Architecture + Design Saavi Natekar
Hello, I am Saavi Natekar and this is my undergraduate portfolio. I am a 20-year-old architecture student at School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal, India. I am currently in my fourth year of my bachelors degree course. I understand architecture as an interdisciplinary medium, developing solutions from a variety of fields, as well as my own musings. I have a strong interest in the potential of data to develop sensitive architectural solutions. I am an intent observer and enthusiastic learner. I intend to further broaden my understanding and hone my skills through this internship. I am glad to share my work with you.
SAAVI NATEKAR
DOB: 22|11|2000 +91 9545642211 saavinatekar@gmail.com Student at School of Planning and Architecture Bhopal, India.
EDUCATION 2018-Present
School of Planning and Architecture Bhopal, India. Bachelor of Architecture 8.57
WORK EXPERIENCE January - May 2022 ( Ongoing )
Architectural Intern Sangath - Vastu Shilpa Consultants Ahmedabad,India. Worked in the office of Pritzker Laureate B. V. Doshi for the course of six months. Responsibilities included Design Development, Construction Drawings , Working Drawings and Documentation on Shiv Nadar School Project based in Chennai.
October - March 2021 ( 6 mos)
Architectural Intern Pai Raikar & Associates Goa,India. Worked on preparation of schematic design layouts, interior concept presentation, site visits and measured drawings, documentation, client presentation and visualization.
April 2021
Freelance Project Residence with Er. Dinesh Sawant Worked on documentation of existing house, conceptualization, design development, interior design and visualization. Design was developed by working closely with the client and the structural engineer.
May - August 2020
Rakshastree Organisation Illustrator
2019-2020
Art Club Coordinator School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal
PUBLISHED WORK March 2022
Our Right To Roam Exhibition and Webinar on Vangad Project Oxford Human Rights Festival 2022, Oxford Brookes University
August 2021
Fighting Forever: The Case for Sustainable Ephemerality www.kvdforum.in The Kurula Varkey Design Forum, CEPT University, India
April 2021
Architecture of the people: Contemporary India’s quiet rebellion. www.berkeleyprize.org University of California, Berkeley, USA.
HONORS AND RECOGNITION November 2022
Shortlisted Entry Redesigning Playscape - Urban Redevelopment Proposal Mhara Rohtak Playcemaking |WRI India
November 2022
Winning Entry Project Vangad - Community Centre Proposal for Vanarmare Tribe OAN Fellowship Grant 2021 |NASA India
August 2021
Winning Entry Fighting Forever: The Case for Sustainable Ephemerality Kurula Varkey Design Forum |KVDF Writing Competition 2021
July 2021
Top 13 | Honourable Mention Nirmaan - Housing for construction workers Liveable Spaces for Nowhere People
July 2021
First Prize Winner Picky Eaters - Sustainable Edible Landscape Proposal NASA India | G-sen Trophy 2020
June 2021
Top 15 | Honourable Mention Mahishuru Interpretation Centre AIM India | Zootopia 2021
June 2021
Shortlisted Essay Spaces that Nurture NASA India | Writing Architecture Trophy 2020
May 2021
Special Mention Gone With The Wind - Disaster relief housing through CLT Aakar Design | CLT Induction Design Competition
April 2021
Fourth Prize Winner Architecture of the people: Contemporary India’s quiet rebellion. University of California Berkeley | The Berkeley Essay Prize 2021
April 2021
First Prize Winner Between the Two Gates NASA India | Annual NASA Design Competition 2020
February 2021
Top 100 | Short-listed Samanvayam: post-pandemic bus stand design NASA India | Destech Urban Design Trophy 2020
October 2020
Editors Choice Award Melange Uni Competitions | Brewed Cafe Design Challenge
WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES April 2021
CLT Induction Workshop Series Aakar Design | CLT Induction Design Competition
June 2021
Building Inclusive Cities: Urban Inequality and Segregation TU Delft | EdX
June 2020
Vernacular Architecture Asia -Tradition, Modernity & Sustainability University of Hong Kong | EdX
September 2020
Z- Axis : You and Your Neighbourhood Charles Correa Foundation
June 2019
Arches, Vaults and Domes: Hands-on Construction Workshop Auroville Earth Institute, Auroville
SKILLS Software BIM Revit, ArchiCAD 3D modelling Trimble Sketchup, Rhino Drafting AutoCAD Rendering Vray, Enscape Mapping Q-GIS Graphics Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign. Manual Model Making, Sketching, Documentation, Drafting. Softskills
Teamwork, Problem Solving, Communication, Improvisation.
Language skills
English, Hindi, Konkani, Marathi, Sanskrit, Portuguese.
Contents
Housing
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01 Unbox Co-living
Semester VI, Design Studio Urban Design
02 Between the Two Gates
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Destech 2020
Adaptive Reuse
03 Mahishuru Interpretation Centre AIM India
Temporal Housing
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04 Nirmaan Housing Colony Ethos India
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Renovation
05 Under the Palms Freelance Project
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Construction
06 Arches, Vaults and Domes Auroville Earth Institute
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07 Architecture of the People UC Berkeley Prize 2021
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08 Fighting Forever KVDF
09 Miscellaneous
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Dr. Jack de Sequeira Road Miramar, Goa
15°28’23.35”N, 73°48’33.03”E
UNBOX CO-LIVING Category: Residential, Group Housing Design Studio, Individual Year: 2021 Software: AutoCAD, Revit, Sketchup+Vray
Co-living is a popular housing typology across major cities, providing affordable housing for students, workers, and digital nomads. This project is a mixed-use group housing as a confluence of co-working and co-living concept. The idea was to create an holistic space for individuals to live and work by mitigating the boundaries between the two programmes. The project is located in the thriving urban neighbourhood of Miramar, Goa. The programme is broadly distributed into coworking community and private spaces. The lower floors service the more public functions such as workspaces, meeting rooms, auditorium etc.
Understanding accessibility to the site and Splitting the building block to allow more exploring possibility of different access for light and ensure a threshold between visitors and residents public and private
Distributing co-working community and Addition of facade elements and interlinked living areas with respect to privacy gradient circulation between community and coworking spaces
FORM DEVELOPMENT
COMMUNITY ATRIUM The atrium is designed to create a plaza environment promoting interaction between the residents as well as to serve as an additional gathering space in case of events, workshops, etc. 12
EXIT
PARK
BLOCK B ENTRY
VISITOR’S PARKING
BLOCK A
POOL
EXIT
SITE PLAN
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Site layout is such that circulation for co-working users and residents is separated. Pool area is kept sheltered behind Block A to provide privacy from the public parts of the block.
TYPICAL FLOOR PLAN
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20
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EXPLODED VIEW CIRCULATION DIAGRAM 14
SECTION AA’
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20
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SECTION BB’
UNIT PLAN
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Imami Gate Junction , Sultania Road Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 23°15’34.39”N, 77°23’41.40”E
BETWEEN THE TWO GATES Category: Urban Design NASA Destech Trophy, Team of four Year: 2020 Software: AutoCAD, Q-GIS, Sketchup+Vray
Winning Entry
The Destech Trophy was divided into two phases, phase I involved mapping of the teams city using Q-GIS after which the organisers trained us to analyse the data and use it in our design. Phase II was to use the generated data and propose an Intervention at an urban scale in our cities. Through our data we observed stark difference in distribution of Open spaces between the new city and its older parts. Thus our site was chosen in heart of old Bhopal with an aim to create smooth vehicular movement and streets designed for the community.
SITE CONTEXT
Our site is located on a stretch of Sultania Road in a historically neighbourhood of Bhopal between two 19th-century gates, the Imami Gate and Sadar Manzil Gate. This area acts as a gateway to old Bhopal and is also located right next to the central city hospital, thus receiving huge commute traffic. Consequently, it is a major transportation node for the city, and is directly connected to all other parts of Bhopal. Thus, the site has high city-wide connectivity. The streets branch out of Sultania Road into residential pockets in the interiors of old Bhopal. Hence, our site has indirect connectivity to neighbourhoods. After analysing crowd sourced data to identify the issues within the site, a plan to de-congest the streets is proposed. The proposal uses the opened-up spaces to induce a cultural reinvigoration of this historical area. Asphalt has given way to a large circular plaza and can now host temporary markets and artistic installation
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CROWD-SOURCED DATA
ROAD PATTERN
VEHICULAR MOVEMENT
PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENT
LAND-USE
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REVITALIZED RUINS OF IMAMI GATE PLAY PARK AND COMMUNITY SPACE
HAMIDIA HOSPITAL COMPOUND AS ACTIVE A SOCIAL SPACES
SPILLOVER SPACES IN FRONT OF COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS
PARKING FOR FIRE ENGINES AND KIDS PLAY AREA IN BUFFER ZONE
PARKING LOT WITH GREEN ISLANDS FOR DE-CONGESTION 25
Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens Mysore, Karnataka
12°18’10.39”N, 76°39’50.71”E
MAHISHURU INTERPRETATION CENTRE Category: Adaptive Reuse Zootopia 2021 , Team of Four Year: 2021 Software: AutoCAD, Revit, Sketchup+Vray
Honourable Mention Top 15
The brief was to design an Interpretation Centre at par with global standards, by reusing the existing heritage building at Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, Mysuru Karnataka .The proposed design of the Interpretation Centre should aim to transform the visit into an experiential learning opportunity, enhancing and enriching the experience by providing information on wildlife and wild habitats through a variety of media with special focus of wildlife of western ghats and their conservation
SITE CONTEXT
As the structure is adapted to serve a new function its identity and imagery are kept intact. The interpretation centre required larger open spaces with adequate space for movement and interaction with the exhibits. Thus the decision was made to remove almost all internal walls to create one large viewing gallery. The walls were replaced by tall arches functioning like flying buttresses to support the load as well as to reinforce existing external walls. The slab of the Mysore roof has been replaced by glass panels to create a light channel pouring into the galley The distinct colour of these arches and the flooring were inspired from the teal columns of Mysore Palace. A conscious effort has been made to retain the external facade to protect the heritage of the structure. The idea is to introduce functional architectural elements in the structure that bring a breath of modernity while still respecting the past.
EXISTING STRUCTURE 30
EXPLODED VIEW STRUCTURAL CHANGES 31
FIRST FLOOR PLAN
GROUND FLOOR PLAN 32
The exhibits have been designed to engage every sensory aspect from visual, tactile, and auditory. Interaction with these exhibits will ignite a sense of curiosity to discover and protect the wildlife around them.
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ETA II, Noida - Greater Noida Link Road Uttarpradesh
28°30’11.07”N, 77°32’23.11”E
NIRMAAN HOUSING COLONY Category: Low-cost Temporal Housing Livable Spaces for Nowhere People, Team of Two Year: 2021 Software: AutoCAD, Revit, Rhino, Vray
Honourable Mention Top 13
The project was a part of competition organized to design livable and dignified homes for migrant workers in India. For this brief we chose the case of Construction Workers. Housing in case of these workers is particularly poor for their occupation requires them to move from one site to the other. Thus the challenge was to design homes that would adapt to their transient nature while giving them quality of life and sense of belonging. As an example we chose an ongoing housing project in Noida as our site and housing colony for 150 workers and their families was designed.
MIGRANT WORKERS
UNEMPLOYED
EMPLOYED
INFORMAL SQUATTERS
SETTELED
FLOATING
INTERSTATE WORKERS
RENTERS
HOUSING
REGULATED HOUSING
IRREGULATED HOUSING JHUGGIS
ILL-PLANNED, NO OPEN
HAZARD PRONE MATERIALS
FIRE HAZARDS, UNHYGENIC
LACK OF RESOURCES ISSUES
ISSUES
NO FACILITATION
LACK OF PERMANENCE
HOUSING SYSTEM FACILITATE
BAMBOO
OWNERSHIP
REBAR OWNERSHIP
BRICKS
CORRUGATE
DRY BRICK CONSTRUCTION
REPURPOSE
CONSTRUCTION
DEVELOPER
PROPOSED SYSTEM 38
EMPLOYED LABOURERS
EMPLOYMENT
DOORS / WINDOWS
SITE PLAN
The homes are built using dry brick technique, and with help of materials used in conventional construction such as bricks, scaffolding, wire mesh and metal sheets. The idea is to reduce logistic cost by building homes that can be dismantled and used on the site itself. Each unit comprises of a sleeping-cum-living space with attached wash-room. A small shaded verandah is provided attached to the kitchen to ensure ventilation as well as to be used as dining space. units form inward looking clusters to develop semi-public nodes the open into main streets. A small crèche and community centre is also designed to provide space for gathering, skill training, health camps etc.
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SECTION BB’
UNIT PLAN CLUSTER LAYOUT 40
EXPLODED VIEW CONSTRUCTION DETAIL
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Calangute - Mapusa Road Arpora, Goa
15°33’36.73”N, 73°46’47.72”E
UNDER THE PALMS Category: Restoration, Residential Freelance Project, Individual Year: 2020 Software: AutoCAD, Revit, Sketchup+Vray
Under the Palms is an on-going project in its construction phase. The brief was to reconstruct the a residence with provision to be adapted as a Bed and Breakfast establishment in the future. The site had an old Indo-Portuguese house in dilapidated state, the client wished to retain the character of the house while accommodating it’s new functions. The challenge was to work with a narrow site as well as to respect and recreate the architectural style of the house.
EXISTING STRUCTURE Stylistic Analysis and DocumentationAIL Existing home came with its own challenges such as the narrow footprint that had to be retained for legal purposes. The idea was to recreate the facade and the windows as they formed integral part of the home. The design was developed such that the family residence was on ground floor while the first floor was dedicated for the Bed and Breakfast. The Client also needed a connection to adjacent site that would act as garage and parking space. The dinning room serves as the nucleus of the whole house as its connected to the staircase and the side verandah. It could also serve as entrance for the lodgers. Bedrooms of the owners are kept at the end to ensure privacy.
BLOCK MODEL 46
STYLISTIC FEATURES
FRONT ELEVATION 47
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FIRST FLOOR PLAN
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
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WORKING DRAWINGS Staircase and Powder Room Detail
SECTION THROUGH THE STAIRCASE 50
Arched Door Detail
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CONSTRUCTION OF ARCH AND ADDITION OF VAULT
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ARCHES, VAULTS AND DOMES Auroville Earth Institute, Auroville, India Arches, Vaults and Domes: Hands-On Construction with CSEB blocks June 2019
In summer of 2019 I did my first hands on construction workshop at Auroville Earth Institute Auroville. The workshop was spread across seven days where in we were taught construction of arches, vaults and domes. First task was construction of arches using a frame and CSEB blocks. Following day we added vaults to the same arch. We even made a larger semicircular arch with our instructor. Last days focused on construction of dome of various shapes. The workshop gave me an opportunity not only to get hands-on construction experience, but to also work with a team and communicating with them.
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ARCHITECTURE OF THE PEOPLE Contemporary India’s quiet rebellion.
ARCHITECTURE OF THE PEOPLE University of California, Berkeley Essay Prize 2021 Fourth Prize Winner Co-written with Ayesha de Sousa Published on www.berkeleyprize.org
As one drives along the streets of the great Indian city, one sees scattered settlements of construction labourers - a collage of cancerous asbestos propped up with poles, with a sheet over their heads if they are lucky. These flank the soaring skyscrapers that taunt them - built by their hands, but far from their reach. The sight of these glaring inequalities in urban spaces has become so habitual in contemporary India that they have become a blind spot. Our world-view is coloured by the mentality that money predetermines the right to healthy space. Among many architectural projects making their mark on the landscape, few projects stand apart,they do not want to stand out. They do not aspire to be more than the people whom they serve. One such project ,’Avaas’ an affordable housing project by Nebula Infrastructure aims to address the future of those who build for us. It has built safe and dignified housing for over 500 construction workers. The settlement shows a great sensitivity in design, and handling of material and space, based on a mobile superstructure that mimics the nomadic nature of its users. It is this architecture, the architecture of the people, that is assimilated and indistinguishable from the community it serves, and the architect, anonymous. Here the intentions of the architect are understanding and upliftment - from the start to the finish of the process; from the arms that build, to the eyes that see, to the tiny feet that play. A successful example is that of The Anganwadi Project (TAP), where 18 playschools have been built for underprivileged children. In this process, the architect is key as a mediator of knowledge, using technical expertise to realise the needs of the community and mobilise local resources. Each structure gives dignity of thought to a tiny space, one that might otherwise be neglected. This creates a large impact in a community whose existence is at the whim of city developers. In this manner, the project provides sensitively designed spaces full of personality, empowering those who need it the most. TAP also serves as an admirable example for the architectural community as both the triumphs and the pitfalls are openly acknowledged with each structure becoming precedent for the next. These projects stand apart for their intention to address the spaces of those fragments of society which remain unaddressed by the masses. Choosing to recognise them as equals ensures better understanding of their living conditions, and their involvement in the design process gives them a sense of worth. This is where architectural education in India falls short. The drive for a building to impact the landscape takes precedence over its impact on the user. The overemphasis and glamourisation of the profession creates a dynamic akin to the skyscraper and the slums at its feet. The architecture of the people launches a quiet rebellion against this gigantism in an efficient yet playful way, questioning it, “How much achieved, how many impacted, how many less harmed with so much less?”
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FIGHTING FOREVER
the case for sustainable ephemerality.
FIGHTING FOREVER CEPT University, Kurula Varkey Design Forum Winning Entry Co-written with Ayesha de Sousa Published on www.kvdforum.in
Buildings die. The vast majority of buildings erected over the course of history are gone. Still, architecture remains obsessed with the idea of permanence- to leave a tangible legacy. This desire is encompassed in the words of critic John Ruskin, “When we build let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone. Let it be such work as our descendants will thank us for and let us think we lay stone on stone that a time is to come when those stones will be held sacred.” The concept of permanence though, is a contentious one. The idea that architecture must last forever, not only be durable but also permanent is a Western concept, documented by Vitriuvius in De architectura. Of the three virtues of architecture: Firmitas Utilitas Venustas (Durability Utility Beauty), Firmitas celebrates a building’s ability to endure based on its material strength and construction quality. Vitruvius often advocates through absolute statements such as “a faultless wall may be built to last forever” and “escape ruin as time goes on.” Much of the Vitruvian argument centres around the persistence of the building, that a certain configuration of authentic material fulfilling its intended purpose is architecture- a perfection that will endure to eternity. No matter how strong the architect’s desire for their creation to endure, a building is after all material, and must in some capacity yield to the beating of the weather, wind, snow and rain or is simply compromised by poor construction. From the collection of water in Le Corbusier’s Savoye to the infamous leaky roofs of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, the surrender of material to nature proves costly and taxing for the inhabitants of the structure. Even those buildings that we regard as well preserved have absorbed their fair share of conservation expenses to maintain their cultural capital. Take the Eiffel Tower, a monument that was designed to be temporary, made to endure through the replacement of all of its members, none of which were witness to the World’s Fair in 18891. Modern Architecture too shows evidence of deterioration- with the renovation of the Centre Pompidou at a projected expense of $120 million1. Oftentimes, architecture fails to acknowledge time, and the burden it can put on future generations to maintain or use structures that outlast their relevance. Olympic infrastructure in its pursuit of grandeur has been notorious for the same. Some argue that architecture should only exist as long as society’s commitment to it. While some buildings survive the test of time, they might still fail their functions for multiple reasons, from changing urban morphology to a variation in user groups. It begs the question- is the shell valid if its intended function is obsolete? This evolution of the built environment was addressed by Rem Koolhaas in the 1978 publication “Delirious New York,” noting that a skyscraper is forever subject to conflicting demands. As a monumental object, it is associated with “permanence, solidity and serenity5.” Yet it is, at root, a container of space whose owners and occupants are buffeted by shifting economic fortunes.
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ILLUSTRATIONS Illustrations done for various competitions exploring different styles and softwares
Mumbai City
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120 hrs, 2020
Post-Pandemic Housing
MOO Competition, 2020
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URBAN SKETCHING Sketches done during different sketchwalks, trips and as a way to document my surroundings
Basillica of Bom Jesus, Goa
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June 2019
Jama Majid Gate, Old Bhopal
February 2019
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Saavi Natekar
saavinatekar@gmail.com +91 9545642211