: v9d2 https://data.cityofnewyork.us /Education/DYCD-LiteracyLibrarieshttps:// Programs-Map/ty8zv9d2 data.cityofnewyork.us/Business/ Library/p4pf-fyc4 Libraries Data: https://data. cityofnewyork.us/Business /Library/p4pf-fyc4 00

0.07 0.15 0.15 0.07

0.3 Miles

0.07 0.15

0.3 Miles

Distance between voting polls and state assembly boundaries

Sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, Intermap, increment P Corp., GEBCO, USGS, FAO, NPS, NRCAN, GeoBase, IGN, Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), (c) OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community

Voting Polls Data: www.google.com/maps/ https://www.google.com/maps/ place/Highbridge,+The+Bronx, +NY/ place/Highbridge,+The+Bronx@40.8355889,-73.9256253,15.26z/ ,+NY/ data=!4m5!3m4! @40.8355889,-73.9256253,15.26z/ 1s0x89c2f4259dd0b307:0x78eeb21 data=!4m5!3m4! 8m2!3d40.836916!4d-73.9271294 1s0x89c2f4259dd0b307:0x78eeb21 b 8m2!3d40.836916!4d-73.9271294 0.07 0.15

0.3 Miles

15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000

BUS ROUTES BECOME EDGES AND BUS S H E LT E R S BECOME NODES

State Districts Data: State Assembly Assembly Districtshttps:// https://data.cityofnewyork.us/ data.cityofnewyork.us/ Education/State-AssemblyEducation/State-Assembly-DisDistricts/r8nuymqj tricts/r8nuymqj

bx1 3

, BxM3

D ATA S O U R C E S

Voting Polls- https://

NYPD Shooting Incident Data: https://data.cityofnewyork.us/ Public-Safety/NYPD-ShootingIncident-Data-Year-To-Date-/ 5ucz-vwe8

WHHEERREE AARREE W TTHOEDSAPYAS CSEPSA C E S 0W0.03 REEMiles W HHEE0.06 RREE AAR0.12 Sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, Intermap, increment P Corp., GEBCO, USGS, FAO, NPS, NRCAN, GeoBase, IGN, Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), (c) OpenStreetMap LE EAA RandINthe ? OOFF Lcontributors, RN NIGIS GNUser ?G Community TTHOEDSAPYAS CSEPSA C E S R INNIGN?G ? SS CT A H TOEO AL SDS IESM T RB ILY CT 9OOFF L LE EAA RN

Independent building

5,000 10,000

D ATA S O U R C E S

Bus Route Data: http://web.mta.info/nyct/m busbx.pdf

Bus Usage Data: http://web.mta.info/nyct/fa ridership/ridership_bus.htm

bx6

Bus Routes Average Occupancy per Weekday in 2018

0.03 0.06

0.12 Miles

SBS

0.03 0.06

BxM 4

bx1

Precinct Divisions B, C, D, E

LINE WEIGHT KEY

Bx M18

NYPD Shooting Incidents (January-September, 2019)

Areas beyond 1/2 mile radius.

Bx M3,

Voting Polls- https://

Voting Polls Data: Schools www.google.com/maps/ https://www.google.com/maps/ place/Highbridge,+The+Bronx, +NY/ place/Highbridge,+The+Bronx@40.8355889,-73.9256253,15.26z/ ,+NY/ data=!4m5!3m4! @40.8355889,-73.9256253,15.26z/ 1s0x89c2f4259dd0b307:0x78eeb21 data=!4m5!3m4! 8m2!3d40.836916!4d-73.9271294 1s0x89c2f4259dd0b307:0x78eeb21 b 8m2!3d40.836916!4d-73.9271294

bx6

Bus Usage Data: http://web.mta.info/nyct/facts/ ridership/ridership_bus.htm

Further away from Voting Poll

Bx M2,

NYPD Arrests (January-September, 2019)

State Assembly Districts Voting Poll Booths

BxM1,

MAP OF 44TH PRECINCT

D ATA S O U R C E S Bus Route Data: http://web.mta.info/nyct/maps/ busbx.pdf

S TAT E A S S E M B LY P O L L S & D I S TA N C E DISTRICT 13- VOTING

SBS

D ATA S O U R C E S

Buildings

30,000

bx3 2

NYPD Shooting Incident Data: https://data.cityofnewyork.us/ Public-Safety/NYPD-ShootingIncident-Data-Year-To-Date-/ 5ucz-vwe8

20,000 25,000

bx2

MAP OF BUS ROUT bx32 (5,746 People) bx6 (22,824 People) BxM1, BxM3 (Data Not Available) Bx M2 Bx M3, Bx M18 (D Not Available) BxM4 (Data Not Available bx1 (30,134 People) SBS41 (Data Not Availabl bx11 (11,536 People) bx35 (14,326 People) bx2 (30,134 People) bx13 (10,217 People)

15,000

Schools

BxM1, Bx

D ATA S O U R C E S

NYPD Arrest Data: https://data.cityofnewyork.us/ Public-Safety/NYPD-Arrest-DataYear-to-Date-/uip8-fykc

5,000 10,000

Areas beyond 1/2 mile radius.

M2, Bx

LINE WEIGHT KEY

Further away from Voting Poll

M3, Bx

Precinct Divisions B, C, D, E

bx1

NYPD Shooting Incidents (January-September, 2019)

State Assembly Districts Voting Poll Booths

bx3 2

M18, Bx

Buildings

D I S TA N C E BETWEEN VOTING POLLS A N D S TAT E A S S E M B LY BOUNDARIES

BUS ROUTES AV E R AG E O C C U PA N C Y P E R W E E K D AY IN 2018

bx2

NYPD Arrests (January-September, 2019)

S TAT E A S S E M B LY P O L L S & D I S TA N C E DISTRICT 13- VOTING

BxM 4

MAP OF 44TH PRECINCT

bx1 3

BxM4 (Data Not Available) bx1 (30,134 People) SBS41 (Data Not Available) bx11 (11,536 People) bx35 (14,326 People) bx2 (30,134 People) bx13 (10,217 People)

A S S E M B LY BOUNDARIES

bx1 1

MAP OF BUS ROUTES A N D B U S S H E LT E R S I N THE BRONX REGION

Buildings Bus Stop Shelters

Apart from comparing the whole site all the boundaries, several maps were produced to document relationships between individual boundaries and the buildings that house them. Some of the important findings includes identifying spaces that are beyond the 1/2 mile radius the New York City website claims there are polling booths, unequal distribution of occupation in buses, equal distribution of arrests and lack of after school activities.

bx32 bx6 BxM1, BxM3 Bx M2 Bx M3, Bx M18 BxM4 bx1 SBS41 bx11 bx35 bx2 bx13

0.12 Miles

SCALE

Bus Stop Shelters

bx32 bx6 BxM1, BxM3 Bx M2 Bx M3, Bx M18 BxM4 bx1 SBS41 bx11 bx35 bx2 bx13

D ATA S O U R C E S

Bus Route Data: http://web.mta.info/nyct/m busbx.pdf

Bus Routes as Edges and Bus Shelters as nodes

Buildings

Bus Shelter data: https://data.cityofnewyork.us/ Transportation/Bus-StopShelters/qafz-7myz

0.03 0.06

0.12 Miles

BUS ROUTES BECOME EDG AND BUS S H E LT E R S BECOME NOD

Bus Route Data: http://web.mta.info/nyct/maps/ busbx.pdf

0.03 0.06

MAP OF BUS ROUT A N D B U S S H E LT E R S THE BRONX REGION

D ATA S O U R C E S

Bus Shelter data: https://data.cityofnewyork. Transportation/Bus-StopShelters/qafz-7myz

0.03 0.06

0.12 Miles

1’’ in Height = 10 People

ORIENT The aim of this project was to explore spatial organization and design of simple objects like a cube under certain parameters and then evaluate how they whould be represented in term of materiality and drawings. We were told to create 4 fillets in 2 cubes and 2 cuboids which were to be organized in a 10 by 10 grid.

The above maps were used to create a space which would primarily serve as a polling booth, a space for democracy aided by greek style hypostyle halls and activities dedicated to celebrate voting. It would double down as an after school activity center It was designed in a space outside the 1/2 mile radius, with a lack of after school activites and easy access to buses.

SCALE

The final model used a combination of acrylic, wood, chipboard and foam ro create the model. I chose to represent the model using plans, sections and perspectives. Grasshopper was used to create the pattern on the top right of this spread. The above drawing explores axonometrics of the negative space created in the 10 by 10 cube.

ORIENT

MODEL Partners: Samantha Josaphat Studio, Spring 19. This project wanted us to look at the spaces we were occupying holistically,to condense our studios to scaled models. We focused on the sensory experiences created in our studio, the next few pages will detail that.

The final model was used to analyze light entering the studio, the smells and other sensory feelings the students experienced. This led to an intervention which created a visual curtain of strings following the direction of the studio, aimed at uniting the space and break the monotony through addition of color by colored acrylic sheets which is shown on page 34.

MODEL

CURVE The aim of this project was to create spatial compositions facilitated by curves and only curves it began with a drawing exploration and was transferred to a model using foam which was then analyzed on how curves facilitate movement.

A popcorn was initially analyzed to see how it houses curves unique from one another, and the curves derived from its analysis were used to create a spatial diagram on pg 39 which was later translated into a model and the associating sections on pg 40.

CURVE

OTHER WORKS

CURVE

aramana000@citymail.cuny.edu +1 5713370231

OTHER WORK