OBHISHEK MANDAL SELECTED ARCHITECTURE WORKS 2021
Resume obhi2297@gmail.com +1 (515)-520-5643
Education Iowa State University (ISU) Bachelor of Architecture NAAB accredited
2015-2020
Iowa State University (ISU) Master of Science in Architecture (Thesis)
2020-2021
Engagement National Organization of Minority Architects ISU Social Chair Competition Chair NOMA competition and conference participant
2017-2019 2019-2020 2019 , 2020
OPN Masterclass with Atelier Bow Wow ISU Four day graphite illustration workshop.
2019
Dean’s Charrette ISU Brainstorm and present what the College of Design could be in the future. An interdisciplinary project.
2020
DSN S 102 Peer Mentor ISU Supplementing the instructor in the freshman design studio with advising and critiquing students.
2019
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Skills Drafting and 3D modeling AutoCAD, SketchUp, Revit, Rhinoceros 3D, 3DS Max Graphics and Documents Lightroom, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premier Pro, BlueBeam PDF Rendering engines V-Ray, Lumion, Enscape, Revit render Others Mixed media use & Digital Fabrication
Work Experience Shepley Bulfinch Boston, MA, USA Produced major graphics for PDD presentations
Jun-Aug 2019
Anupam De & Associates Mumbai, India Coordination with structural consultant on plans
Jun-Aug 2018
Architect Hafeez Contractor Mumbai, India Produced DD orthographics for a residential tower
Jun-Aug 2016
Graduate Teaching Assistant ISU Architecture 201 studio instructor Design Studies 102 studio instructor
Aug-Nov 2020 Jan-May 2021
Competitions AIA Iowa Emerging Professionals Award Winner. Vote based student and professional award.
2020
H. Kennard Bussard Competition University level Finalist. Concept and process behind the design.
2019
NOMA Student Competition National Level Public housing design to address gentrification.
2019
DLR Prize University level Finalist. Depth of concept.
2018
BWBR Competition University level Finalist. Link between link concept and buildability.
2018
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ARCHITECTURE
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An Excavation of Diplomacy Learning in (a) Place
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The Enquirium 32
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An Excavation of Diplomacy Fall 2018 | Prof. Ivonne Santoyo-Orozco DLR Prize finalist Nuevo Polanco , Mexico City
How can the design of an Embassy be connective rather than disruptive?
The studio was intended to allow exploration into the evolution of embassies and the socio-political context which has shaped the way they are designed today. The aim was to design an alternative to the proposed American embassy in Mexico City while redefining the relationship between the architecture and the urban context which it is set in. The path that this project has taken is one which gives priority to mitigating the alienating aura of the US embassy in the current world and instead actively weaves itself into the cultural, social, geographical and geological context of the city.
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Subsidence, the sinking of an area of land due to the depletion of the water table under it, is one of the major issues which plagues the city with its increasing population and global importance. The new American embassy in Mexico City is a novel urban intervention which not only aspires to facilitate the consular and ambassadorial functions seamlessly, but looks beyond mere functionality to create architecture which ties itself to the city while simultaneously establishing its porosity in an increasingly rigid urban context. This is done with an Architecture which attempts to experiment with urban strategies to combat the phenomenon of subsidence.
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16th Century
1824
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1941
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City limits
Making Mexico City
Lake Texcoco
Historic levels of Lake Texcoco
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Subsidence and Differential Settlement 1 The built city 2 Soil filling lake bed 3 Urban infrastructure preventing percolation to the Aquifer 4 Depleting Aquifer
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Embassy site context 1 Site 2 Residential Neighborhoods 3 Areas for new commercial development 4 Museums and surrounding public attractions
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Residential neighborhood
Road
Non-traditional porous lava rock landscape
Entrance to subterranean public walkway
40 m 35 m 30 m 25 m 20 m 15 m 10 m 5m 0m -5 m -10 m -15 m -20 m
Lacustrine Soil | Stops water from percolating down to the aquifer Original Crust | Top soil before the lake was filled
-25 m -30 m
Upper Clay Formation
-35 m -40 m -45 m -50 m -55 m
Hard Layer Lower Clay Formation
-60 m -65 m -70 m -75 m -80 m
Deep Soils and Clays Aquifer
Site section through context neighborhood, as well as local soil profile in relation to the architecture and its scheme of excavation.
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Office Space
Courtyard
Generated wetland through water collection
Entrance to subterranean public walkway
Autobus Stop
Museum Gallery Restaurant
Wetland buffer adjacent to highway for carbon sequestration
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Embassy work Public
Exploded axonometric drawing showing the spatial layering and adjacencies
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Water drainage into roof voids
Concrete panel roof finish
Steel truss system
Water drainage within structure
Shaped based on public access
Determined public access points pulled up
Water drainage study using eVe Rain
Copper finished panels with hangars
Historic lake bed
Openings in the roof for water percolation
Additional openings for office daylighting and open space
Shaping the roof
Detail for water conduction
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Transition between the neighborhood and embassy ground using non traditional landscaping, as well as scale aware entrances to public spaces.
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Relationships between office spaces, undulating roof, courtyard opening for lighting and water collection, housing a submerged meeting room.
The relationship between the public roof and the walkway through the largest opening in the roof. The strategy of minimal column sizing for subtler integration with the natural counterparts of the project is displayed.
The re-emergence from the public walkway and vertical connection to the occupiable roof square, creating a hub which warrants a connection to public transportation.
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Roof Plan
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RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS
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Public spaces + Embas
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The Scalable children’s play area responding to the residential neighborhoods to the south. Lava rock mounds which percolate water at human scale. One of three gradual ramps that lead to the roof. Clusters of such mutable seating is scattered across the roof. One of the courtyards which connect offices, provide daylighting and surface for water percolation. One of the many opening is the roof to allow transfer of water to the excavated soil layer. Roof top plaza/ amphitheater, mimicking the abundance of similar architectural typology throughout Mexico City. Clustered seating adjacent to a roof ramp and at the more public programs on site. One of the larger office volumes. Most office
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volumes consist of three levels. The main public walkway creates an amenity from the water collection system. A public library which again challenges the privacy of an embassy. While all the office spaces aren’t completely resolved, their arrangement is also guided by use. Hence, the visa office finds itself at a convenient proximity to a busy road. A courtyard connecting to various office volumes. Gallery serves as an interface for discourse of various levels of society. An auditorium serving as another point of contact of the embassy and the city through performance arts, lectures and other forms of public discourse. A restaurant attempting to connect cultures through the culinary world.
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ssy offices
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Approaching library entrance and roof ramp through landscape
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Viewing of the courtyard from the top floor of an office volume
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View into the under roof walkway from a courtyard during seasonal rains
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Walking to the main public plaza on the embassy roof
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Learning in (a) Place Fall 2019 | Prof. Bo-Suk Hur NOMA Barbara G. Laurie Student Design Competition National Finalist AIA Iowa 2020 Emerging Professionals Competition Winner 1492 Nostrand Ave, East Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY
Could education be the first step to restoring community roots in a time of gentrification?
The framework of our proposal began by looking at the core of Brooklyn, which is rooted in racial diversity and vibrant culture, persisting throughout time despite many adversities. Some of these adversities, however, are still quite present today, with communities such as Flatbush suffering from discriminatory values to a point where it is struggling to preserve its heritage. Through our programs and concepts, we are proposing an architecture that is subtle but powerful, has its own unique identity while remaining respectful of the built and social context, and is carefully planned while still being adaptable. The collaborative and accessible spaces
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of learning are designed to cater to learners of all ages while the housing initiates lasting relationships. But most of all, through these concepts, this architecture empowers a community to preserve its roots. The goal of this design was always to focus on building community longevity rather than a stop-gap solution.
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Site isometric
Generic Brooklyn block design
Massing the footprint
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Infusing porosity at urban scale
An angled organization for softening approach and fragmenting scale
Performance
Display
Explore
Professional Creativity
Casual Creativity
Culinary
Open Classroom
Reading and Conversing Lounge
Rotating Library
Ground level learning spaces
Educational programs include learning through making, expression, as well as traditional methods such as reading and writing. In maker spaces, activities such as pottery, painting classes, and cooking sessions could take place. While in spaces of expression, concerts, lectures, dances, and art exhibitions could occur to promote local talent and act as places of inspiration. And lastly, more traditional means of learning such as libraries and flexible classrooms can be places for after school tutoring while giving easy access to academic resources.
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Street level plan
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Learning through food Amateur maker space Professional maker space Minimal private entry foyer for residents 5 A casual lounge 6 A rotating library whose literary focus changes every month 7 A performance space 8 Gallery space 9 A teaching/presentation space for tutoring and small lectures 10 Existing house on site 11 Site information hub
Outdoor community space
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Indoor communal spaces for residents housing laundry and kitchenettes
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First & Second Level plans
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Indoor communal space for residents Outdoor communal space for residents Studio apartment Communal laundry room Market priced apartment intended for purchase Balcony looking into the main courtyard. One of four elevator cores with egress Existing house on site
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Entry to the central courtyard from the North through the space created by the setback of the architecture from the existing house on site. The capacity of the site to host various activities and demographics is visible, as is the openness of the courtyard and the dynamic expression of the facade screens.
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Egress
Circulation space
Apartment
One of the ground level learning spaces
Balcony
Courtyard accommodating a variety of activity
East to West site section facing north. The high traffic Norstrand Ave is on the right end of this drawing.
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Common outdoor space for residents
Apartment
Another ground level learning space
High traffic road and sidewalk
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Apartment
Egress
Learning space
Outdoor communal space
Public courtyard
Existing house on site
Relationship between scale of proposed architecture to that of the existing house on site
Relationship between interior and open courtyard
Relationship between proposed architecture, existing house on site and the natural gathering spaces
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Roller rail for mobility
Slated wood screen
Roller mullion assembly
Meeting point of panels are hinges
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Between open and closed Semi-open and open Open and closed Plan view of screen where the hinge points between panels is seen allowing the folding action Side profile of screen attached to the mullion frame mounted using rollers for mobility
The vertical massing of the architecture was influenced by the recurring idea of porosity, human scale and a connection to the context. The density of residential units added on top of the street level masses increases from west to east guided by the large pedestrian traffic on Norstrand Ave while the street level remains glass dominant for openness. The section also displays the expression of the bi-fold screens and the setback of the massing to respect the existing resident on site.
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View from the interior of an apartment into the courtyard. The screen is in the open position this instance to allow interaction with the outside. The materials are minimal to allow more opportunities for customization over time and encourage a focused approach to well built housing.
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The Enquirium Fall 2019 | Prof. Nicholas Senske H. Kennard Bussard + CSI competition finalist Boston, MA
What could a global interdisciplinary design school be experienced in 2045?
Albert Einstein once said, “If I were given one hour to save the planet, I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute resolving it”. This quote is extremely relevant in the present and will become even more critical in the future. As the innovation of technology progresses, people will become capable of producing solutions rapidly and more efficiently than ever. However, the most important factor in the exploration of solutions is defining the scope and intricacies of the issues at hand. But how do you know when you have identified the right problem? This was the premise that we knew we wanted to tackle and would directly influence the final manifestation of the design. We delved into what makes
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people curious and how spaces can assume multiple identities to afford a thoughtful, deliberate and creative exchange of ideas between individuals with highly varying knowledge bases. Going off these thoughts, we started off by defining what exactly a curriculum for a school of architecture in 2045 might look like. Our design for the philosophy of learning in the future was largely inspired by a statement from the project brief-, “one’s learning pursuits – rather than their profession – may become their primary source of identity,” in the future. In simple words, our architecture sustains an environment of investigating the unknown, understanding it, and acting upon it. Our architecture is the product of this ideology.
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One of the many projects pursued by interdisciplinary teams at the school. This particular project is coming to the end of its year long exploratory period following which it will be evaluated. The question which has guided the project at hand throughout the year. Throughout the exploration, iteration and discussion throughout the year there are newer questions that arise that could be the charge of future projects. The transition from one year
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to next. Traveling students return, projects end their yearly cycle, all the work done and knowledge gained throughout the year is presented to the outside world. Projects which receive approval from important stakeholders— leaders of industry, indigenous tribes or local governments to name a few can move to implement these ideas in the concerned locations globally. One of the questions derived from the workflow of the
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previous year receives endorsement to be the central focus of a studio for the coming year. Project based on the new curiosity worked on by interdisciplinary team. Feedback received from a global network on implemented projects to inform decisions made in the future. All internal and external experiences, communications and produced materials are archived.
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Unlike traditional educational institutions, our school does not dictate a single path, but a divergent flow of exploration beyond just architecture. The design of the school and its curriculum is based on investigating the unknown, understanding it, and acting upon it. The openness and transparency of the spaces provokes constant movement that materializes into discussion. This ever-present dialogue defines the spaces where they were conceived, transforming the physical environment into a canvas which assumes an
expression of the life within. As a continuation of the informal spaces, curiosities of the unknown are brought into a more intimate atmosphere. The studio is a space for collaboration, research, and production. The collective of experiences, work, questions, and conversations are remembered by the architecture and stored within the very element that upholds the structure. The translucent stalks that bear the physical and intellectual load act as archives accessible to anyone who enters the space.
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The curriculum of the design school. The rings are the available environments of learning, the spokes are the stages of pursuing curiosities, the colored masses are examples of paths that could be taken by students during their explorations. The Archive all the knowledge and data for future access.
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Investigation through various established and found methods.
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Learning through reflecting on work done and information gathered as a vital part of the curriculum.
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Presenting and discussing solutions and failures on a public platform
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Collaged exploration of the idea of the dynamic flow of knowledge and curiosities from the world to the physical space of the building, its propagation, reflection and exploration in the formal and informal spaces and the centrality, as well as vitality of stalks as archival spaces.
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A collaged exploration of the more human experience of the imagined space. From the fluidity of interest, to the ambiguity which allows the definition of space through activity, to a certain softness which accommodates a reflexive quality highlights the openness of the spatial experience and the unity of this connectivity.
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Sectional drawing of the school showing the highly intertwined and dynamic learning environment. The architecture is a bridge between formality and informality.
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Archive
Informal Mutable Space
Public Internal Fabrication Fabrication Services Services
Studio
Floor with studio village, public work space and informal spaces defined by activities within them.
Culinary Innovation Space
Informal Mutable Space
Vertical Core
Presentation and formal discussion space
The roof of convergence of divergent thought
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A snapshot of the internal spaces as a vibrant layering of discussions, explorations, creations and reflection
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A view down from a upper level at the plethora of activity and expression.
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3/32” model
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Model close-up showing vertical layering and connection through fragmented floor plates
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Floor plates made by casting a paper mache mixture into a CNC routed blue foam mold and compressing it with a CNC routed cap for compressing the mixture to 1/4 inch thickness. Structural stalks 3D printed as hollow volumes with 1/16” walls with translucent filament. Internal fabrication service module 3D printed with as hollow solid volumes with paper thin walls finished off with red spray paint. Private studio modules made by stacking and gluing 1/16” wide rings of 1/32” thick vacuum sheets to create a visual of transparency and texture. A public fabrication pavilion made with translucent thin 3D printed walls and white contoured 3D printed roofs. Primary entrance staircase for the students and the public 3D printed with white filament. Physical entourage throughout models laser cut from 1/8” thick black acrylic sheets. Chipboard, cardboard layered and bass wood edged model base.
Model close-up showing the fragmented and angled floor plates creating a host of unique spaces
A view of the model from the hypothetical street level, as the architecture shows its openness and non-uniformity
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OTHER WORKS
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OPN Masterclass
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Digital Fabrication 50
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Historic scales of Iowa farming
OPN Masterclass 54 | OPN Masterclass
with Atelier Bow-Wow
A hand drawing effort by a six person team using graphite over three days on a 2.5 x 6 feet wooden board. The intention of the drawing was to delve into the systems which make Iowa the state that it is today and their historical context. We chose to look
at the change in the scale of crop production over time and how this change also illustrated other events and legislations which shaped the Iowa prairies to be what they are today.
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Indigenous Indian settlement with small scale farming amongst native wetlands.
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Process of clearing larger prairie areas by burning to expand farming space.
Industrialization leading to efficient railway and automobile allowing sourcing of agricultural products from greater distances, creating demands for larger farms
Mechanization and automation along with a highly demanding supply network has lead to corporation scale farming
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Digital Fabrication
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with Shelby Doyle
Rockite cast in PLA filament 3D printed five part mold The aim was to create bricks with a void which would still have the ability to stack and stand with no external support. This design creates extremely sharp shadows. The form displays its creation process through the way the
contact points in the mold line up with the brick edges as well as the texture of the filament being evident on the bricks stressing the transparency between the process of making and the final product.
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Grasshopper script based Potterbot vase print A Potterbot (clay 3D printer) was used to run a grasshopper script with defined parameters, allowing one to vary almost any aspect of the vase. The first print was aimed at understanding how to correctly print on the Potterbot while the
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second one was an intentional breaking of the code to produce an artifact which was a harmony between the ‘in control’ and the ‘out of control’.
Plaster tiles cast in silicone mold The process was the most important aspect of this piece. It involved CNC routing blue foam as a positive of the tile itself and then casting oomoo in top of this to create a negative mold
into which the plaster would be cast. The design of the tile was one which was intended to show a play between smooth and sharp shadows.
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Plasma cut steel screen display cases Steel plates designed on Rhinoceros 3D were plasma cut and assembled to create displays using wood. The steel sheet is recessed into a notch
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obhi2297@gmail.com
Obhishek Mandal
A Collection of Select Works 2021