palak patel
portfolio
“ hello!! I often wonder why certain spaces hold much deeper values than another, why they feel like home, why they become timeless in our memories? I, as habitat designer believe that such arousing experiences emerges when the interaction of space and the living entities is stronger. When the space or object exists organically, with habitants so as with the surroundings. When space is an extension of ourselves and the environment. Hence, I look forward to recreate such natural phenomena within my design, where people feel like they belong to, where it feels familiar because either it expresses ‘the everyday’ or its ‘the nature’ where we can all relate to. I desire to craft such humane habitat!! This portfolio summaries my quest for understanding the field and the reflection of the process I went through all these five years. And the quest continues...
PROFILE Name: Palak Patel Date of birth: 08.03.1996 Nationality: Indian Languages: English, Hindi, Gujarati & German CONTACT
RESUME
+91-9998083787 palak8396@gmail.com B-202 Shyam Paradise, near Ugti lake view, Sola,Science city road, Ahmedabad, 380060. E DUCATION Nalanda Vidhyalaya SSC in GSEB, 2011, 85.4% Infocity juniour science collage HSC in GSEB, 2013, 75.3% Anant institute of Architecture Bachelor of Architecture, 2013, 77% CEPT University, Gujarat, India. Bachelor of Design, 2014-19 Cumulative GPA : 3.5/4.3, 82% Hochschule fĂźr Technik, Germany Exchange semester, 2017-18
ACHIEVEMENTS
DIGITAL
Selected for International student exchange program To HFT university, Stuttgart, Germany (Winter semester 2017-18)
Advanced AutoCAD 2D Adobe Photoshop Microsoft Office Sketch up
Winner of the CEPT Kohler Design Scholarship 2018. Runner up in “On the spot drawing competition at state level” for the topic of “world peace day” Won a prize for “A best Instructed Craft workshop for disable kids,” By HOBBY IDEAS.
SKILLS
Intermediate Adobe InDesign Adobe illustrator Rhino Basics Grasshopper
WORK
EXPERIENCE
Summer intern at “DICRC: Design innovation and crafts resource centre ” march-june ‘16 In the research project of:“Vernacular Furniture of North-west, India” Internship at PVDRS, Ahmedabad. may-aug’17 Interiors of a satellite home. Internship at Rayirth Studio, Ahmedabad. march-july ’18 Interiors of a Rami residences and Shantam
DESIGN
SKILLS
Conceptualising Space planning Process modelling Furniture detailing Hand drafting & rendering Graphical representation
Worked as teaching assistant at CEPT University ‘ 19
R E S E A R C H & W O R K S H O P S:
Volunteer at VSSM, Ahmedabad ‘ march-may’18 Worked in advocacy department to understand lifestyle and concerns of nomads
Thesis: Abstraction of ‘humanizing’ : treatment of ‘nature and need’ in the interior-architecture of Alvar Alto
Volunteer for ‘Ahmedabad- commons’: Architecture for all
Workshops: theatre, digital craft, carpentry, weaving, metal sculpting, tribal art, origami, crafts of Kullu-Spiti
Freelancing from june’ 19
torch-!t
freelanced project, 2019, Ahmedabad, India
Torchit: empowering visions beyond sight. It envisions to empower the differently-abled persons across the world to lead more independent, meaningful and connected lives through use of simplistic, effective, and affordable assistive devices. It is a growing start-up of a young entrepreneur, wanting to create more devices for the disable community. The project is a work station of the company’s marketing team as well as creative team. Thus the space had to be inspiring to let the creativity bloom, while giving a peaceful work environment to young employees. As client insisted to make a space more disabled friendly, since there were few blind employees working in the company. Another challenge was to complete a project entirely in a budget of 3 lakhs and a month. The design concept revolved around these above major aspects, along with taking inspiration from Alvar Alto. Calling it, a major influence during the process or call it a live experimentation of my thesis through actually applying his design principles. Since Alto dealt meticulously with nature and need as found in his sanatorium project, where he sensitively play with scale-proportion, planning and colours to let the space physiological heal user. The thesis research on his articulation of design principles led me to design this office as human centric as possible. The light shrub green ceiling to provide calming work ambiance, the rust red to highlight few parts within objects and space; setting boundaries and being a navigator for blind employees, since they can partially see red and all the other was kept white to ensure it gives subtle soothing work ambiance as envisioned. Planters adding more value to the whole palate. It was quite an interesting process of reflecting Alto as well as client’s vision.
PVDRS
internship, may-aug’17, Ahmedabad
jack arch house
jack arch house 2017, Ahmedabad, India
The Jack Arch House is a contemporary manifestation of the traditional method of slab construction. Spatially, the Jack Arch House being the satellite home connects to the existing house and garden through its south west facing verandah edge. The thought process behind selecting the jack arch system was influenced by the client’s personality. The father-son duo are one of India’s leading aeromodellers, they assemble their own planes and with that comes an eye for detailing, appreciation for geometry, structure and the art of making. Going beyond the narratives, the jack arches impart geometry, order and rhythm to the internal spaces. Whilst it emphasizes the connectivity to the outside by means of its linearity, its geometry is carried forward in the patterns of the veneered doors, the brown kotah stone flooring and the custom designed furniture. Experientially, the house offers vertical connection to nature (sky and sun) through the courtyards and a horizontal connection to the man-made landscape (pool and garden). Materially, the ground floor comprises of a neutral palette of white walls, polished brown kotah flooring and light polished wood to compliment the exposed brick arches. The basement is intentionally released in contrast to that of the ground floor. It is characterized by river wash champagne gray granite, gray walls, dark veneered furniture and sparks of colour to bring vibrancy to a space that will be primarily used to entertain guests.
RAYIRTH STUDIO
internship, march-july’18, Ahmedabad
Rami residence 32
Rami residence 33, 34
Shantam
houses of three brothers 2018, Ahmedabad. India
House of three brothers is an entity of two identical residences and one entirely different residence, while having the same plot areas The clients are strict marwadis from southern Rajasthan. At the moment all three brothers with their respective families and grand parents live under the same roof sharing commonality. Hence, their requirement was to built similar spaces with the touch of different interiors according to each family’s lifestyle. Therefore this became an opportunity to play with interiors acquiring same shell. As the time passed, clients got convinced to experiment with the third house and, thus one house was designed completely with different form altogether. All three houses share similar approach of dealing with light, scale and proportion, yet experimenting with color and texture of the material changes the experience of each residences. Thus, the houses become an experiment model of ‘similar yet different’ feeling of the internal spaces.
Rami residence 32
Rami residence 33
Rami residence 34
rami residence 32 Rami residence 32, being the experimental house of all three, it focuses on playing around with different volumes and forms. It breaks the notional idea of contemporary residences, trying to recreate modern homes with utmost simplicity of form and material. The clients were interested into having modern home which doesn’t feel cold yet translates the new idea of modern lifestyle. Hence, the scale and proportion of certain parts of the house have been kept modest to let the residents feel more lively and grounded while the other parts expresses grandeur, being gathering pockets. The approach was from the visionary point of view of ‘the idea of future homes’ yet respecting clients lifestyle. As if the home is a canvas to let them all bloom by the time. Thus, keeping most simple- minimal materiality and only sculpting spaces through forms, allowed light it self to become material and render surfaces for sensual experiences. Therefor apertures, geometry of the walls and tectonic details become the key tool to experiment, and interior materiality was kept as subtle and monochrome as possible. House continues to experiment with internal materiality and its articulation to achieve simplest form of aesthetics.
ongoing...
rami recidence 33, 34 Rami residences 33,34 being the identical design and only experimenting with interiors was the key aspect. One brother had vision of the house having amalgamation of traditional craft and contemporary aesthetics, while the other one was yet again a new formation of minimal modern house. Hence, materiality of both the houses have been in to binary of earthy, organic and silk modern palate. Rami residence 33, designed through an approach using contemporary craft as main concept of objects in the space, while the rest being plain, minimal canvas so that the objects could be accentuated. Thus, the treatment of certain wall paneling, painting or furniture objects carries new aesthetic language of craft, using same material and technique yet having modern outlook. The palate being earthy oranges, greens, browns and yellows. While in Rami residence 34, the mood board carries quite cold palate. Monochromes, Blues and bold colours to highlight. Therefor the concept tries to soften the coldness of canvas by detailing out certain tectonics of space and objects. By creating surreal aesthetics through plain minimal materials and its articulation. Hence, as we zoom out and see both the projects from the distance its quite challenging to bring out different aesthetics of the similar shell. Ultimately it could be a way one can know how the different application of material, impacts the experience of the same space.
ongoing...
shantam 2019, Ahmedabad. India
Shantam residence is a reflection of client’s belief in peace of mind. Since, they being a follower of brahma kumaries, they strongly believed in crafting a calming place, as one would experience inside the centre of brahma kumaries and with their followers. It is most soothing and calming feeling to spend few minutes there. Hence, this became a key aspect to let the design revolve around the same feeling. Since client is a senior citizen couple, spending most of their time to meditate and live the lifestyle away from the society’s chaos, the interiors had to be subtle and minimal. Also tight budget being the main design driver, it allowed us to create space only through as basic materials as possible. The aim was to design a low cost interiors of a home with less maintenance for the elder residents. Playing with simple forms, soothing colours, minimal use of wood, only through laminates and simple detailing of the junction was the approach towards the project. Hence, the outcome is not to design each part of the space but design few with utmost care an rest was kept simple fulfilling essential requirements. This project unfolded a new form of learning with tight budget and short deadline. Four months of rigorous process of finding low cost design solutions and still achieving minimal aesthetics as client demanded. The project went through a new way of approaching, where it was more of an on site work, thoughts being executed right there with the help of market understanding than doing a whole lot of thinking on drawings. The house surely tries to make any visitor feel light. Calming? is still far way to go...
women’s club Semester 9, Goa, India
Site was a warehouse in Goa. The brief of studio was to propose a public place which becomes a focal point for the community around and for the tourists. Main design driver was to create a spectacle yet being the utilitarian. In the movement we are living right now, where women have been celebrated and its changing how we are perceived now, its changing how we celebrate on the table what we bring to the table. Still In the society where we live , women’s leisure have been taken as secondary and fragmented. As a woman and a designer I believe that there is requirement of a public realm, an open canvas to let women feel connected let them bloom together, while they spend their leisure time. The women’s club can be an asset to the society to let the women-hood grow. Therefore the space planning has been done in way that ground feels more inviting, and a part of the outside. It is a lounge for women to eat, sit, talk, read and be aware of the activities happening in the club. The ground accommodates a cafe, an amphitheatre, open library, toilets and rest is just kept as sitting areas, while other levels accommodates spaces for a retail shop, a lecture room/a multi-purpose space, a gym with an adjoin yoga space, a salon and a space to let women ‘pour out their body’ and feel realised. The idea was to free up the ground for lounge and take other activities on above levels, hence a circular geometry representing unity, unbounded and focal was a key design driver. The circular form allowed free smooth movement and bring people together as well as separate when the activity demanded on upper levels. As if the chambers are metaphor of ‘a tree,’ freeing the ground around the trunk while expanding the foliage above as required. The materiality of the space being a pink terrazzo adding the punk, while the rest of the canvas is being kept simple white walls with glass ribs as partitions. Interiors have been kept subtly luxurious yet minimal,. evoking a modest feeling. This is how project tries to create a balance between the binary of ‘spectacle yet utilitarian’.
Visuals representing ‘a spectacle’ one have seen., and translating through own memories that what of those spaces made it feel spectacular as a public place.
‘A metaphor of a tree’: Illustrations translating the idea of keeping the ground as free canvas to let women lounge, while the activities were taken on upper level. It explains a need of a circular geometry to let women feel free, united and lively.
play + narration semester 8, Mandu, India
‘Play being a theater’ and ‘narration being a museum.’ Mandu carries a rich heritage with it for centuries now. This Project is an attempt to add a new life to this ruined building by attracting visitors through museum and theatre for locals to let them own the building as well. The design approach was a constant effort to enhance the beauty of the ruined site by giving a strong narration through materials and different elements. The idea was to exaggerate the feeling of being an ant surrounded by ruins, hence to multiple this feeling, the theater was taken down and mirror facade was proposed. The aesthetics of material was terrazzo in interior spaces to china mosaic for outdoor spaces, from brass rods to hold the display panels ending at slick teak patti to Gond art telling stories on the ceiling, from white stucco covering few parts and leaving few to visualize the actual walls, to maze of arches covered with white stucco- soft enough for one to lean on it, from sepia colored customized bricks taking over all the ruined stone walls to baobab in the center saying I’m the tallest of all, from almost passing through monotonous shades and then seeing dull yellow almost like a dried haldi on the huge walls along the side of theatre steps, from water-body in the central courtyard to a theatre space reminds me of step-wells, the journey ends here on the steps of theatre and with the water of thoughts. (a group project)
film archive centre semester 6, NCPA, Mumbai, India
A place will promote Indie film industries and its films as a medium of art. It will be a social hub for the film enthusiasts and academicians in this media. Hence, this studio attempts to interpret the correlation between public place and the ideas of collective presence in a civic world. The vision of the project was to showcase the world of Indie films through the layers of ‘behind the scenes’, having a lens of attempting a project as a set more then a building. Where the language of set is described through temporariness, modularity pre fabrication and packed up. The characteristic of a set being less rigid and more flexible, less permanent and more temporary, materials were such. Slotted MS angles, M.S box sections, cort-en steel, Fiberglass panels, PEB panels and oak wood to give a contrasting visual texture. Since space follows modularity as a concept, it plays with angular grid as main design driver. It allows spaces to be viewed from a different perspective, some where blocking the views, else where directing a way to open up towards spillovers. Functions of the Centre have yet been arranged in a similar manner, temporary being galleries and screening pods to permanent being theater and audio-visual library. A cafe being a mediator which binds both the binary. The life of the space is where there are gathering nodes, where people indulge into discussing films, and see the making; behind the scenes actually being translated in the space.
According to site context in respect to gates and traffic the angle was initiated, also the intention of designing a space from the concept of ‘behind scenes’, angular geometry allow space to slowly reveal like a set as one moves and it became a modular grid.
BUS for film archive centre:
the game pavilion winter school, 2018, Ahmedabad, India Digital Craft: Timber grid structure through computation and digital fabrication Digital technology as a creative tool conceives itself as being able to complete the process right from the ability to formalize the design to create construction documents that are directly compatible to machines created for producing parts that are assembled to the required form. This course introduced the vision, tools and techniques of form making through generative design. Dynamic models to be set that allows several iterations before assembly/construction involved digital as well as crafting techniques. After the exploration of forms, the selection was done considering a feasible timber grid structure which can allow us to span 10 m without column or any support, digital stimulation were to ensure white triangular grid was more most durable for the respective form. The activity of game pavilion was to accommodate group of people playing board games, children playing with toys, certain digital media to play video games and conducting group workshops to make people aware about new games. All these function let us to have space which is partially open to invite people while keeping it protected from the surrounding, The grid structure was a result of such design intentions. The course and the project focused on redefining craft by using a digital medium.
working drawings Hand drafted and digitally generated
created, captured...