PORTFOLIO
HARINI PATEL Selected Works at CEPT University: 2013-2021 Academic | Design | Teaching
CONTENTS Studio III: Material | Structure | Form: ‘Fountain Grass’ {Deriving structure and exploring material for a residence}
Studio IX: Sustenance: ‘The Interface’
{The edge of Varoli estuary aims to sustain a Fishing Community}
Exchange at ETH, Zürich: Landscape: ‘Water Roots’
{Planted ‘points’ anchor wetlands back in Magadino Plane over 50 years}
Internship: Architect trainee: Pragrup Architecture|Urbanism {Professional training during June to November 2016}
Studio V: Perceiving Environment: ‘A Place for Water’
{An institution in Jodhpur embraces the abundance and scarcity of knowledge and water}
Studio VI: A place for water: ‘Art of Detailing’
{Sandstone and steel come together to make the place for water}
Research Thesis: Inhabitance: ‘Children’s Play Spaces’
{Analyzing game space created for Cricket in multi-storey housing in Ahmedabad}
Assistantship: Teaching Associate: CEPT University
{Level 2&3 studios of the B. Arch program during July 2018 to May 2020}
Other works: Visualization & Representation {Drawings, Sketches & Prototypes}
Studio III
Fountain Grass {Deriving structure and exploring Glu-lam Timber for a residence} Semester 3 : Monsoon 2014
The project investigates the relationships between form, structure and material. Extracting principles that form the fountain grass, the design is an abstraction of the structure of the grass. These principles are translated into models with an understanding of structural organization, part and whole relationships, rhythm and growth. The program entails a living and work space for two fictional characters, ‘rain-man’ and ‘rain-woman’, who study monsoon patterns and bring rain to different regions. The hypothetical site is situated between mountains in the north and the valley in the south.
Abstracting principles from a natural object: An inquiry into Fountain grass
Winning Entry for Star Student Awards by Design Whack- Mixed use project type in the UG students and graduate category.
STUDIO III Fountain Grass Semester 3 : Monsoon 2014
PATTERNS OF GROWTH
MATERIAL DISTRIBUTION
STRUCTURAL RELATIONSHIPS
Part- Whole Interdependencies
Material Distribution Around and Along length
Angle & Height-Length relationship
Translation of Findings:
Behavior with natural forces to derive structural principles
Geometric orientation & Gravity load
Counter Balance of masses
Abstraction: Unit Exploration
The study finds a pattern in the distribution of mass across the length that allows the grass blade and the flower to balance each other. There is also a range of height and spread ratio. These abstracted principles are translated as physical ‘units’ modeled using materials like paper boards, foam boards, wires, wiremeshes, straws, etc. The use of different materials also implies the different ways these principles can be translated. They also display different structural behaviors based on the proportions of the unit.
STUDIO III Fountain Grass Semester 3 : Monsoon 2014
Lateral Propagation with Cantilever
Rotational Propagation
Linear Propagation with Lateral Ties
Mirrored Propagation with Cantilever
Space Making: Module Exploration 1:20
Design Project: Final Model 1:20 Teak & Grey Board
Material, Structure & Form:
Distribution of mass along axis, angle and length Glu-lam and sequential counter balance
The abstraction of the module is repeated along its length where the module balances not only within itself but along the repeated modules. The modules repeated along the width of the built form are tied to each other. Glu-lam has been used for the entire structure. It efficiently uses material to allow large spans for smaller sections. The section of the main system is 150 x 40 mm, the secondary structure uses joists of 75 x 40 mm and the connections are all bolted steel plates and connectors.
Studio IX
The Interface {Addressing coastal erosion and the sustenance of a fishing village at Varoli estuary} Semester 9 : Monsoon 2017
The project is a fishing terminal situated at an estuary in Nargol, a fishing village along the coast of southern Gujarat. The estuary provides a natural harbour for boats due to its tidal fluctuations. Frequent storm surges, the loss of wildlife and pressure on fishing activities has ultimately affected the livelihood of littoral societies. The project explores the negotiations between the built and the estuary. The resultant is an Interface between the two for spaces of Production, Restoration and Sustenance.
A dialogue between community and nature: Fishing terminal at an estuary by the Arabian sea
STUDIO IX The Interface Semester 9 : Monsoon 2017
Dikes left as is
Dikes modified upon Overlay of intervention and existing embankments
Drainage pattern from existing topography
Siting the intervention: Addressing coastal erosion
Planning & Organization: Accommodating within the established border
Storm surge levels and vulnerable houses
A 2.5m high dike has been built as a final defensive measure. The ‘interface’ is situated at the current location of the dikes. The program involves reorganizing the activities along the dike edge to form a cooperative that connects the road, the sea and the river. This includes fish processing and maintenance activities, managed by the community. While the dike edge defines limits of the built it also announces the estuary. The edge is modified to push out and pull in the activities of the estuary.
Massing & Topography
Gabion terracing
Networks & Flow
STUDIO IX The Interface Semester 9 : Monsoon 2017
Hovering over the embankment
STRATEGIES FOR THE EDGE
SECTION A
Porous, seemingly unanchored
Moving above the embankment
Porous, visibly unanchored
Distancing embankment
Emerging presence of embankment
Character of the edge:
Porosity through habitable gabions
Robustness of trade:
Sustaining the environment and the community
The strategy is to provide for temporary reinforcement to control erosion with. stretches of mangroves and habitable porous gabions. Over time mangroves sustain themselves and the gabions deteriorate while holding the new inhabitants of the estuary. Resonating with the psyche of the fishermen returning from turbulent seas, the built expression is that of stability amidst flux. The spaces enclosing the fishing trade activities adopt the porosity of the edge to provide a common resource. The intention is to manage fishing activities for growth in multiplicity rather than size, to restrict large boats and uncontrolled fishing activities.
Exchange Studio: ETH, Zürich
Water Roots {Redefining and visualizing the morphology of wetlands in Magadino, Ticino} Semester 8 : Spring 2017 Team: Masahiro Gokita & Harini Patel
The studio aimed at designing an urban park in the flood prone Magadino plains that includes the aerodrome of Locarno. Magadino is a wetland in Ticino, Switzerland. The intervention aims to restore the wetlands by opening out the dikes towards the lake, thus, freeing the narrowed Ticino River to etch its own path to the lake. Defining the Locarno Airport as a meeting point of the two kinds of flooding systems- Lake and River; the new landscape controls these two motions to keep water and sediments within the lands by planting ‘points’. Through the flooding of the river, the surroundings evolve with time to generate a gradation between the constructed and natural landscape.
Working with natural processes:
Topology of an airport landscape between river and lake
Cinema 4D rendering, modeled in Rhino 3D
EXCHANGE STUDIO Water Roots Semester 8: ETH Zürich : Spring 2017 Team: Masahiro & Harini
Plan from Point Cloud Model
Behaviour of Sediments around points over time
Expanding the dike & flood zone
Assuming water movement of river & lake
Placing of hard edges for sedimentation
50-years later: Thriving wetland ecosystem
Re-naturalization of an engineered river:
The strategy involves locating ‘points’ on the landscape like seeds that grow
Addressing the floods of river gradually with time as the river trails sediment behind it. These points are plinths and lake anchored to the existing topography near the river. The recurring lake and river
Morphology of the wetlands:
A 50-year time-frame to restabilize the river
floods etch their way around the plinths to continually shape the Magadino Plane in the 50-year timescale. The design was visualized using Rhino3D and Cinema4D which allowed for the use of point-cloud models to represent the landscape plan and retain the character of the place.
Internship
Pragrup Architecture|Urbanism, Bangalore {Professional training done during June to November 2016}
As an architect trainee, I worked with the principal architect and the project architect for a number of residential and office projects at various stages. My responsibilities included preparing conceptual design presentations, architectural drawings and detailing. This was done in the form of creating highly detailed 3D models, perspective renderings, and working drawings. Other responsibilities include checking on-site, compiling BOQs and preparing sanction drawings. Design Team that I was a part of – Principal architect: Ravindra Kumar, Project architects: Swathi Sharath, Aishwarya Soni, Architect Trainees: Divya Kumar, Neha Ravindran, Harini Patel.
Residence in Mangalore
Conceptual and design development
INTERNSHIP Pragrup Architecture|Urbanism June - November 2016
Residence in Bangalore: Principal Architect: Ravindra Kumar Project Architect: Swathi Sharath
Office in Bangalore:
Principal Architect: Ravindra Kumar Project Architect: Swathi Sharath
Studio V
A Place for Water {An institution in Jodhpur that embraces the abundance and scarcity of knowledge and water} Semester 5 : Monsoon 2015
The project in Jodhpur addresses the visual disconnect with water we face today in our built environments; considering it to be a utility available through plumbing. The intervention, an institution, focuses on research of water and its conservation. It also purposes as an exhibit, bringing together different communities and perspectives: of the locals, the researchers and the visitors. The project creates a movement from scarcity to abundance by sensorial and physical engagement. The journey begins by hinting the presence of water till the end where one has the chance to immerse oneself completely.
Translating abundance and scarcity:
An institution for water at the edge of the Thar desert
STUDIO V A Place for Water Semester 5 : Monsoon 2015
Seasonal variation
Engaging with water
Section B: Through the temporary exhibitions and cafe by the water
Elevation A: View from the catchment
Historical premise: Learning from water traditions in semi-arid environments
Water structures like the Baori and step wells found in Jodhpur share a very intimate relation with water and the community. The idea of organizing spaces around water for social interactions and an individual’s journey towards water as one descends the steps is taken forward in the project. On the site, a 400-year-old Bund (earthen dike), is a large court that connects the gallery spaces, cultivating new acquaintances and dialogue. The path to the water connects the library and cafe where social engagement is with oneself or with companions.
Studio VI
Art of Detailing {Exploring sandstone and steel joineries to make the place for water} Semester 6 : Spring 2016
The project explores the duality of water to be translated into the built form- its solidity and fluidity. The institutional project in Jodhpur is anchored to the 400-year-old earthern dike on site. Stone emerges as points to support the steel that ventures out into the water. The connection of enclosure is temporal against the solid dike. The vertical planes along the bund seek to protect what is beyond as it transitions to horizontal planes that finally open out and explore the crux of the institute- water.
Strange Details:
Institution in Jodhpur
STUDIO VI Art of Detailing Semester 6 : Spring 2016
WALL SECTION
Detailing out intricacies: Solid sandstone blocks and hovering steel beams
The adjoining contrasts on site of the solid bund and fluid water has been taken forward as a fortress that disintegrates beyond to allow itself to be engulfed by the monsoon catchment. The dry season unveils spaces shaded from the harsh summer that become markers for rainfall throughout the year.
SECTION A
DETAIL a
PIER ROOF JUNCTION
DETAIL b
Overview of Research Thesis
Children’s Play Spaces {Analyzing game space creation from instances of cricket in multi-storey housing in Ahmedabad} Semester 10 : Spring 2018
The phenomenon of taking a sport from its fixed spatial rules and fitting it into the residence highlights an interesting motivation among young residents. The thesis focuses on the affordance of open spaces found in apartment housing to be transformed into a game space for cricket. The findings suggest that the game space of cricket is afforded by topology of the space; in its properties and spatial relations, rather than matching the shape and size of the sport. There is also a negotiation of the game to fit into the space.
Space for Cricket:
A batsman’s perspective of game space
RESEARCH THESIS Children’s Play Spaces Semester 10 : Spring 2018
Instance 1
Instance 2
Instance 3
Instance 4
Effective play space from spatial feedback associated with children’s game rules. Here, black denotes the negative feedback, the grey denotes fixed zones and the hatch denotes the play field and the notional boundary.
How are children’s creation of play spaces afforded within the housing environment?
Instance 1
Instance 2
Instance 3
Instance 4
Affordances in the creation of play space
Research Method:
Reciprocity of game & space
Findings & Implications: Topological space & Accessibility - Setting characteristics and spatial relations
The creation of game space is temporal and notional. Open spaces in the housing environment often emerge from regulations in building codes. In cases where there is no designated play space, children inhabit the ‘left over’ spaces that form out of building regulations. The phenomenon of children playing cricket in the household is very contingent. However, it highlights one of the ways residents in urban environments inhabit open spaces close to home.
Teaching Assistantship
CEPT University, Ahmedabad {Assisting Level 2&3 studios of the B. Arch program during July 2018 to May 2020} Tutor: Sachin Soni
The 5-year Bachelor of Architecture Program offers L2 studios to 2nd & 3rd year students and L3 studios to 4th and 5th year students. I assisted Associate Professor Sachin Soni in an L2 studio for 3 semesters and an L3 studio for the 4th semester. My responsibilities included studio preparation through research, logistical support and coordination. It involved helping students build and communicate their ideas for their projects with specific tutorials on tools and techniques, organizing and maintaining resource material for the studio, coordinating the semester end studio exhibit as well as compiling a booklet that documented the studio output. The assistantship offered new opportunities in understanding teaching approaches, designing exercises, studio planning as well as revisiting or familiarizing with the subject matter of the studio.
TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIP CEPT University Bachelor of Architecture Level 2 Studio Tutor: Sachin Soni Monsoon ‘18, Spring ‘19, Monsoon ‘19 Link to view booklets online
Architectural Language in the works of:
Nari Gandhi • Luis Barragan • Glenn Murcutt • Sejima • Tadao Ando • Geoffrey Bawa • Alvar Aalto • Laurie Baker • Peter Zumthor • Anant Raje • Achyut Kanvinde • Carlo Scarpa Monsoon ‘18
Oscar Neimeyer • Richard Rogers • Toyo Ito • Sverre Fehn • Hasan Fathy • RCR Architects • Alvaro Siza • Richard Neutra • Hasmukh C Patel • Steven Holl Spring ‘19
Enric Miralles • Lina Bo Bardi • Renzo Piano • Shigeru Ban • Jorn Utzon • Wang Shu • Herzog & de Meuron • Joseph Allen Stein • Mies van der Rohe • Aldo Van Eyck • Raj Rewal • Mario Botta Monsoon ‘19
Studio Theme:
Architectural Language & Coherence in Design
Studio Focus:
Planning & Organization; Visualization & Representation
Studio Structure:
Learning from Precedents & Deriving Attitudes
The studio focused on coherence in design and took the analogy of language to describe architecture. By analyzing the architectural language of architects, students were introduced to architectural syntax as well as expand their repository of design approaches. The exercises were designed to gradually introduce various aspects of design such as physical and ephemeral qualities, strategies of organization and conceptualization, making and detailing, and response to context and program were first studied by diagramming and maintaining a diary of attitudes with a given framework. These attitudes were then tested individually through various model-making exercises like a traveling exhibit cube, a maze game and a trophy. Ultimately, these architectural attitudes were tested together in a design project situated in a different context and program. This was visualized in models and drawings represented with a language comparable to that of the architect.
Reflection
Translating ‘Diary of Attitudes’ to Cube Installation, Maze & Trophy
Design Project at Lonavala Student: Aashumi Shah | Analyzing & testing the architectural attitudes of Richard Rogers
TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIP CEPT University
Studio References
Bachelor of Architecture Level 3 Studio Tutor: Sachin Soni Spring ‘20
Studio Theme:
Re-interpreting typologies of civic/infrastructural projects
Studio Focus:
Developing approaches that respond to the context of city & public space
The studio enables a discourse on public space and potentials of civic/ infrastructure to be embedded in the urban context. The studio began by introducing literature on collective/public space and examining different case studies. The final design project then prompted students to take their architectural position to reinterpret transit architecture. This is further translated to develop programmatic and spatial strategies to build narratives for a re-imagined transit station embedded in the context of the city. The initial exercises introduced students to make observations through mappings and analytical drawings that further raise questions on the character of public spaces in the city. Theories and writings by Jane Jacobs, William Whyte, Jan Gehl and other urban designers/architects were introduced to read cities and urban spaces with a different lens. Taking up transit infrastructure as a public amenity, typological studies were discussed with cases in different contexts. This set up the premise for initiating the design project that re-imagines the metro station in Ahmedabad. The project is visualized based on the themes of exploration and approaches taken up by each student.
Introduction: Borders & Boundaries
EX 1 Uprising of Walls: Reprogramming the edge for the city
EX 2 Article Reviews 1 Guest Lecture: Public Spheres Dr. Tridip Suhrud Article Reviews 2
Reading Public Space
EX 3 Decoding Site & Site || Reading
Guest Lecture: Transit Oriented Development Rutul Joshi
Typology of Transit Nodes
Input Lecture: Tomorrow’s Living Station (ARUP)
DESIGN PROJECT
Input Lecture: Program & Metro Station (GMRC)
EX 5
Visions for Stations at Shahpur & Thaltej: Programming for the Collective
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Case Study Visit: Delhi Metro
EX 4
Spatial Organisation
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Spatial Strategies
Developing Architectural Language & Articulating Edges
Narrating the Design
Jury Week
STUDIO TIMELINE
Portfolio Review Week
Student: Chintan Mewada | Learning in Transit: Landscape of Follies
Other works
Visualization & Representation {Drawings, Sketches & Prototypes}
Extraction
Of lines and dots, at CEPT Campus (2014)
Abstraction of ‘h’
Unit-Module-Volume & Space (2014)
Narrative
Street-side Tightrope Walker (2017)
OTHER WORKS Visualization & Representation Semesters 1 to 9 2013-2017
Temples of Angkorwat
Travel Sketch - Cambodia (2015)
Banyan Tree at CEPT
Observational Drawing- Spatial Character & Texture (2014)
‘Water as Utility’, Lino-cut
Print Making
Lino-cut, Etching, Lithography (2015)
‘Piping’ mess’, Etching
Harini Patel
www.linkedin.com/in/patelharini/