design statement Architecture is the art of fabricating and defining spaces and user experiences. Having been brought up in a diverse, busy multi-cultural city like Mumbai, India, I have always been fascinated by the built environment. The city has constantly demonstrated the importance of space utilization, the need for well developed infrastructure, space, and the preservation and reuse of old buildings which in turn inspired me to choose architecture as my profession. I believe that an architect has a huge impact on human experience, perception and use of the built and natural environments. Being a multi-faceted discipline, architecture explores to combine the abstract and intention with logic and reason; it gives me the freedom as a designer, to create a dialogue between artistry and utility. As an Architectural intern, I am enthusiastic about formulating concepts through which I can help resolve a problem and serve the community at large. I am an ambitious, passionate and challenge-driven student, I look forward to learn something new each day; because change is inevitable, and I believe that great designs evolve by those who never stop learning.
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COALESCE : CULTURAL CENTER
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SKIDAWAY ISLAND REJUVINATION CENTRE
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FRAGMENTED REALITY
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UNBOUND TIME : A MEMENTO MORI(TORIUM)
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MODEL MAKING
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THROUGH MY LENS: PEOPLE
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THROUGH MY LENS: PLACES
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ARTWORK
content
coalesce Inspired by the dance forms of contemporary ballet as the chosen form of body movement, is a structure designed to remain true to the organic and fluid, yet crisp and elegant gestures of this dance form and break the fragile rigidity and dullness of the ruins frame.
The ruins are located adjescent to the SCAD Museum of Art which attracts tourists, students and others throughout the year. Therefore, the design and presence of this cultural center provides the school with a space that represents the cultural diversity in its student body, with spaces designed for recreation, gathering as well as exhibits and multi-cuisine cafĂŠs and restaurants. The structure reflects the blend of traditional vs. contemporary architecture, as the museum with the medieval eichberg hall building. Program: Cultural center and Exhibition space Location: SCAD Museum of Art Ruins, Savannah, Georgia Size: approx. 20,000 sq.ft
The times ballet portrait: the bold and elegant body movement is transformed through a geometric as well as organic stick figure analysis into a rhythym set by the hand, which lets the eye follow and flow. The design of the building speaks to the visitor in its dynamic rhythmic song; a song that sings of beauty and poise, that each student brings into this college through their intimate cultural knowledge; each student’s culture and tranditions blending into school’s diversity just as one building morphes into the other thereby maintaining its own identity.
Top Left to Right: Developmental Concept Sketches Mid-left: The Dome Lounge Mid-centre: Connecting Bridges loverlooking the fountain Mid-right: View of the lower bridge Far Right: Night View of the ribbon structure
South Elevation
Site Plan
Section CC
skidaway island rejuvination centre A facility designed inspired using the harmonized coalescence of the natural elements in order to provide for the user’s hollistic well-being.
The Skidaway Island State Park is a landmarked location wonderful to go and explore. In addition to the park’s activities, the new facility provides the visitors with an on-site outpatient clinic, interactive nutritive learning, as well as a yoga and meditation retreat. The goal is for the visitor to explore and enhance one’s physical, mental and spiritual being, to revive oneself through natural processes within the realms of nature. It is designed in a way to enjoy the services provided inside the facility while overlooking the exterior landscape if the Skidaway Narrows, just as one is in the process of inner cleansing and awareness through his physical body.
Program: Outpatient Clinic and Wellness Retreat Location: Skidaway Island State Park, Savannah, Georgia Size: 18,000 sq. ft
Program development The program of the healthcare and wellness center has been divided into three fundamental categories: -The outpatient clinic -The Wellness retreat -The Revive campers
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Releasing oneself from each of these forms of stress and enjoying the freedom and wilderness of the surrounding forest; being one with nature.
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The first two categories have thus been divided into two separate buildings, placed close to one another for easier accessiblity and navigation as well as to provide for the privacy of all the visitors. The campers are located farther away from the main access road and closer to the wellness center for better access to the temporary residents as well as to create their own comforting private bubble.
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The main idea for the wellness center is for the visitors to experience a disconnect; a disconnect and freedom from their busy lives, fast food and technology, and take them back to concentrate, to re-focus and reset with fundamentals of being alive such as breathing, not just to live, but to keep the body alive. Yoga, Meditation, and basic physical exercises such as a jog through the available trails, or non-machine ground workouts alongside a clean plant based diet with the help of an on site nutritionist is the main key to cleanse the mind, body and soul at this wellness center.
site plan
The site chosen overlooks the skidaway narrows and river, maintaining the presence of the two vital elements, earth and water. The surrounding density of the forest provides a calm environment along with water’s tranquility and the earth’s grounding to soothe one’s mind and body.
The circulation of the clinic is centralized with higher ceilings to allow the penetration of natural light throught the day. The rooms are located around the periphery of the plan in order for the patients as well as clinic personnel to move around freely eliminating confusion. The placement of the rooms creates an intangible path in itself to guide the patients from one room to the next.
materials used
wood
pre-cast concrete
glazing
white brick
longitudinal section - outpatient clinic longitudinal section - welness center
longitudinal section - wellness center
a barrel vaulted tent for ada visitors
lofted bedroom in the teepee
exterior
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floor plans 1. Yoga Studio A 2. Yoga Studio B 3. Men’s Locker Room 4. Women’s Locker Room 5. Meditation training and practice room 6. Administration 7. Retail Storage 8. Reception/Mini Retail area 9. Utilities
10. Equipment/Storage 11. Mechanical Room 12. Storage 13. Nutrition Consultancy 14. Meditation training and practice room 15. Café seating area 16. Interactive Kitchen 17. W.C 18. Cold Storage
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a. Waiting Area b. Reception + Nurse’s Station c. Emergency (ambulance entrance) d. W.C e. Triage f. Radiology g. Equipment h. Laboratory
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i. W.C j. Staff Break Room k. Exam Room 1 l. Exam Room 2 m. Observation Room n. Nurse’s Station o. Waste Room
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Bottom: Reception/Mini Retail for the Wellness Center Bottom Right: Yoga Studio A overlooking The Skidaway Narrows and River.
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Fragmented Reality A two-day collaborative design-build in accordance with Architecture Design Studio III: Structural applications.
Through an exercise of structural exploration, we designed and fabricated a pneumatic habitable inflatable as a means to explore the different aspects of site(less) and program(less) architecture; to understand how easily can it be built, transported, placed and rebuilt at any given location. As a result, we learned vital design, fabrication and collaboration skills as we worked with three other architecture students, while making a structure large enough to fit every member of the team comfortably. Using the concept of separate pieces or fragments fused together as one whole, we created an illusion of small triangular taped and painted sub-fragments to convey the ideology as the user experiences the structure.
Program: Habitable pneumatic inflatable Size: Approx. 100 sq. ft Collaborators: Minji Kim, Maxwell Strauss, Gabriela Alvergue, Lubaina Gillani Materials: Duct tape, Polystyrene sheeting, Spray paint
Fragmented reality
Process of Fabrication
Design development
exterior
interior
exterior
The pneumatic inflatable SCAD Museum of Art
t process of the form.
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e was exhibited at the t ruins - SPRING 2016
installation - user experience
unbound time a memento mori (torium) Where life is embraced and the mind is drawn away from the darkness and into the light of knowledge; the knowledge of celebrating life than fearing death.
A memento mori, in latin for ‘remember that you have to die’, is an object or device that serves as a warning or reminder for death. Thus, this memento Mori (torium) is an architectural symbol where death or this tenure of worldly existence is a journey to be celebrated. It redefines the cyclical pattern of of birth and death, and blurs the finsih line that one os petrified of. We are human, born to die. But is it all or simply is block of flesh, blood and bones biting the dust, with the soul taking on another journey, a journey unknown and undefined. This is the path of contemplation one walks through in this memento moritorium, an self-analysis of the way of life; a way to overcome the fear of what is to come, rather embrace and look forward to the next step, the next circle.
A memento m it reminds him tha This path, a representatio A reflection of his own definiti A labyrinth, Where he is not lost but describes to him A lunatic driven by the that his lust for youth and im He fears h But this place wants him to to accept and discover h as death calls out not for the end, but
moritorium; at he must die. on of the journey of life ion of the space where he lies. , not a maze, mself, the given path, his duration of life. e desires of this world mmortality govern his fears. his death. o fear not what is defined his undetermined fate, a beginning of what is still to unfold.
process of ideation The core of this project was driven by its concept, the development of which took place through a series of physical concept maquettes using design strategies such as History - Theory, Site - Context, Design Fundamentals, Program - Client, and Technology - Construction. The process of making a series of 10-12 models led us to the main three which was then boiled down to the core driving idea.
The final three models were driven by the ideas of replicating a materialized forest of obstacles, problems, small and big, roadblocks only to discover new paths and bringing oneself into the aha! moment, a moment where one picks up the fragments of his life and channels through it into his moment of realization, his enlightenment.
The visitor enters and climbs his way through the undulating staircase, that offers him options of th changing course. He then walks down through the labryinth, as the metal reflectors shine back at h his soul, and his conscience, walking back down to where he essentially began but the phase/situa he walks into the inverted pyramid of self revelation and truth, he analyses his priorities, the import onto, and what he must thus hold on to.
he path to choose without him, acting as a mirror for ation has changed and as tance of what he has held
conceptualizing the meaning and perception of death
FEAR OF DEATH? OR CELEBRATION OF LIFE?
conceptual render of the labryinth
The core aim was to mimic the journey of one’s life as he makes his way through the building. Life is defined by its up and downscale events, a rollercoaster ride and obstacle race each one of us becomes a guinea pig to. The endless human appetite to acquire it all stirs greed, unsatisfaction and genuine unrest which turns this obstacle race into a maze; one that end literally takes this tired body to rest. Instead, as one steps onto each milestone, as one ages, this maze must feel like a labryinth, a path of physical, mental and spiritual thought, so that as one conjures the end, death and the next cycle of the known is welcomed with open arms.
The wheels of constant change and succession, from one place, one phase to another.
The everchanging ascent and descent as one grows and falls into new situations.
model making
through my lens | people |
through my lens | places |
artwork | selected works |
| pointilism | acrylic on 5�x7� canvas collaborated with neha guria 2014
| fragmented whole | digital polysemic in accordance with architecture design studio III 2016
| saturated winter morning | pan pastels + charcoal 19”x25” pearl metientes paper 2014
| ro-bust | black + white charcoal 19”x25” pearl metientes paper 2014
lubaina.gillani@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/lubainagillani https://www.behance.net/LubainaGillani