Akshata Dusa m.Arch Portfolio 2021

dusa.akshata@gmail.com 201.234.1513 Issuu: /dusa_akshata www.dusaakshata.wixsite.com/dus4

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AKSHATA DUSA

University of Tennessee

B.S. Interior Architecture Minor in Industrial Design m.Arch candidate (May 2021)

[AKSHATADUSA] University of Tennessee BSInterior Architecture Master of Architecture Email: dusa.akshata@gmail.com Tel: (201) 234-1513 Issuu: /dusa_akshata www.dusaakshata.wixsite.com/dus4

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[BIOGRAPHY]

I was bornandraisedinJersey City, NJas afirst-generationIndianAmericanand movedtoEast TennesseewhenI was 14years old. I didn’t realizemy interest in architectureuntil I was afreshmanintheneuroscienceprogramwhenI was livinginthedorms witharchitecturestudents. Seeingtheir projects, whichwere abstract representationally yet practical conceptually, I becameintriguedat the disciplineanddecidedtochangemy major. I havenowbeenastudent inthe architectureprogramat theUniversity of Tennesseefor 6years andhavereceived aBSinInterior Architecture, minor inIndustrial Design, andamontrackfor my Masters of ArchitectureinMay 2021. Theprogramhas pushedmy boundaries in problemsolving, abstraction, dialogue, andrepresentation, andit has allowed metoincorporatemy other interests suchas graphicdesign, photography, film, animation, andmusic.

[DESIGNINTENT]

My intent as adesigner is todesignwithabstractionalongthesideof science toaidinhuman-centereddesign. I amfascinatedwithlight andits behaviors inrelationshipwithmateriality, andhowit canemphasizeformandcreate memorableexperiences. My backgroundininterior architecture, architecture, andindustrial designchallenges metothinkof thebuilt environment invarious scales andcontexts, as well as its effect socially andenvironmentally.

I aminterestedinchallengingthecurrent fieldandredefiningarchitecture’s hard edges toamorepourous skin, by drawinginspirationfromother disciplines and exploringnewforms of practicethroughcollaboration. I amafirmbeliever that designcanmaketheworldamuchbetter placeif wedoit withpassion, openmindedness, andwillful intent.

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[SELECTEDWORKS]

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[SCHOOLOFSOUNDANDLIGHT] Interior // Micro-school // Spring 2018 p. 26 - 35

[NON-PLANARCONTINGENCIES] Material Studies // Fall 2019 p. 18 - 25

[KNOXVILLECHROMATIKCENTER] Event Space // Spring 2019 p. 6 - 17

[EMBODIEDLUMINESCENCE]

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Interior // Office Space // Fall 2017 p. 36 - 43

[COLOROFAIR]

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Design/Build // Spring 2019 p. 44 - 47

[CONCEPTUAL] Aerial Acrobats // Fall 2019 p. 50- 51 Post-Quarantine Machines // Summer 2020 p. 52 - 53 Objects of Arresting Novelty // Fall 2016 p. 54 - 55

[INDUSTRIALDESIGN]

p. 56 - 57

[DRAWING]

p. 58 - 59

[GRAPHICDESIGN]

p. 60 - 61

[PHOTOGRAPHY]

p. 62 - 63

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KNOXVILLECHROMATIKCENTER Spring 2019 Prof. Kevin Stevens +Karl Heckman The proposal for East Civic Barea is a collaborative venue space for aspiring artists and producers that serves as a community space for the various demographics of the east civic center. the proposal combines both, a formal and informal programby allowing the existing site to transforminto a playground when an event is not occurring.

The transformative behavior of the programthrough the day and night manifests identity and memory into the site by establishing a mutual relationship between the community, site, and the performer, and providing a third place for the shared experience of music.

Perspective of main entry 8

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The proposal for East Civic Bcenter is a venue space that is powered by community service. The venue encourages the growth of local aspiring artists by providing spaces for networking and communication. The site incorporates the police station as a means to challenge the current setting by utilizing it as a surface for projection.

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“Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue...”

To conceptualize systemic programing, inspiration was taken by a cycloid drawing machine. The nature of this machine requires an initial force, the writing utensil in motion with the lever, which moves the gears to create patterns on the surface.

Top left: Diagramof systemic programming using the cycloid drawing machine as precedent.

Bottomleft: Images of constructed drawing machine.

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Top viewof section model. Collage was incorporated onto the topography to convey sampling and event.

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Render of “networking farm.”

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Scaled down portion of mesh enclosure.

Welded metal, fabric, and cable.

To explore tectonics and methods, I built a small-scale portion of the mesh facade. This process was valuable in understanding the fabrication and technology required for the structure.

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NON-PLANARCONTINGENCIES Joint Studio Fall 2019 Prof. Katie McDonald +Kyle Schuman Partners: Rachel List +Tori Eslick Non-planar Contingencies explores the invasive species “Tree of Heaven” in conjunction with bioplastics to formstructures that break down over time.

This studio investigated the qualities and behaviors of invasive species in the pursuit of finding innovative and sustainable building methods and changing the perception of species.

Tree of Heaven (shredded bark)

Bio-plastic

Extensive material studies and experiments for the Tree of Heaven were conducted to explore qualities of the invasive species. Initially, experiments were made by shredding and grinding the bark to paste to cast (pictured right), but the material was too brittle. We then integrated different recipes of pectin with the paste to test dissolvability, flexibility, light qualities, and hardiness. Since the pectin grew mold over time, we decided to integrate the paste with bio-plastic, an organic recipe of water, glycerol, cornstarch, and white vinegar.

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The implementation of the material studies yielded to a project with three main steps: configuring a resilient consistency of the paste and pectin mixture by testing dissolving agents, form/tectonic explorations, and fabricating the rig and overall system. Our designed proposal was a temporary non-planar wall systemthat breaks down over time (and is not harmful to the environment). As elements of the structure break down due to weathering, the panels allow light to penetrate the skin, conveying porosity in the systemfromthe re-adapted material intelligence of the invasive species.

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Above: Axon of mechanical rig Below: Custom-designed lever to translate height to servo rotation.

To create a small-scale model of the wall system, a mechanical rig systemwas designed and constructed, allowing for multiple panels to be created without the use of several molds. This systemutilizes Grasshopper scripting long with Arduino coding and 3Dmodeling in Rhino. The rig systemis composed of two plywood bases, wire mesh, dowels with magnets, servos, and a custom 3D-printed lever compilation.

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Images of final rig construction.

This systemallows the teamto design the panels in Rhino and control points of the surface are translated into a Grasshopper script where the distance from the base plate to the point is calculated. Fromthere the script can translate the distance of the two sets of data into an amount of degrees that the servo needs to rotate in order to achieve the desired height.

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Drawings by Rachel List.

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Final scaled-down model of the system. 1/4” =1’.

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SCHOOLOF LIGHT+SOUND Spring 2018 // Interior Architecture Prof. Rana Abudeyyeh

Scriabin’s School of Light and Sound takes inspiration fromPrometheus, the poemof fire, which was written over 100 years ago. Scriabin’s intent with this piece was to assign colors with sound, a process that is now possible with the use of today’s MIDI data. This lighting system is intertwined with the customCrossville “Groove” tile arrangement along the main wall, allowing students to synthesize sound with light. The micro school, a private school that integrates different ages in a class of 12 students, functions like a machine, with elements such as the workspace, control room, and concrete ramp with inset LED’s that come together and help create a community that offers Knoxville a new and experimental direction with the process of creating music. With this school, students can truly engage with each other along with technology, allowing for maximumcreative expression and collaboration.

Site Analysis establishing allies for the micro-school 28

Grasshopper was used to create various patterns based on a grid system. Inspired by the layers of information on a circuit board, i attempted to try a multitude of patterns in the script and layer themon top of each other, altering line weights and opacities. Fromthis, different zones can be created and informdecisions like passage of light and the characteristics of the tile.

“Groove Glass” from Crossville Tile “Groove Glass” from Crossville Tile

as light travels orthogonally, the groove glass will allow for a dynamic of luminence, as lightkind travels orthogonally,along withthe thegroove other tile. glass will allow for

a dynamic kind of luminence, along with the other tile.

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ALUMINUM TRACKING SYSTEM

PvC COVER

LED STRIP

CONCRETE TILE (WATERJET) 1

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RAMP DETAIL

The control roomserves as part of the engine to connect the observation ramp with the students. the control roomis a glass box that moves vertically by means of a hydraulic lift mechanism, allowing for more audience room.

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a a

group space/ performance space

reception

multipurpose space

kitchenette

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group pods ctrl room

storage

database/ lounge area

c DN

UP DN

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Floor plan of micro-school

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2' - 1 23/32"

CURVED GLASS PANEL 1/2" BOLT

8' - 1 23/32"

MS CLAMP ASSEMBLE 1’-6” FROM SIDE METAL RODS

METAL ROD FRAMING 3” metal rod framing FROSTED GLASS PANEL

1” THICK CURVED GLASS PANEL 1/2” NUT 1/2" BOLT

1/2" WASHER 1

SOUTH ELEVATION

3" DIAMETER WELDED METAL ROD

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MS CLAMP DETAIL

1" THICK GLASS PANEL

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D CLAMP DETAIL

3" METAL ROD

1" MAPLE WOOD

0' - 2 1/8"

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EAST ELEVATION

3/16" WOOD SCREWS

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L BRACKET

L BRACKET DETAIL

One challenge in this project was generating a set of construction documents that shows assembly details of walls, customized casework, and tile installation.

Extensive research was done in terms of figuring out hardware and attachment details.

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Detailed wall section

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Exterior view.

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EMBODIEDLUMINESCENCE Fall 2017 // Interior Architecture // Office Space Prof. David Matthews

The proposed intervention at Annapurna’s new office location in the Knoxville Fireproof Storage is intended to incite a child-like wonder to aid the creative process of the workers. The intervention, inspired by a bio-luminescent octopus, produces a language of transparency within the work environment to encourage communication. The alternating experiences of contracted and expansive spaces separated by the intervention is intended to make the occupants feel like a part of a functioning whole. The formilluminates the space through its semi-conducting nature, highlighting the activity of the workers as they interact with the Intervention.

This design concentrated on the experience of spaces to create a better working environment.

The Gensler Experience Index was a precedent for the spatial organization of the Annapurna office. The project intended to challenge the traditional nature of office spaces to push for better communication and relationships in the office environment.

(Left) First floor plan (Below) Daily-use furniture diagram

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clock in

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04 clock out

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The Gensler Experience The Gensler Experience Index proves that design impacts user experience and proposes a model for businesses/companies with the intentions of creating a more enjoyable and successful work environment.

The index has five modes that are found in the workplace: task, social, discovery, entertainment, and aspiration mode. The quality of these spaces and their organization affects how the user perceives and acts within the space. Although the intervention separates the work from wandering zones, the all spaces were designed with the idea of social connection as a key to happier and more productive workers. Individual work zones have a social aspect to it whether it’s sharing the same surface, or having an easy access to group meeting spaces, designed with the intention to be more approachable through the language of transparency.

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First floor lighting plan

DESCRIPTION

PRODUCT

ZYNN LINEAR LED

zynn delivers high quality indirect illumnation in a small fixture. it has the versatility to be mounted on the wall or ceiling.

MANUFACTURER

SPI lighting

LAMP TYPE

suspended LED

WATTAGE

65.8

zynn linear led simes continuous led line (wall/foor bracketing) moveable fixtures attached to intervention/furniture LED decorative fixture (suspended)

SIMES CONTINUOUS LINE

continuous led provides inground recessed luminaire. this luminaire provides separation of spaces through illumination.

Simes S.p.A. luce per l'architettura

LED floor/wall recessed w aluminum black box

3.5 / 7 / 10

suspended ball light suppy vent return vent sprinkler head

Lighting Design The linear nature of the lighting works in unison with the grid system, emphasizing the organic nature of the intervention. LED strips create distinction of spaces as well as illuminate the circulation, highlighting the constant activity within the space. The Zynn Linear LED fixture emphasizes the more contracted spaces while the hanging ball lights of different lengths emphasize the more expansive nature on the other side of the intervention.

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7-person screening

testing

library

theater

EXECUTIVE OFFICE

cafe

EXECUTIVE OFFICE

EXECUTIVE OFFICE

individual + concept and development

COMMUNITY

EXECUTIVE OFFICE

reception EMPATHY

MARKETING

WAR ROOM

The opening of the space through the expansive nature of the intervention allows workers to feel like they are part of an active, working whole.

This alteration of the original structure promotes collaboration and engagement between colleagues.

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Adjacent concept development +individual work spaces allow for quick transition between the two.

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The library serves as a vessel for resources and inspiration. Silent films constantly play on a projector as a technique to draw people in and explore the database of Annapurna films.

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COLOROF AIR Spring 2019 Prof. Nate Imai (Tennessee Fellow2018-2019)

Designed and constructed by Nate Imai, Tyler Forsberg, Nicole Capps, Akshata Dusa, Roni Feghaly, Diana Kraczkowska, Mary Beth Robbins, Christopher Rubio, Jessica Shremshock, Anastasiya Skvarniuk, Zachary Standley, Izabela Szumniak

“Color of Air” presents a reactive architecture that reads climate data in real-time. The project was designed and built by Tennessee Fellow Nate Imai’s “Digital Reciprocities” class. .

The structure is modeled after the traditional Japanese tea houses, which feature a pitched roof and floor systemthat allow for cross ventilation. The programming of the LED strips have two variables that were assigned data: color for temperature and saturation for humidity.

“Color of Air” was installed at the Knoxville Botanical Gardens in May 2019 and is now located in the Art + Architecture garden.

Exploded Axon by Nate Imai.

My role in this project was the lighting designer. I designed iterations of the LEDstrip positioning on the panels and assigned the specific color values that would lead to a smooth transition. I also helped with the final builds/breakdowns (we transported it fromthe A+Ato the Knoxville Botanical Gardens) as well as photographing progress/final results.

This experience was valuable because it allowed us to be a part of the design process fromstart to finish. We learned about Arduino hardware and coding in Javascript.

The end product was a result fromall of our efforts combined and it was rewarding to see it built.

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Knoxville Botanical Gardens Installation, May 2019. Photo by Nate Imai.

Interior moments of the tea house. Photos by me.

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CONCEPTUAL Inspired by dreaming, passion, and narrative, these works push the boundaries of architectural representation and fuel the my creative engine of production.

“Tsukuda Island in Musashi Province”, Hokusai.

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AERIALACROBATS// inverted landscapes Fall 2019 // Workshop with Perry Kulper

The Hokusai print “Tsukuda Island in Musashi Province’’ presents an air-scape within the body of water due to the reflection of the sky. Both underwater and aerial conditions have different gravitational situations, and by creating this floating landscape, the two situations composed of multiple acrobats merge to create a dualistic world. The data fish generate information and feed it into Mount Fuji, which then creates a physical byproduct of the data. As time goes on, each byproduct disintegrates into glowing cubes that float in space.

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POST-QUARANTINEMACHINES Summer 2020 // Prof. Mark Stanley

Following the sudden halt in normalcy due to the pandemic, social issues of varying scales have been unveiled across the world and digested by the masses through longer exposures of media intake. Corruption exists in the very own systems we’ve been told to believe in our whole lives. Humanity is lost in the name of profit, lack of perspective, and lack of empathy. Questions of privilege and responsibility sit with discomfort in our mental and social landscapes. Opinions of platforms, people, and ideas are constantly changing. Information is regurgitated in the echo chamber of performative activismoften leading us to question, “are we doing enough?” And while these questions reside some of our everyday frame of thinking, it may not be the case for a lot of other people. Even with quarantine being over and COVIDstill on the rise, many people are returning to “normal.” Going on vacations, to overcrowded bars, and fighting against mask mandates. The goal at the end of this is to not go back to normal; it’s to reconfigure the “normal” so the new normal can be better for everyone; so the new normal can still have us thinking about privilege and responsibility, to keep our perspectives in check and fight for the marginalized.

Judith Rodin, former president of the Rockefeller Foundation, defined resilience as “the capacity to bounce back froma crisis, learn fromit and achieve revitalization.

Acommunity needs awareness, diversity, integration, and the capacity for self-regulation and adaptiveness to be resilient.” Cities act as indicators of spatial, social, and economic trends in a way more sensitive than governance. Architecture can play a role in making a city more resilient by developing revolutionary new spatial programs and systems fit for the challenges of the 21st century.

The proposed carrier hotel in Bunker Hill, LAsanctions an architecture for resilience in today’s revolutionary conditions exacerbated by COVID-19. The structure penetrates through SGrand Ave, powered by movement of traffic underground which sends fiber-optic signals up the structure, ultimately powering the movement and information of each slice. These slices are curated by organized movements that bring awareness to issues of social injustices that are not limited to the scope of the United States. The curation of the slices rotates curators every 4 months, allowing exposure to a wide range of information in a redeveloped “fashionable” area that was once home for thousands of working-class Angelenos in need of moderate or low-income housing. The site itself manifests the need for an architecture that is by the people and for the people, and the carrier hotel facilitates a space for assembly and information, while also creating a pause in a commercialized Bunker Hill.

OBJECTSOF ARRESTINGNOVELTY Fall 2016 // Prof. Mark Stanley // Digital Representation

Objects of a resting novelty was a project that had to do with taking apart an object with moving parts, 3D-modeling each part in Rhinoceros and creating axonometric drawings from the 3Dmodel. With this process came an understanding of the components’ function, along with an understanding of the object’s true essence.

This project carried over the years as a design student. My fascination with taking apart things helps me articulate design decisions and how I can implement a sense of machinery into spaces.

Product design for Doc Martens.

inHand Mixer F The 07

INDUSTRIALDESIGN Summer 2018 // Ryann Aoukar (Left) Designing products for Doc Martens: This first project in the summer program involved researching a brand and applying their same values and branding into the new products. The concentration of my products related to exploring (i.e. hiking, festival culture), so I designed various kinds of water container that conveyed the same value of individualism as the brand.

(Right) The Fin hand-mixer takes on a completely new, ergonomic design by using a single form gesture inspired by the electric blue guppy fish. The experience of using this hand-mixer reflects the flowing nature of the fish, which can be abstracted by the guppy’s fins which help them propel swiftly in water. The button placement of the activation modes guide the user to grab the mixer by its correct way, allowing ease for all your mixing needs.

[Intricacy of the hand] Fall 2015

HANDDRAWINGS

[Vernadoc sketch of machinery fromsite] Spring 2017

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In June 2020, I had an opportunity to volunteer for Knoxville’s Juneteenth Rally to support the Black Lives Movement. I worked under the lead director Deidra Harper and coordinated with Sierra Plese on a style guide for the event’s banner and T-shirt design.

This was a valuable experience for me because I worked with a teamon the graphics and volunteered my energy towards a cause I ampassionate about.

Flyer for local charity event.

USKI GRAPHICDESIGN After numerous years of design school using the Adobe Creative Suite, I started offering graphic design services for local events and artists . Most of the people I do work for are slowly making their mark in the music industry, so I feel passionate about doing work for them. This freelance work has allowed me to learn how to work with clients and build strong relationships with them.

Bottom3 flyers were made for local promotion company, Knoxturnal entertainment.

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Study Abroad // Spring 2017 Tadao Ando’s Gallery 2121 in Tokyo, Japan.

PHOTOGRAPHY 10 Photography has been the first creative endeavor that I’ve been passionate about. My interest started in the 7th grade and has been a vital part in contributing to my compositional skills.

Being a part of UTK’s newspaper, The Daily Beacon, has allowed me many opportunities to take pictures at events. This was a helpful experience for me because I got to learn how to shoot without being obstructive in terms of the audience’s experience, as well as learn how to maneuver around a crowd to get good shots.

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dusa.akshata@gmail.com 201.234.1513 Issuu: /dusa_akshata www.dusaakshata.wixsite.com/dus4