The third semester design studio required us to desingn a ‘gree’ office building as part of its collaboration with the IGBC. Having been introduced to some of the basic principles of sustainable and green building techniques, this project was the stepping stone for all the future works.
Concept & Design
The design was developed from the concept of ‘spiral’ staircase, where the building itslef spirals around the central atrium. The amount of conventioanal wall used on the exterior of the buiding is minimal as this is replaced by a
special interlocking module, that would allow light to pass through. The subtle level differences in the building require people to climb stairs regularly, engaging them actively around the atrium. This eliminates the need for an elevator, which would only make the building ‘lazy’.
The design studio, before we started our ‘rural study’ assigned us a time problem - to design a ‘Cafeteria’. The cafeteria was to be located within our college campus and it was for the students to use. The design used an existing building, making only minor changes to it. The stepped enclosure on the other three sides is designed in such a way that a space open to sky and isolated from noise is created within it.
Along with the dining area provided indoors, substantial amount of dining space was provided on the outdoors. The courtyard and the stepped terraces would serve as calm and pleasant space to dine and to spend the leisure time at the campus.
Location: Wadala, Mumbai Site Area: 12.4 hectares No. of units: 2,000 units
Designing for almost 2000 families was our next design project. Through this design, I learnt from the studio that it is not always that we get we know the end users. And, social mass housing posed challenges at every step; each one had to be resolved with much care and thought.
Concept & Design
Organisation
The approach towards the design was ‘from whole to part’, where the ‘pinwheel’ concept was adopted to obtain maximum external wall surface for lighting and ventilation. The smaller units were then derived from the pinwheel shaped plan.
Building blocks were organised using basic geometric shapes. Smaller groups were organised using ‘triangular’ framework; these groups were organised into large clusters using ‘hexagons’
Concept & Design What started as an introverted, square plan, turned evolved into an ‘L-shaped’ one, with each of its arms inclining away from each other . The rooms and corridors have been carefully planned in such a way to keep the harsh western light out. The panels used for the surface cladding create dynamic movements throught the facade; also, they filter the harsh light and let only the diffused light to pass through.
ground floor plan
Concept & Design This design was developed to bridge the gap between the younger and the older generations. The design proposed a public park on the ramping terrace and an old age home under it, connecting both through internal ramps and stairways. The plan was shaped like ‘one-half of yin-yang’ to symbolise the missing link between generations. Providing a forum where both could interact was the aim of this design.
Concept & Design The river side development was proposed on one of the worst affected places during the Chennai floods. The riverfront design consists of five circular discs, serving five different functions. These disks are inter connected by ramps. The central hemisphere is a gallery, which can also act as a gathering place at
times of public meetings. The other four discs contain a library or a reading lounge, a butterfly garden, a cafeteria and a skating rink. The other half of the park consists of thick plant cover to isolate the park from any traffic noise. Meditation mounds were designed to be placed within thick tree covers.
Introducing and Developing Earthquake Engineering and Research in Students is an initiative by NCREE ( National Centre for Research in Earthquake Engineering), Taiwan. The competition requires participants to build an earthquake resistant model using MDF sticks in under 6 hours. The model will then be put to test on an earthquake simulation machine. My participation at this global event, both in 2011 & in 2012, was perhaps the starting point for my awe towards buildings and architecture.
Architectire must be dealt with
great responsibility inorder to create spaces that are better for the society and the environment. As people spend most of their time inside buildings, their lifestyle is hugely influenced by the buildings they dwell in. A building could make a man lazy or it could make him active. As an architect, I wish to design a healthy way of living for the users, rather than just the
aesthetic elements; and I believe this is the way towards sustainability. A building cannot be made ‘green’ only by using sustainable materials and techniques, but by making the user consume less energy through the design, for sustainability is not only about the design or the materials used, it is also about the way in which it shapes the users’ lifestyle.