- UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL

“An attempt to connect the city, its people and its culture through food and ephemeral programmes.”

The city of Mumbai, with its unique cultural background, allows its residents to connect and socialise through food, culture, and the city’s origins in an ephemeral organisation. Beginning with research into the many configurations of food and experiences associated with markets in the city, the study evolved into the design of a centre for permanent programmes such as food markets and experimental kitchens, along with ephemeral programmes including pop-up markets.

The study focused on the slow food movement, the history of markets, and diverse food-related experiences in the city and around the world.

The design proposal is based on an integration of numerous communities and their culinary inclinations in one of Mumbai’s most thriving areas.

With the reclamation of the derelict areas under most flyovers in the city to provide experiences and a “place” for people to visit, the programme has ideas for temporary exhibitions as well as the push for urban agriculture, in an attempt to set an example for the rest of the city’s dilapidated areas, to create something for people to come together and celebrate.

To view the Semester 9 Thesis Research Book, please scan the QR Code.

INTRODUCING OPPORTUNITY Understanding the need for Social Amenities

URBANISM SEMESTER 9

“Understanding the need and lack of programmes in a set context in order to provide for the people of the area by introducing permanent or temporary proposals.”

The project concept and study are an attempt to comprehend and repurpose the land parcels provided by the municipality in order to offer single or multiple programmes to meet the demands of the users in the specified region, a gated neighbourhood. This also contained a step toward comprehending the demographics of the aforementioned setting.

Understanding diverse land uses, local municipality norms and guidelines, and deploying the same for the programme that was lacking in the particular location were all part of the analysis.

One of the most alarming aspects was the lack of fundamental educational institutions for the less privileged elements of society, as well as a shortage of public libraries and daycare facilities for working-class children. The study and additional examination of the given environment resulted in a programme for an educational facility for children as well as an adjacent public library for neighbourhood users.

Squatter settlement

Mandatory Rehabilitation

Study and analysis of the context under study

Circulation

Existing Condition on site Squatter settlement in low density

Mandatory Rehabilitation

Building Typology

Elevation

Municipal

Municipal School

Proposed Development Rehab and Municipal School

Municipal School Administration

Landform

Proposed Development Phase-wise Development on Site

Ancilliary functions

Municipal School

Primary Municipal School Identifying areas and requirements and zoning on site

Primary Municipal School Opening up the front portion of the site and classrooms towards the quieter end of the site

Design process and conceptualisation as per site context and user experience

Primary Municipal School Open yet shaded courtyard provided for planning of play areas as well as other exhibitions etc.

Change

Challenging the typical housing typology in the city of Thane

ARCHITECTURAL

“An attempt to understanding the housing typologies in the city of Thane and realising the need for a different approach.”

Thane, an ever-expanding city, has undergone a tremendous real estate boom in the last two decades and has been the victim of conventional developments to provide homes for the massive influx of citizens. Most emerging home typologies do not accommodate the residents’ fundamental conveniences and wants, and they are oblivious to their surroundings. The need for a housing project has never been in doubt, and massive projects have been built that are now vacant.

The city’s primary demand is for rental housing and accommodation for the working class, and the area surrounding the chosen location appears to cater to several IT parks as the primary place for residence for most employees. The required benefits in the neighbourhood are similar to those of serviced apartments and rental homes, but with working-class facilities.

This requirement was challenged, and a proposal for rehabilitation, serviced and rental apartments, and appropriate amenities and services for the residents, whether permanent or temporary, was launched for the land in issue.

Existing Housing Condition

Scattered phase wise development with a lack of overall planning & common amenities

Prevalent Development

Lower levels for access & upper shared podium level for interaction & living

Conceptual

Inward - Exclusive

Exclusive spaces for the existing residents along with shared amenities for incoming residents

INTERACTION N T E R A C T O N

Proposed Housing Condition

Allocation & planning of common spaces for existing & incoming residents

LIVING AREAS

ACCESS

Proposed Development

LIVING AREAS

INTERACTION

INTERACTION

ACCESS

Connection - Interaction

Connecting the lowest levels to the higher podium levels - visually

Design process and conceptualisation as per site context and user experience

PLACE-MAKING

Creating a ‘place’ for Vidhyadhar Nagar

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN & URBANISM SEMESTER 6

“Defining a place for the residents of Vidhyadhar Nagar in order to increase social and cultural engagement in this new planned city.”

Vidhyadhar Nagar, Jaipur’s first planned neighbourhood, was created to break away from the customary organisation found in the city’s historic quarters. The vastness and alien concept of a planned metropolis have left little room for the citizens’ imagination, resulting in a calm and sterile climate throughout the area. The lack of public connection, combined with the shortage of social activities and projects, has increased safety concerns in the area.

People in this area need to adopt programmes such as temporary markets or have a specific place for similar congregation reasons. Although it is a new town, most plazas in the area are decaying and do not promote much activity. To support this, a programme concept incorporating sports and recreation has been designed to attract more inhabitants, resulting in social contact among residents and the formation of a safer environment through community building.

The facility’s various initiatives are thought to improve community engagement through events centred on sports and festivals. The proposal is all-inclusive and has been developed to accommodate any visitors at all hours of the day and night, resulting in a safer and more vigilant neighbourhood.

Activating public activity & interaction on site through activities in the plaza area.

Main dividing axes of the planned neighbourhood act as pause points for the people in the area.

Amenities / Landmarks Planning is based on the consideration of providing the necessary amenities in the area. This includes gardens, hospitals, multiplexes and grocery shops. All the necessary amenities are within 250m radii from each other.

The site is to be connected further with the main active points in the vicinity and increase social interaction.

Connections & Circulation

Wide roads provided that divide the entire planned neighbourhood into sectors in a grid manner. A futuristic approach taken into consideration while planning has offered cycling as well as pedestrian lanes for circulation.

Zoning

The planning is laid out in a manner such that the central spine of the planned neighbourhppd comprises of commercial and mixed use buildings with central plazas providing areas for congregation. The residential zones form the periphery and are well connected to most amenities in the vicinity. The plaza spaces are devoid of any activity currenlty and need activation in terms of programs.

Mass & Void

The proportion of voids is greater than that of built volumes as wide roads, urban plazas and gardens are provided. Multiple plaza spaces provided increase the distance between the superstructures and the scale of the entire planned neighbourhood seems to appear as vast and spaced out which reduces inclusivity.

An attempt to generate pause points ON and ALONG the site & enhancing social interaction that is currently absent.

Conceptual visualisation of the scheme

Sectional Elevation Elevation

Elevation

Into A Forest

Designing an experience for a journey into the forest

“Analysing a site set in a valley and designing the user’s experience of approaching the depths of a forest.”

The project entails analysing a hilltop near the Pawna Dam in Maharashtra using a variety of approaches, including hydrology study, slope appropriateness, elevation suitability, and the vegetation in the area, in order to select a good location for a bungalow. The method included a thorough examination of the many factors stated above, which resulted in the selection of a few sites based on the ’suitable’ conditions provided.

This was followed by an awareness of the vegetation and physical aspects of the area, which led to the selection of a specific location and the creation of an experience based on the approach to the house.

The approach experience and journey had to be developed with the various levels in mind, adjusting and calculating the levels, and curating an experience by deciding viewpoints in mind. A visitor was envisioned to have the sensation of travelling from a large open place, such as a meadow in a valley, to the upper slopes of a hill, and finally into the depths of a dark forested area.

The elevation, slope and hydrology suitability maps have been marked and shaded as per the parameters set for the site selection.Owing to the location of the context under study, the views offered to the surrounding areas are of utmost importance in order to create an experience for the user within the bungalow. The maps when overlapped result in overlapping common parameters and criteria for site selection and depict areas that are suitable for the choice of site.

The selected site has been considered as an opportunity to create anexperience for the user as he approaches the bungalow on the site through a pathway. The pathway is to be designed along with landscape, trying to create and experience similar to that of a person walking from the openness of a meadow to the dark closed spaces within a thicket.

The structure is set amidst a thicket and the approach is designed in a way so as to surprise the visitor at every turn along the pathway.

Professional Work

Retail, Commercial, Residential Interior Architecture & Residential and Commercial Architecture

1.5 years work experience as a Junior Architect

- Assisted design development of 21 ongoing retail, office and residential interior architecture projects and commercial architecture projects

- Led interior design team of 3, through design development and construction detailing for a commercial office space for 750 employees

- Prepared design presentations as well construction drawings, for retail stores, offices for 500-1000 employees details and 3D visualisations for these projects deploying Autocad, Archicad, Rhinoceros and Twinmotion

- Organised project meetings and presentations, and contributed to development of design concepts

- Collaborated with project managers and other team members to ensure the design intent was accurately represented in construction drawings and on site

- Published monthly project management reports for 3 clients, formed project team of 5 members presenting project status and financials to senior team on ongoing basis

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

Architectural Photography Doodleink

A passion project in mandalas, doodles and botanical illustrations.