Beyond Architecture by Jude R Balakrishnan

ME? What kind of Designer am I? Prototyping and iterating till I get the desired results is my go-to method. When exposed to a design problem, I try my best to ideate the possible outcomes and brainstorm with fellow designers to narrow down and focus on potential solutions, thus delivering a justified practical arrangement.

How good am I working in a team? I believe in taking criticism as a constructive way to scrutinize and be precise in what I do. An outside perspective can help gain a different view on the existing ideology opening up new uncharted design solutions. I enjoy sharing ideas and my thought process while designing for a better output.

What’s Architecture to me? Blend between disciplines.

Jude R Balakrishnan 28 Nov 1994

Dessau-Roßlau +49 15735597463

architectjuderajith@gmail.com

SKILLS

WORK EXPERIENCE

2019

3 months

ASSOCIATE ARCHITECT at Space Play Architects

Chennai

3D modeling and visualization, architectural layouts, technical drawings for site execution, idea development, regular site visits and site management 2018

15 months

JUNIOR ARCHITECT at Studio D Cubed

2017

2016

10 Months

PRESENTATION SOFTWARES

3D modeling and visualization, idea development.

Adobe Photoshop Adobe Indesign Adobe Illustrator

INTERN TRAINEE

3D SOFTWARES

JUNIOR ARCHITECT

at Benny Kuriakose Architects

at SpaceMatters

visualization

Chennai

3D modeling and visualization, architectural layouts, idea development, regular site visits and site management

3 Months

architecture

Chennai

New Delhi

Visualization and 3D modeling (sketchup, 3DsMax, Vray, lumion, keyshot), Assist in the creation of concepts and in the delivery of presentations (photoshop, Indesign, Illustrator).

Autocad 3ds Max Rhino Grasshopper Revit vray Keyshot

EDUCATION LANGUAGES 2022

MASTER’S DEGREE INTEGRATED DESIGN

Germany

Hochschule Anhalt I Dessau-Roßlau

Tamil English_C1 Hindi Deutsch_A1

3D Object and Space, Studio module Integrated Project.

2017

BACHELOR’S DEGREE ARCHITECTURE

Chennai, India

at School of architecture,MCE I Chennai

Rural and Urban Design Studio, History of Architecture, Site survey and planning, Architectural Thesis.

2013

BACHELOR’S DEGREE ARCHITECTURE

Chennai, India

at School of architecture,REC I Chennai

Architecture and Basic Design, Machanics of structures, Sustainable Architecture. 2012

GRADUATE

India

at st. Josephs

The school is managed by The Society for Education for Life, a registered society for the cause of charitable purposes and education.

Solving a smaller problem can lead to a bigger breakthrough !!!

Architecture Junior Architect I have dealt with complex architectural projects during my internship in Spacematters(Delhi, India) and my time as a Junior Architect in Studio D Cubed(Chennai, India)

Interior Design Junior Architect & Freelancing Architect I was directly involved in several residential interiors under the supervision of Architect Benny Kuriakose and Architect Arvind V. Ram and as a freelancer, I designed the Vajra Global marketing office interiors.

Product Design Integrated Studio Project I have been doing Furniture design right from my bachelor’s period, but I had a chance to get a deeper understanding during my master’s in MAID Program since I was involved in the design studio with other product designers.

Project Documentation As Freelancing Architect Documenting project was first introduced to me during my bachelor’s period and effectively practiced during and after my internship. I Still try to document every single work I do.

My heartfelt gratitude to Architect Amritha Ballal Architect Arvind V. Ram Architect Saranya Gunasekaran Prof. Mito Mihelic Prof. Fredrik Skåtar Prof. Dr. Manuel Kretzer for leading me through my academic and professional lives. I would not have gotten to where I am now if it hadn’t been for them.

Contents Under Graduate Works

NIEPMD

Bachelor’s Thesis 06-11

Velachery

Bachelor’s Urban Design Studio 34-39

Professional Works

Facade Design

Studio D Cubed(Professional Work) 12-15

Adaptive Reuse

Competition(London) 16-23

Vajra Global

Interior Design(Turnkey Project) 24-33

Post Graduate Works

MAID

Master’s in Integrated Design 40-59

ArchViz&Photography

Master’s in Integrated Design 60-69

01 NIEPMD Under Graduate Work

Thesis Bachelors of Architecture, Chennai 2016

Campus design

National Institute of Empowerment For People with Multiple Disability Barrier-free environment or Universal Design as termed by Architect Roland M. Mace in 1985 is the key element used throughout the design phase. The goal is to create an environment that allows both learning and service to take place at the same time. The design consists of different zones such as private, semi-public, and public zones. Spaces are zoned in such a way that there is effortless movement and also privacy is not compromised.

Green pocket

Waffle Structure

Secondary Facade

The design includes public spaces where the patients can rest well and rejuvenate during their stay.

The campus park has a waffle structure designed to provide shade for people coming to the park.

The Academic structure is the heat accumulation wit

Sensory Garden

Facade

Facade panels

People with Multiple disabilities need specialized zones to help them improve their sensory capabilities.

The hostel blocks are treaded with simpler and effective facades, where the heat from the hot sun is tackled by the planters on each opening.

The facade panels are brigh makes the main block icon harsh sunlight.

e skin

enclosed with an outer layer to reduce thin the structure.

Design Elements Major Design Elements Targets maximum efficiency

Facade panels Waffle structure Secondary skin Green pockets sensory Garden

ht coloured which brings in attention and nic as well as protects the building from

Workflow Although the project was just six months long, because it was an academic project, 3/4 of the semester was spent researching and analyzing the site and coming up with cost-effective design ideas. Working drawings and 3D renderings were included in the final presentation, as well as a physical model. (Time took- approx. -20 days)

Detail A sample drawing from the set depicting the structure’s area features and circulation.

02 Velachery Under Graduate Work

Urban Design Studio, Chennai 2016

Six-month school project Velachery was impacted by the floods of 2015, which is why we chose the location for the urban design studio. We conducted a split study across the zone, selecting five pockets with distinct characteristics. After conducting thorough field study, we focused our design proposals on a specific pocket where immediate action was required. The only approach to improve storm seepage and prevent floods in the area is to restore and preserve the lake. Providing a defined lake boundary minimizes waste dumping and further encroachment, and this lakefront development is one method to accomplish it.

Existing condition

Why preserve the Lake?

Movement

Domestic wastes form a landfill which eventually turns into a potential spot for encroachment.

Horizontal housing development in the area leads to the lack of open spaces for social interaction. By creating a lakefront development we solve this problem.

The lakefront developmen people from all classes dw movement of people from

Creating cohesion

Approach

Rehabilitating the encroached houses helps opening up the currently enclosed dying lake.

Relocating people also means that the lake is now open to public eyes. The unpleasant state of the lake will be a sore sight to the public and eventually, measures will be taken to clean and restore it.

nt can serve as a community space where well together. The graphic shows the m different zones to the lakefront.

Approach Lake Revival & Redevelopment 2016

I designed the lakefront in such a way that there is enough space for people for various outdoor activities and spaces where community activities can take place. _ Outdoor gallery for local artists to exhibit or practice local artforms _ a skating field for children and adults and there is an OAT for parents/ audience _ linear landscape furniture integrated along the perimeter of the lake _ Separate space is given to street vendors in such a way that they do not become a distraction and instead, they can set up stalls and in turn benefit the community _ Roofed spaces for provided for commercial setup on onlooking the lake such that part of the revenue keeps the community space self-sustainable.

Proposed design_ © Jude R Balakrishnan

Overview The pedestrian bridge and the deck from which you can see the newly introduced water activities are seen in this aerial picture of the entire site. You’ll acquire a general idea of how pedestrian movements occur in the context.

3D Model _ 18 hours(Approx.) 3DsMax_Autocad The renders were taken using 3dsMax and Vray and enhanced using photoshop.

ANAND RESIDENCE_ © Jude R Balakrishnan

Facade Design Professional Work

Studio D Cubed, Chennai 2018

As a junior architect at Studio D Cubed, I was heavily involved in the concept development of buildings and the creation of architectural layouts. Facade design has always struck me as an intriguing aspect of the design problem. I spent a lot of time breaking down the problem and coming up with appropriate facade design ideas. Anand Residence is an example of a design where a lot of thought went into the architectural plan in order to highlight the double-height areas and make the whole thing more dynamic. When the interior of the house is given such prominence, it’s only fair to design the exterior suitably, therefore we came up with numerous design alternatives. As an alternative to the parametric brick exterior, a more sophisticated and sharp metal and glass with a stone finish was chosen for the facade. During this time, I was mentored by Architect Arvind V. Ram of Studio D Cubed (Chennai). I learned to concentrate on one topic at a time in order to get better design results.

Workflow The design approach begins with a volume analysis and progresses to a basic 2d plan while simultaneously developing a 3d model in SketchUp to see how real-time adjustments in 2d effect the structure’s volume. The residence took four months to design and build.

Construction Details

Cad Drawing _ 6 hours Autocad_Illustrator We were chronicling Studio D Cubed’s efforts for ten years, and these drawings were part of a book we were preparing to publish at the time, and were enhanced using Illustrator after using Autocad base files.

Cross section showing the different levels of Agora

04 Adaptive Reuse Competition, London 2020

This is a competition project which I did during the year 2020. The task is to pick one among four given spatial typologies, Academy-the learning campus Guild-the professional cluster Agora-the public workplace The Lodge-the live-work setting Given the fact that the site context fits for any one of the above four topics, I choose to go with Agora-the public workplace or a coworking setup. The aim is to meet both their own economic needs as well as the community needs.

Basement

Ground Floor

First Floor

The basement floor has an admin room and a library. It also has a multipurpose hall which can be used for work or play.

It has a cafeteria which is a public zone. It has a gift shop and a kitchen for the cafeteria, along with a service entry.

It consists of two rooms fo huge hall room which can sliding door to split the roo

Second and Third floor

Landscape

Both these floors have a similar layout on the east end and on the west end, it has a double-height space that acts as a gallery space.

The building has an outdoor landscape area that can be accessed through the first-floor window/door and can be used for informal parties and a casual smoking zone.

or a small-scale office setup. There is a be used as a multipurpose hall. There is a om into two different spaces.

Design process Practical and efficient

The design process for this building wasn’t different from the approach I had for my thesis. I segregated the public, semi-public and private spaces. I made the public zone more accessible by placing them on the lower levels of the building and made the staff lounge, locker room, and other private zones with restricted access. The public zone includes Reception, Pharmacy, Vending machine, Pantry, store, open lawns, washrooms. The Semi-public zone includes Community rooms, Assessment, and treatment rooms, Cloakroom, Therapy space, multipurpose hall. The private zones include a Staff lounge, Meeting room, Lockerroom, Admin room which has photocopy space and workstations, Staff washroom, Private counseling, vertical gardens, and healing spaces.

3D Modelling _ 7 hours Sketchup After the concept derivation and volume analysis, the final model was done in three days and presented with renders and sections.

SECTION A

SECTION B

This cut shows the workspace(basement), store(ground floor), Multi-use space on the first floor, and the double-height gallery space on the second floor.

This cut shows the admin area in the basement and also runs through the stairwell showing the lift and headroom.

SECTION C

ELEVATION

This cut shows a wider view of each level, library on the basement, and consultation rooms on other floors can be seen.

Although the elevation is almost untouched in this design problem, I believe this view gives an overall idea of the structure.

Concept Clay Renders Initial concept rendered to explain the levels and the zones of each level.

Vajra Global_ © Jude R Balakrishnan

05 Vajra Global Professional Work

Leistungsphasen 1-9, Chennai 2020

The project lasted four months in total. This includes the time between pitching an idea in a closed competition and the project’s completion. The client’s brief is to create an unusual office space for a 40-person marketing team. We devised an original layout that separated the areas for creative thought, unobtrusive workflow, and administration. The boss room provides a panoramic view of both the conference room and the workstation area due to its location. In terms of materials, we chose glass with a 1” framed border to define the borders and delineate the areas against the brilliant yellow-orange backdrop on the walls. Architect Saranya Gunasekaran and Architect Madhanraj, who were part of our team of three architects and a site engineer, were important in the project’s success.

6'-5 1/2" 4'-8 1/2"

3'-3"

4'-6"

3'-3"

6'-4"

4'-7 1/2"

4 1/2"

4'-3"

4 1/2" 3'-10 1/2" 9"

6'5½" x 17'2"

ELECTRICAL

1'-7"

6" 3"

5'-1" 3"

3'-5 1/2"

1'-7 1/2"

3" 5'

13'-3"

23'-0 1/2"

14'0" x 8'8"

5'-4" 15'

3' 1/2"

CONFERENCE

6'-2"

8'-8 1/2"

5'-8 1/2"

4'-2"

CEO CABIN 13'11½" x 8'9"

11'-0 1/2" 14'-6 1/2"

Proposed interiors 1913 VAJRA GLOBAL @ Velachery @ VELACHERY PROJECT NAME & LOCATION :

3" 1'-7 1/2"

4'-6"

3'-3" 15'-11 1/2"

3'-6"

5'-9"

14'6½" x 9'10½"

8'-9"

2'-3"

RECEPTION

3'-6"

PROJECT NO. :

5'-7"

9'2" x 9'2½"

8'-0 1/2"

INTERVIEW ROOM

3" 3'-1 1/4" 1'-6" 2'-5"

WORKSPACE

9'-10 1/2" 2'-4 1/2" 5'-6" 2'

1/2" 3'-1 1/4"

9'-3"

1'-9"

4'3" x 4'0"

8'6" x 9'9"

9'-9"

4'-9" 5'-4 1/2" 4 1/2"

TOILET(F)

4'3" x 9'9"

ACCOUNTS

TOILET(M)

2'-6" 1'-6" 6"

15'

17'-2"

14'-2"

4 1/2" 4 1/2" 2'-6" 3'-6" 3'

4'-10"

13'-6"

1'-9"

24'-6 1/2"

1'-7 1/2"

6'-4"

4'-6" 1/2"

1'-6"

14' SHEET NO. REV NO.

OFFICE FURNITURE LAYOUT

DATE

ARCHITECTS - MADHANRAJ AND SARANYA

Layout We developed the layout to make the most of every square foot of floor space while also ensuring that the workers’ comfort is not compromised.

: 01 : 00

07-01-2020

Construction Details

PROJECT NO. :

PROJECT NAME & LOCATION :

1913 VAJRA GLOBAL @ VELACHERY

SHEET NO. REV NO.

ELECTRICAL LAYOUT

: 02 : 00

DATE

ARCHITECTS - MADHANRAJ AND SARANYA

13-01-2020

Cad Drawing _ 4 hours Autocad Working drawings were provided, which included furniture details, CNC patterns for glass stickering, and wall paneling details, among other things.

Render & Reality We got the opportunity to meet our customer’s clients during the inauguration and receive excellent feedback from specialists from many industries, and the client was really pleased with what we were able to accomplish in such a short period of time with very little labor and funding.

Rendered Image

Panoramic View View from the CEO’s room showing a clear perspective of the conference room and the workstation space.

Design Elements View from the workstation area showing the spacious and ergonomically designed tables with indoor plants for air purification. The second picture shows our associate Architect Saranya involving in site inspection and getting the site ready for the inauguration.

06 MAID Post Graduate Work

Masters in Integrated Design, Dessau, Germany 2020

Focus Area Studio Module Integrated Project Impact of design on crisis management, Didactical Design.

3D Object & Space Printing Furniture, Parametric Jewelry, EM Form workshop(Grasshopper), Virtural Showroom Being in an integrated design course gives you the flexibility to design anything of your interest, and I decided to use the chance to design something in architecture so that I can use them in future projects.

Adaptable Facade Rhino I Grasshopper I Lumion

3D Object & Space

01_Form Workshop Prof.Fredrik Skåtar Brief

Foremost, the workshop focuses on geometry, material, and reality conversion, aided by Rhinoceros and its algorithmic extension Grasshopper — a tool that can automatically perform a vast series of modeling tasks in real-time. The workshop is goal-oriented, which means that, after the introductory tutorials, every participant was given a chance to work on our ideas. With that motivation, research for design solutions occurred automatically and ultimately lead to gaining new skills. To see more of the project kindly visit the link given below, it shows the process of how the grasshopper parametric algorithm works, OR You can simply scan the QR code below to watch the video. https://youtu.be/EVSJH73flwg

Watch the video to see the magic happen

Interface Rhino I Grasshopper

Adaptable Facade The method used to construct this facade is adaptable, and as you can see, most of the design elements may be adjusted, resulting in a different pattern by only changing a few values. Curves are created in Rhino and adjusting them changes the pattern. The density of the tween curves can be modified directly in the algorithm depending on the surface on which it will be utilized. Because design is subjective, the designer has the opportunity to choose the pattern that best suits his or her demands. The final result can be CNC machined into smaller parts and then assembled on an aluminum frame grid during installation.

Algorithm

Interface Blender

3D Object & Space

02_Virtual Showroom Prof.Mathias Jüsche Brief

A collaborative course to learn the workflow to create a shop/ showroom for Virtual Reality. This course gave us an introduction to virtual reality. We discussed different types of VR devices, the software, and notable projects to understand the characteristics of VR. We had a hands-on technical intensive session week using Unity and Blender and learned how to generate, integrate and interact with 3D-Object in a Virtual World. In the end, we created a virtual showroom and as a special feature, it was for a Multi-User VR Experience. The following video shows multiple users viewing my project in real time in real scale using VR Headsets. https://youtu.be/Qt1Kd_3udjQ

Watch the video to see the magic happen

Concept sketches

3D Object & Space

03_Printing Furniture Prof. Dr. Manuel Kretzer Neela_Thirukkai A generative design that differs from the predominantly minimalistic forms of the previous century. The Chair is ergonomically designed, the dimensions reflected here were taken from physical measurements that were obtained from research on various existing market standard designs. The printing bed allows us to print anything that is 1500 X 1000 X 1000 comfortably, and the overhang angle of the printer helps you go even further over the bed itself. The chair is about 1500 X 940 X 840. The armrest is designed in such a way that it feels fluid and as a single element rather than breaking it into a separate feature. The chair gives one a uni-body look at first glance and it would be a perfect fit on a balcony for your evening read or even in a game room.

The basic form was arrived analyzing various form factors from previous gen lawnchairs and from basic ergonomic values

Comfortable sitting positions were analyzed by making physical models and the design was continuously scrutinized

The form was further improvised upon user reviews, the height of the backsupport was increased in on such process and finally, the edges were made more defined and precise

Design Development Neela_Thirukkai

The printed form was analyzed, knowing the limitations of the 3D printing technology the design was revised, and possible ways to print it were devised. The sharp edges and the bumps were treated so it doesn’t affect the user comfort. The main factors that were addressed were the thickness of the nozzle which was 8mm which results in finer details to be blurred so the design has to be rather minimalistic instead of the patterns that were initially visualized. The design was based on curves that were originally acquired from a physical examination of existing long chairs. The algorithm made in Grasshopper gives us the simple surface through the curves which we feed in them. Although the design started to be printed in the wood composite material by BLB Industries, the idea of printing them as two different pieces to achieve the unique shape acquired over the design development stage is crucial, which takes us to further exposure to ABS material which is much more giving in terms of binding properties and does more justice to the Existing design.

Mockup I presented the finished design to the jury, and I used brightly colored plastic finishes to help them comprehend the usability and material aspects of the design.

3D Model _ 6 hours(Including Renders) Rhino_3Ds Max

Concept sketches

Studio Module Integrated project

04_Water Management Prof. Mito Mihelic Crisis Management_WaterCrisisIndia The design was aimed at addressing India’s water crisis; as part of a four-person team, I, a product designer, and two graphic designers came up with numerous alternatives; I’ll go over a few of them here. RAG- TYMER It’s a shower timer and speaker that works on the hourglass principle. This product should be able to break into the market in around 6 months, according to our estimates. The cost might be 1200 Rupees (15 euros). We can also collaborate with speaker manufacturers such as Boat and Sony. SMART BUCKET The smart bucket combines the functions of a bucket and a shower head in one device. We anticipate that a 6-month awareness and advertising campaign will be required before presenting this product to the market to underline the necessity for it. We’ll also need to form partnerships with real estate agents and architectural firms to help sell the goods to customers. As a result, production and launch could take up to two years. 4000 Rupees is the price (40-50euros). For product manufacture, we may work with significant corporations like Jaguar, Cera, and Hindware.

Studio Module Integrated Project RAG-TYMER

Integrated Studio Project There are few other proposals which I have done during my time in the master’s program, I have included the design concept I did during this phase.

3D Model _ 3-4 hours Rhino_Keyshot

ArchViz & Photography

Studio D Cubed, Chennai 2017-2018

Documenting our project, in my opinion, is just as vital as planning it. When you need to look back and assess the design process and how it turned out, documentation becomes a significant asset. Good documentation puts our project on the map, making it easier for people to recognize and discuss it. I make it a point to shoot the project using architecture photography. I make sure I show the project the way I want people to see it with enough post-processing so they don’t make assumptions. An Instagram post from an office where I used to work brought this picture to my attention. The electric lines that run through the image detract from the ultimate product that the architect is attempting to display. After obtaining permission from my ex-boss to further edit the photos, I used Photoshop to remove the electric wires from the image, allowing the facade to be seen without obstruction.

Photoshop to the rescue We can see how basic post processing can make a big difference in a photo. And just how much it can improve a simple photo taken with a basic Android phone.

Labor-intensive task The following are some more samples from the same project. It’s a time-consuming task that involves precise Photoshop work and manual tweaking, but I believe the end results are always worth the effort.

Architectural Photography Fascinated by the massive form and tedious ornamentation done in classical buildings kicks in my instincts to capture it but of course, I always document them in my essence and portray them the way I see them.

Colour Grading _ 20 Min Lightroom Mobile

Architectural Visualization I started doing architectural visualization during the year 2013 and since then I have been actively involved in exploring new render engines keeping me updated with the market. I make sure I am not driven by the software when designing rather I use them to the fullest to achieve what I aspire to.

Exterior 3D Model Designed by Ar.Arvind Ram_Studio D Cubed The model is rendered by me using lumion _3 hours.

3D Workshop_ 3 Hours Sketchup_Vray I often conduct batch tutorial sessions for my school juniors to enrich them with what I learned through the years so that they are not inhibited by their unfamiliarity with the digital tools, The renders here are done during one such workshop.

50 Beautiful houses in India Vol.4 Benny Kuriakose

My sketch featured in 50 Beautiful houses in India Volume 4 white flag publications.

Read online

CoverPage

Page 63

Architecture CHENNAI Studio D Cubed

Design Project published in Architecture CHENNAI a quarterly publication of Indian Institute of Architects Chennai Centre

Jude R Balakrishnan Dessau-Roßlau +49 15735597463

architectjuderajith@gmail.com