Ritika Singhal | Architecture+Urban Design portfolio | S.P.A Bhopal

RITIKA SINGHAL

School of Planning and Architecture Bhopal

Selectedworksfrom2017-2022

HELLO!

I am Ritika Singhal, a fresh, architecture graduate from School of planning and architecture, Bhopal. This portfolio is compilation of some of my selected and close to heart projects which present my idelogies and approach towards architecture.

I believe that architecture needs a lot of hardwork and a good design needs a lot of patience. It is always fun when done by heart and always better when done by brain. It is an exploration which can never end. The more I learn about it, more things feel unexplored. How architecture affects humans and its surroundings is what intrigues the most.

For me,the beauty of architecture lies in how it solves the issues of present, carries the grandeur of its past and moves towards the future of growth.

As an architect, I want my designs to mature over time and learn from the mistakes they have made and their consequences. ‘Everything can be designed better than it is now’, we just need to put more effort.

Every typology I design, bring an entire new thought process out of me. A new task is always exciting. I am interested in people centric design and architecture. What and how people feel in and around a space and how it impacts them has always intrigued me. I also love experimenting with different presentation styles and improve upon my communication of ideas. Apart from these, Origami is an art form I connect myself to. Folding is a meditative process for me and contributes in my creative process.

I hope you enjoy my work!

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CONTENTS

Urban Design and Study

O1

O3 O4 O5 O6 O7 O8 O9

LIVING COLLAGES

Siddhpur,Gujarat|India 08-15 16-21 City and the Ghats Udaipur,Rajasthan|India O2

AAROGYAM- Hospital Design Jaipur,Rajasthan|India

BHOPAL AUTOMATIVE MUSEUM Bhopal,MadhyaPradesh|India

Architectural Design and Documentation 22-27 28-35 36-41

RAO SAHAB KI BAKHAR- LIK Narsinghpur,MadhyaPradesh|India

Internship at Sameep Padora and Associates

Architectural Internship at sP+a MultipleProjects

Other Works

TARANG: Aanganwadi Furniture Bhopal,MadhyaPradesh

Urban Water Narratives Shortnarrativesonlifearoundwaterbodies

CURRICULAM VITAE+ 06-07 42-47 42-47 42-47 42-47

ORIGAMI: Architecture of Folds SelfPaced

Singhal

Ritika Singhal

EDUCATION

2017- Present 2012-2016 2001-2011

Bachleors in Architecture

School of Planning and Architecture Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

Higher Secondary Education

Central Public Sr. Sec. School Udaipur, Rajasthan Primary Education Aggarwal Public School Faridabad, Haryana

DISTINCTIONS AND EXPERIENCE

CONTACT

B1, Shubham Bungalows, Nava Naroda, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 382325 +91-8800543202 ar.ritikasinghal@gmail.com

D.O.B

28th August 1998

NATIONALITY Indian

LANGUAGE

Hindi, English, German(Basic)

INTERESTS

Reading, Research, origami, movies, cooking, gardening, sketching, travelling

ARCHITECTURE COMPETENCE

Conceptualisation, Working drawings, documentatiovn, visualisation, 3d modelling, post production, Research, Content writing

2022 2021 2020

Architect(Presently)

Builtwell Solutions Pvt. Ltd. Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

Urban Research Collaboration(Presently)

Urban Design Square Water Seekers Fellowship(Presently) Living Waters Museum

Architectural Internship Sameep Padora and Associates sP+a, Mumbai, Maharashtra

Cultural Reseacher India lost and found Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

SOFTWARE SKILLS

Autodesk Revit Archicad (basic)

Autodesk Autocad

Trimble Sketchup Rhino 3d Grasshopper (basic)

Vray Lumion Enscape

Adobe Photoshop Adobe Illustrator Adobe Indesign Procreate Microsoft suite Adobe Premiere Pro

ACADEMIC PROJECTS

2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017

LIVING COLLAGES | Siddhpur, Gujarat

URBAN DESIGN STUDY | Udaipur, Rajasthan

AAROGYAM | Multispeciality Hospital | Jaipur, Rajasthan

SANGAM | High Rise Housing | Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

CARISTOCRAT | Auto Expo and Museum | Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

JOSH | Swimming Pool | Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

TARANG | Hands on- Furniture for Aanganwadi | Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

URBAN LEARNING JUNGLE | Higher Secondary School | Dehradun

RESIDENCE BHUTIA | Residence | Sikkim

BHUTIA TRIBE | Vernacular Documentation | Manav Sanghralay

RAHAAT | Weekend Cottage| Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

ROCK-PLAY | Kids play kiosk| Pondicheery

BASIC DESIGN

COMPETITIONS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

2020 2019 2018

METANOIA | Archdais - The Sacred Space | Banglore, Karnataka

TOMBSTONE OF WASTE | SWITCH Tomb of waste | MetroCities

SATRANG BAGH | NASA Landscape design Trophy | Bhopal, M.P

PAHAL | Annual NASA Design Competition | Piplantri, Rajasthan

ENGRAM | UNI Athaeneum | Rio De Janerio, Brazil

PROP-UP PAVILLION | Archasm Fashion Pavillion | Milan, Italy

BCORE HOUSING | Skycity Pre-Fab Housing | China

RAO SAHAB KI BAKHAR | NASA Loius I Kahn Trophy | Narsinghpur, M.P

MANOSHYAM | Annual NASA Design Competition | Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

BABAYANI | Archasm Pop up Bazar | Istanbul, Turkey

Pocket seat Design Competition | Volume Zero | Product Design

WORKSHOPS AND CONVENTIONS

2018-2019 2020 2022

Top 25| World

Top 10| India

Top 6| RIBA

Top 67 | India

60th & 61st Annual NASA (National Association of Students of Architecture) Convention Vagamon, Kerela & Bangalore, Karnataka

ORITECTURE workshop by Ankon Mitra curated by Oneistox Delhi

WATER, PUBLIC SPACE AND THE MEDEVIAL CITY by Pratyush Shankar, Citylabs Udaipur, Rajasthan

//Ritika Singhal Portfolio//

UrbanDesignandStudy

This section includes two of my major urban research and design projects. The first project living collages was my architectural thesis done is long forgetton town of Siddhpur in Gujarat. The project dealt in urban renewal and regeneration of an abandoned historic neighbourhood into an up and coming urban entertainment centre and living museum.

The second project is the documentation of a water centric precinct of Pichola Lake in Udaipir. The study focused on documenting issues around the precint and developing solutions for it.

LIVING COLLAGES

Heritage Entertainment centre //oo · dey · poor//

Urban Design Siddhpur, Gujarat 2021-2022

Architectural Thesis /Re-vitalisationofLifelessVohravaads/

The Vohravaads of Siddhpur have always been known for their unique aesthetics and cultural blend.

Najampura is one such precinct of Vohravaads and probably the last one existing in the condition to be saved. The abandoned houses of Siddhpur are symbol of a communities grandeur, their properity and philanthropy and seek conservation.

Living collages is an approach to convert the Najampura precinct into a one of a kind Heritage experience and urban entertainment centre where these older buildings can serve a new purpose. To achieve this after heavy documentation, the proposal have been prepared.

“Heritage buildings often die a slow lingering death, but their stories and secrets disappear in a flash and lost forever”

Vohravaads of Siddhpur, tells the tales of a very small community of Gujarat. These serve as proof of their way of life, culture, beliefs, development in society, and creation of a distinct identity for oneself. These Christian-inspired Vohravaads, which were constructed by Hindu artisans, were ideal for the Vohras’ Islamic way of life.

They look for assistance as they lie abandoned, unable to accomplish the task they were entrusted at one point in time. They are buildings whose function and significance for one civilization have been replaced by the practises of another. Now, these structures that have lost their significance in time could be resurrected from obscurity to posterity with contemporary means which reflect the glory and loss of that time period without imitating it. By allowing the past to coexist in the present without erasure or blame,this thesis seeks to breathe new life into the stale Vohravaads, which once brimmed with life. This area is gifted with a sizable amount of idle and unproductive capital that seeks a betteruse in light ofthe requirements and circumstances of today.

The Najampura Precinct will experience a new rise through the project, gain a unique identity, and develop into a unique destination for leisureandrecreationwhilecombining very discreetly with historical traditions and whispering its tale as a living museum. With a wide range of programming, it boosts the project's viability and ensures easy, phaseby-phase development. The design combines master plan level curation, some urban inserts and pockets, and adaptive reuse of pre-existing fabric.

Adaptive reuse: In order to survive, olderhavelisthatarelayingabandoned look for new and meaningful uses. The adaptive reuse has been planned at an entire neighbourhood level, where the blocks offer a dynamic and engaging mixes of programmes for its visitors while keeping the characters of ancient town streets, in order to breathe new life into the neighbourhood that appeared to be

BUILDING PLAN- GROUND FLOOR

Visitor’s and Knowledge Centre: Visitors would need to be properly oriented if they were to experience a unique living museum that was spread out over a broad region. The centre, an urban addition to the historical fabric, makes an effort to blend in softly by utilising different design tenets and form iterations from the vernacular while simultaneously shattering historical cultural assumptions.

Urban pockets: Although the absence of numerous historic buildings andhavelishasleftcertaingaps and missing pages, which may not physically hold anything, their ethereal qualities scream volumes and provide a wealth of information to tourists. The installations in these tinyurban nooks help to tell the precinct’s story.

Overall, the precinct’s entire structure works as a “living collage,” blending and overlapping the present with a variety of potential futures. When modern functionality and goals infiltrate the ancient structure with the intention of reviving the precinct—not for the present but rather by sowing a seed of life that will flourish much more in the future.

After all, Siddhpur was intended to be unique and must remain such!

VOIDS AND MISSING

City and the Ghats

Pichola Lake Precinct, //oo · dey · poor//

Urban Design Udaipur, Rajasthan 2020-2021

Academic Project (Group) /re-imaginingtheessenceoftheplace/

This project was an academic project with on site study and documentation of water edges and ghats of Pichola lake precint, Analysis of their issues and new proposals for their functioning as per sustainable development.

The main aim of the project was to ensure that while the tourism industry grow, the public places still ooze the cultural background of the city and its local vibe. There were four main ghats identified and worked upon. The main proposal stood for Ambrai ghat where management of tourism and their interaction with locals was given the priority. A boating jetty was also proposed to enhance the tourism profile.

ThesecondwasforGangaurghat,wherebyminimal changes were maintained to address the issue of crowing and maintainence of religious character of ghat was given priority. The third ghat: Rovniya ghat was revitalise to bring it alive from its dead form.

AMBRAI GHAT PROPOSED

GANGAUR GHAT: PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT

ROVNIYA GHAT: PROPOSED REDEVLOPMENT

ArchitecturalDesignand Documentation

Hello!

So, two of my favourite architectural design projects that I thoroughly liked working on and from which I learned a lot about architecture are included in this part. One of my most challenging projects to date has been The Hospital, and I have been deeply inspired by the entire creation process. It provided me with a sense of how crucial functionality is to architecture.

One of my enjoyable undertakings, the Auto Expo, involves applying all of my creative thoughts to produce a special experience.

On the other hand, the Bakhar Documentation was on an entirely different level. I showed me how to read a building’s tangible and intangible characteristics.

AAROGYAM Hospital Design

//aa · rrog · ayam//

200 bed Multispeciality Hospital Jaipur, Rajasthan 2020-2021

Academic Project (Individual) /whathealwhenmedicinedont:Nature/

Designing a hospital is a critical task. A hospital’s job is to treat sick while keeping it safe and healthy for all the other healthy users supporting those who are in need of treatment.

The environment of a hospital can be stressful and exhausting. Nature and natural elements have been termed as important healing elements. TheaimofAarogyamHospitalistokeeptheusers in touch with those natural elements specially the daylighting. All the major public spaces and rooms have been kept naturally and abundantly daylit, while keeping the climatic conditions in mind.

The 200 bed multispecility hospital is equipped with all modern diagonstic, pathological and treatment facilities. It consists with over 20 specialist O.P.Ds, highly equipped radiology department, own pathology labs, C.S.S.D etc. Abundant Waiting areas, pantry services, lounges available for visitors and doctors to create comfotable working and stay circumstances.

Hospital is a civic building and must carry civic proud of the city. The structure adapts critical regionalism to be the proud of Jaipur city.

1. Main visitors entrance 2. 2 wheeler parking and security office 3. Shopping Complex 4. Main building

5. Ambulance and emergency parking 6. Emergency entrance 7. Visitors exit and service entry

8. Service Block

Service Exit

Ramp to and from basement

Site is open and accesible from three sides with area of 4.5 acres.

Basic site analysis including sun path study, wind movement and vegetation mapping and drainage study.

Defining building footprint location along with green patches location.

Basic site massing according to climate and movement patterns.

Modifying building mass according to plan layouts and circulation.

Final building mass with terraced roofs and and maximum opening towards the north.

Fifth Floor

Private, semiprivate and V.I.P rooms with individual toilets.

Fourth Floor

Private, semiprivate and V.I.P rooms with individual toilets.

Service Floor

Includes shafts, ducting for air conditioning and water pipes

Third Floor

This floor includes general wards, and speciality wards like burn unit, Paediatric, isolation and surgery wards along with lounge for doctors and visitors.

Second Floor

This floor includes treatment areas, operating units, materinity unit and I.C.Us and C.C.Us with well connected to diagonstics and Pathology.

First Floor

Common O.P.Ds and specialised O.P.Ds along with pathology department. Admin services located as well.

Ground Floor

Emergency department connected to Diagonstics unit and administration, canteen and pharmacy.

Upper Basement

Support services like mortury, C.S.S.D, laundry and Parking for Visitors included connecting through ramps.

Lower Basement

Main storage spaces, waste management system, electrical rooms, pump rooms and building management system.

UPPER BASEMENT PLAN GROUND FLOOR PLAN IPD FLOOR PLAN

“The very first requirement in a hospital is that it should do sick no harm”

// Waiting area on ground floor with direct access to outer lawns well lit with natural light.//

//Lift lobby and waiting areas on I.P.D floors and corridor with well lit northern curtain walls and terrace.//

// V.I.P private room well equipped with required facilities and natural daylighting.//

Louvred facade covering the windows on the southern side of the building to reduce heat gain and allow for daylighting.

Jaali facade on the ramp core to allow natural ventilation and daylighting. Jaalis cause venturi effect to the summer winds allowing cool winds inside.

A hospital is a civic building and hence should be a structure that carries civic pride. Local contextual elements like arches to add a sense of local pride.

//Front isometric view of the hospital with arched curtain walls and terraces.//

//Ritika Singhal Portfolio//

BHOPAL AUTOMATIVE MUSEUM

//aa·tuh·mow·tuhv | myoo·zee·uhm//

Auto Expo and Museum Design Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 2019

Academic-Semester Vth (Individual)

/Every car was once a special car, what changed now?/

Bhopal Automative Museum is designed on the concept that every car was once a special one and time only adds it to the beauty of the automobile instead of depriciating it. This appreciation is foremost reflected in the facade of the structure. The outer facade of the building is used as a parking ring. The image a user gets when entering the premise is of cars.

Galleries in the museum are designed following the characteristics of different typologies of cars. On one side vintage cars seems ver well preserved, sports and adventure cars are kept in semi open areas depicting their importance with road .

A car represents the personality of its owner and similar things must be kept in the mind while designing a expo or museum space for such cars.

A special section in the core is given for people who like to collect cars and need a secure place to keep them and present them. The collectibles gallery is one of a kind display. Apart from this, the importance of cars are even further highlighted with Indias second drive in cinema.

The top floor of the museum is reserved for administrative functions like conference rooms and public functions like cafes, rooftop restaurants and gift shops.

The first floor is reserved for luxury and future cars with outer rim for parking through Helical ramps which creates a dynamic facade. Cores inside these ramps are used for services, vertical circulation and toilets

The second pavillion on ground floor displays of Adventure cars and a small museum gallery of automative parts. A ramp runs at back of pavillion which give a 4th dimensional experiance of the site.

An intermediate floors which connect the two towers and open terrace garden for site views and vegetation. It also has installation for junk cars.

First floor of smaller tower is for luxury sports cars. This one side open pavillion connects people to trail track and air to aloow for seeing these cars made for road in that context.

Ground floor of the first tower consists of luxury cars at the display with entrance to the vintage core that is a ramp displaying the vintage cars.

//Vintage core display is the most special feature of the museum. It is artistic as well as symbolic. The vintage cars known for their history appears to be frozen in time. Hanging in air in a glass case adds to their preciousness.//

//Ritika Singhal Portfolio//

RAO SAHAB KI BAKHAR

Louis I Kahn Trophy

//rao | s haab | kii | baa · kh rr//

Heritage documentation: Dwelling Narsinghpur, Madhya pradesh 2018-2019

Louis I Kahn Trophy, NASA India (Group work)

//what consists of a dwelling//

Bakhar is a form of a dwelling used by the prominent members of the community. It is grander than a simple dwelling or haveli (which were common in earlier eras), however they lack the scale and the defence mechanisms as seen in forts.

The Bakhar is locally known as Rao Raj Kishore Singh ji ki Bakhar and was the residence of the malguzar of the town. The malguzar being the renowned and respected throughout the town and the Bakhar being one of the largest dwellingcomplexoftheareagainedaprominent position on its own. Although extensively used earlier, it has been lost in the mists of time due to reduced usage.

The construction techniques that have brought about these changes have alsovaried according to the needs and climatic understanding affected bythe peoplewho brought forth these changes.

The dwelling continues to house the descendants of Rao Jagbharat, who originally built this bakhar, which proves its efficiency by being still habitable yet susceptible to change.

“Inotonlyinhabitmybody,butalsoinmydwelling.Thedwelling,thehousewhereIabide,isthe mannerinwhichmybodyandsoulinteract”

Rene

Descartes

A dwelling is not just a part of the inhabitants’ life, but also of the community. This makes living a communal activity and the dwelling reflects the changes in the whole scenario overtime. It therefore becomes imperative to understand how a dwelling unit has evolved over time, not only from the inside but also considering external factors.

Rao Sahab ki Bakhar, in Narsinghpur is one such exemplary dwelling unit. Since its construction in 1780s it has evolved continually with changing needs of its dwellers brought upon by factors such as economy, external conflict, family expansion, culture etc.

The Bakhar has a major role in the social structure of the district, housing the family that had also constructed the Narsingh temple, from which the district derives its current name. Along with proving to be the village’s primary granary, the communitywell present beside the Bakhar provides commoners access to water from the ground floor. The Bakhar thus becomes a part of the daily routine of every resident of the village and continues to be a part of the oral history associated with the area.

PHASE 1: 1782- 1797

Rao Jagbharat, a former samant of maratha Bhosle, settled in Narsinghpur and constructed Bakhar andNarsingh temple in the Bundeli architecture style. Necessity for a space to accomodate living, working and storage spaces led to the conception of the Bakhar.

PHASE 2: 1797- 1820

Under Rao, village saw great economic growth which led to further expansion of the Bakhar to accomodate extending family. increased business and power required further security and protection and hence bastions were added to further secure the house. Ataris at roof were created foe security and storage puposes.

PHASE 3: 1820-1840

When Narsinghpur came under British category, revenue and taxes increased and Bakhar needed additional storage spaces. With the help of britishers, Rao turned the ground floor into an arched and vaulted basement. The Brahamsthal structure shifted from groundfloor to first floor.

PHASE 4: 1782- 1797

After the british raj, families split the bakhar, persoanlising their divided areas. Long term negligence turned Bakhar into its current dilapidated state. Back and side portion of the Bakhar is almost ruined and its in severe need of restoration.

FRONTDOOR-BAKHAR

SECTIONA-A’

GROUNDFLOORPLAN

FRONT ELEVATION

FIRST FLOOR PLAN

DETAILS OF ARCHES, COLUMNS AND BRACKETS

NARSINGH TEMPLE

Marathas, Jagbharat Rao built a temple dedicated to lord Narsingh here. Thereafter, the district’s name was changed from Gadariakheda to Narsinghpur. The prominence of this temple is evident from the fact that the region around this temple came to be known as Narsinghpur and is still called so till date. Narsingh Jayanti is the major festival celebrated in the region. Ram navami, Janamashtmi and Mahashivratri are some other festivals celebrated in the temple complex.

It is said that there are two tunnels underneath the Bakhar, connecting to the temple of lord Narsingh and the ghat. There is a basement in this temple which has a circumambulatory path and a sanctum sanctorum containing the pillar which has a photo of lord Narsingh placed in it. It was used by women of the aristocracy, who travelled through the underground tunnel which runs from the Bakhar to the ghat at Singri river and to the Narsingh temple. Now the tunnel has been sealed, so the talghar of the temple is opened for the public on Narsingh Jayanti.

ArchitecturalInternship atsP+a

Hello again!

The work I completed during my six-month internship at the renowned practise of architect Sameep Padora is collected in this portion of my portfolio. Mrs. Vami Koitcha served as my primary mentor throughout the studio, and I learned a great deal from her.

My primary contributions to the three Projects—Parth and Anushree’s House, The Kasu: Zira, and Art India Residency—are included in this section. I was involved with the working drawings and drawing updates as the designs changed for these three projects. These three projects served as the foundation of my learning in the studio.

In addition to this, I handled modest projects including presentations, 3D graphics, and other things, which helped make the job enjoyable and exploratory.

I hope you find this area valuable!

INTERNSHIP

sP+a

//in | trn | shuhp//

Remotly working Mumbai, Maharashtra 2021

Academic internship

//I am still Learning!//

The Illustration above for the window was done for a sesidential project highlighting their special bay windows. The illustration has also been published on Archdaily.

The Plan on right was prepared for Goa Abode, A luxury residence going on in Goa. The illustration was prepared for a client meeting regarding design finalisation of the same.

* All the work presented under this section is intellectual property of Sameep Padora and Associates and cannot be used without their permission.

MASSING STUDY- MULTIPLE ITERATIONS

SITE PLAN

SITE SECTION

KASU: ZIRA, GOA

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

ART INDIA RESIDENCY, HAMPI

OtherWorks

This section illustrations my multiple projects and interests apart from my architectural studies.

The first one includes a hands-on product design exercise with the aim of material and design exploration. The urban narratives are small essays from my lens to urban and water centric cultural landscapes and their linkages with nature. The Third part includes my hooby interest or Origami and some fascinating Models created out of that.

TARANG

Aanganwadi Furniture

Hands On Design Build Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 2018-2019

Academic: Product Design (Group work) /what do you need, want or desire/

Aanganwadi means ‘courtyard shelters’, they are ruralchildcarecentrestocatertochildren’shealth andnutritionandintiatetheirmentalandphysical development. These rural aanganwadi’s often fail to fulfill their purpose due to lack of facilties and infrastructure. The purpose of this project is to provide such infrastructure by understanding the user aspect of design. What a place, a person, and a situation demands, expectsandwishes,theneeds,wantsanddesires.

The children in Saadhna aanganwadi faced lack of proper furniture for kids to study and play equipments for development of motor skills. The economic conditions of the aanganwadi demanded cheap and easy to make yourself design and materials.

Majority of the materials used were wastes and scarps which could be collected from local printing, cloth and tailor shops. The technique of contruction was made simpler for teachers to make or any local carpenter to follow. in the end the focus was to make it fun and interestingforkidstouse.theelementofcuriosity and fun generated from modularity of product is what keeps kids involved.

Singhal Portfolio//

LET’S START?

STEP 1

Start with a 6mm Plyboard and fillet the edges round.

STEP 2 Mark the dia of the carboard tubes on each corner and make a depression.

STEP 3 Fix the cardboard tubes in the depressions with adhesive.

STEP 4

Use L joints and screws to bolt the cardboard tubes securely to the board.

STEP 5 Use thinner paper tubes as horizontal braces and fix them with adhesives. Cover the L-joints with ropes or threads to avoid sharp edges.

STEP 6 turn over the “patta”. Use carboard sheet to add cushioning to it. Use flex sheet as waterproof material.

STEP 7 Sew a patchwork fabric from waste cloth cuttings and use it as a decorative cover.

Plyboard 6mm

Cardboard Tubes

STEP 8 Sit and test for any weak joints and fix them!

L joints, Screws, Bolts Carboard sheets

Fabric patchwork

Flexsheet

Rope orThread

ITS READY!!

Plastic Mesh, Rubber balls

URBAN NARRATIVES LAKE PICHOLA

// ur·bn·neh·ruh·tuvh//

Self Done Research project Udaipur, Rajasthan 2022

Individual Work /what to really look at? and what to observe?/

Three Outlooks

Ambrai ghat, because of its location and topography have a unique image and popularity for itself. The three-side open ghat offers its visitors variety of views of the Pichola lake. The ghat setting is almost analogous to a theatre where different plays are being performed as per different times of the day.

But what is the role of nature and its elements in these plays?

Trail of the trees

In the old city of Udaipur, along the scenic banks of lake Pichola are numerous ghats, havelis, temples, and tourists’ landmarks. These havelis stacked up closely on a contoured terrain gives the already dense fabric an illusion of a very bulky fabric. What one might miss in this is how few of the trees are there in this bully mass. In the old city fabric, where every inch of the space is an opportunity to earn, who has let these trees still occupy space?

The Transient Life around Pichola

The old cities are a charm, and entertain a varied set of users with different purposes to serve in a public space. The residents, the visitors, the tourists, businessmen, everyone has a certain aim. With such variety to serve, the water of lake Pichola takes up multiple roles to serve the needs of many. Lets dive into these small characters this water play and the transient life created around Pichola with this.

Nature as a junior artist

On the first side of the ghat is the magnificent city palace. The mountains in the background just hold up the background curtain. The main lead, the palace in front, stands strong and people can’t take their eyes of its unique panoramic view. At night, when the palace lights up, what one might observe is how mountains have the stage, and water becomes the supporting agent with its reflective properties.

In a way, the setting, the natural elements only perform to highlight the character of the main lead, The Palace.

Nature as a Jodi

The second view that Ambrai offers is of the free-standing palace in the Pichola lake- Lake palace. The palace looks beautiful and appears almost floating into the water. So, what is the role of nature in the this set of the play? In this set, the palace and water perform as a Jodi, where the role of other is incomplete and senseless without other. Would lake palace be as tempting to look at without water? Probably no. The vast size and grandeur of the city palace would probably overshadow it. It would be a blank setting to look at. Would people look at this side of lake without the palace, no? With nothing in backdrop and no activity, this side of water side without palace appear together.

As the main lead

The third side of the lake reflects how the nature can be the superstar of the show. During its performance, the third setting offers the view of the lake water submerging with the distant mountains. The side also happens to be the sunset view point during evening. The audience slowly shift to the side of the lake to the beautiful sunset. Where all elements of nature perform together to create the perfect picturesque view.

The following illustration maps down the trees along the lake edges and around the ghats. What is observed is that all the trees which are still intact are quite aged and are strategically planted very closely to the religious institutions, urban shrines and sacred spaces. The questions which arise now are: why are only these trees surviving? Is it the age or the cultural significance? Do these temples protect them? What came first: tree or the temple? Do they have a symbiotic relationship?

What came first: Tree or Temple?

This unique nature-culture linkage of the trees and temples which is observed in old city make us question, was it the temples who planted these trees for ritualistic purposes or were these already existing dense foliage trees provided a good setting for a temple complex to be constructed. The answer lies in the history but for now, in the present setting, they have developed a very unique symbiotic relationship with each other.

A Symbiotic Relationship

These trees with their dense foliage, visible from distance acts as landmarks for the people to spot the shrines, their foliage provides for a cool sitting area in the scorching heat of Rajasthan. Their species as per cultural significance as used for rituals and ceremonies. These provide so much to these temples but what do they seek in return? The temples with their sacred nature hold a certain authority and privileges in the society and hence their borders are often untouched by usual disruption in fabric ad per development. These trees seek protection and security for themselves under boundaries of these temple. This interdependency is what creates a unique symbiotic relationship amongst two.

Water as a lifestyle.

The old city still rises with sunrise, and on the Ghats of the lakes one can spot people taking bath in the lake as per their old lifestyle and perform their early morning rituals. There is no function of lake for them apart from a regular water body to take bath in. They are not bothered by people, tourists etc. and are entirely indulged in their lifestyle. Another scenes which adds to this is people feeding dough balls to the fish as per hindu beliefs, of women washing their utensils or clothes into the lake on the ghats. The lake is not a tourist place for them, its not a city asset, its their local water body and the only purpose it has for them is water.

Water as a background.

Every morning and evening on the Ghats and any water edge of lake Pichola, a very amusing scene to locals happen. Dozens of photographers with their setups, drones and a couple to shoot hoggle every possible edge and view of this lake for the trendy pre-wedding shoots. The water here is just a mere background.

Water as a commodity.

Lake pichola is surrounded with tons of hotels with each having a banner or billboard claiming their access to a unique view of the city. Lake view, palace view, mountain view. In a city where views are monetised, water and access to water both visually and physically is sold as a commodity. Every hotel room on the lake front size has a higher value then the inner side rooms, food at lake side restaurants is costly then inner ones. This phenomenon of using a natural resource as a commodity without even owning it and selling it is something unique and can be studied deeply.

09 ORIGAMI

Architecture Of Folds

//o · ruh · gaa · mee//

Magic Of Folds India 2019-2021

ORITECTURE-Research Paper (Academics) /How folds work in Architecture?/

‘Ori’ in Japanese stands for folding. Folding as a tool to develop forms, create connections and enhance motions was developed by nature. All morphogenesis and evolution in nature is in fact an attempt to constantly improve upon the act of folding and unfolding.

The beauty of transforming any 2d shape to neat, stable 3d forms with couple of creases is what make folding today a popular design tool. Humans started folding with fragile materials, learned the effect of folding on those materials and experimented with more vast materials at different scales.

For designers and architects, acts of physical folding can be a powerful and illustrative process of design. There is a need to explore how ‘ORI’ can be integrated with Architecture to create a new style with its own aesthetics, materials, qualities and technology.

TAJ MAHAL KUSUDUMA

By Lewis Simon

This beautiful cube ring is folded with 144 units of 12 colour papers. It is one of the very popular model in modular origami. As the name suggests the folds as inspired by islamic patterns.

TRUNCATED ICOSAHEDRON WHIRPOOL STAR

By Tomoko Fuse

One of the most beautiful models ever folded with spirals. Its a modular spiral kusudama folded from 32 units. As in the first look the model represents the sun.

PIGGY?

By Jo Nakashima

Folded in traditional origami style. No glue or instruments used.

Folded with 4 colours and V- pleating in herrignbone tessellation. The form represents the night sky with outer galaxy in view.

GREEN HELIX SPRING

By Jeff Beynon

Inspired from the folded leaves on plant the helix collapse and reopens showcasing the amazing proeprties of paper.

COMPOUND OF 5 OCTAHEDRA

By Meenakshi Mukherji

Excellent modular model folded with 30 units of 5 colours.

RISING FROM THvE SEA

By Tomoko Fuse

This 44 unit structure folded from the triamgular units. It represents a rising water tornado from the sea.

DIAMOND WINDOW CUBE TORUS

By Lewis Simon

This beautiful cube ring is folded with 144 units of 12 colour papers.

RITIKA SINGHAL