Architecture Portfolio 2023

Hall of Nations, Delhi.

Rhinocerous 6, Adobe Suite

Topics in Architectural History, Fall 2022

Collections of works: M.Arch, 2021 - 2023

All drawings in this collection of works are produced by author, unless specifically specified.

POCKETS

NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL

1st semester - Graduate Design II , UMNTC Instructors- Ar. Jennifer Yoos, Ar. Molly M Dalsin Rhinocerous, AutoCad,Adobe Suite, Lumion

The brief of the project was to design a Music school in St Paul, Minnesota while taking into consideration the School and Community Centre in its vicinity. The site acted as a center between the community center and the School. It was meant to be used by the community after hours and it acted like an extension to the school’s music program.

FORM:

The idea was to let the grid that held the my building, the sizes of the bubbles were The bubbles were raised above the ground the building where people go to move freely make sure it also served as a connection between helps to create an area when the space is other vegetation to exist in its openness.

bubbles influence my structure and movement through were based on the requirements of the space/program. ground significantly to create voids between the ground and freely through. The entrances and opening were placed to between the school and the community center. The form is still structured but still has perforations for trees and

Section CC’

Section BB’

PROGRAM:

The space needed to be something that people would be automatically drawn into which meant it needed to stand out in this neighborhood through the myraid of row houses. The bubbles help represent a playful musical spaces that are lifted up into the air and represent the lightness of space. The planning was done keeping in mind the different access points to the site, to the north of the site the spaces that were pertaining to the school was present, like the library, recording rooms, student spaces and practice rooms. The spaces towards the south is reserved for more public spaces like the auditorium. The trees on the site have been retained through the grid.

TREEHUGGER KINDERGARTEN

The project is intended to serve 3-6 years of age children as a preschool, located in St Paul, in a residential and safe neighborhood. The studio was divided into two parts, the first one, net positive studio focused on the integration between architecture design, environmental Technology and high performance regenerative practice, which mainly involved a lot of research and studies with energy optimization. The second part of the studio focused more on the design aspect of it where we followed the Reggio Emelia approach to early childhood education, where we prioritized learning in creative ways through its surroundings and using the building itself as a building tool.

2nd semester - Graduate Design II , UMNTC Instructors - Richard Graves,Ar. Brent Nelson Revit, SketchUp, Rhinocerous, Sefaira, Adobe Suite, Twinmotion

selected works 2023 -

Interaction with Site

Views from Building

Sefaira Model Studies

+Addition of raised structure to block excess sunlight

+ Addition of overhangs

+ Added southern facing windows with overhang

+ Removal of outer windows + Subtraction to create voids

+ Reducing height of protrusions

+ Addition of clerestory for indirect sunlight

+ Addition of southern facing windows with overhang on alternative sections to balance light

+ Basic Donut structure + Windows along the periphery

Form:

The form was based on many factors, mainly being the idea of safety and getting the best possible optimization based on the Sefaira models, the site and program.

PROGRAM:

The building was designed in a way that the spaces that required less space and were more private/intimate were kept in the narrower tail of the building and more public spaces and spaces that were in need of more area and height were kept at the wider end of the building for example the Play area, the reception, classrooms etc.

Section BB’

Section AA’

PROGRAM:

The Indoor play area has been designed to use the building structure to its advantage and create a space where students get to interact with raw materials, something similar to playing in a jungle, swinging on ropes, climbing trees, etc. The Jungle consists of placeholders for rocking climbing and provides a soft cushion matting to allow the children to play as freely as they like.

Primary Beams

Secondary Beams

STRUCTURAL CONCEPT:

The structural Concept of the building stemmed from trying to get as much Southern sun as possible into the building. The butterfly roof with webbed truss allows sunlight to penetrate through the clerestory windows through both directions. The angle on the Northern side has been reduced to allow the possibility of a roof garden. The butterfly roof also creates a dip in the middle and channels water , this has been used as a water element in the building as well.

Exploded Axonometry of structural Grid

Concrete Columns

Purlins

Structural Study Model

1. Soil 6”

2. 2x2” Rigid Insulation

3. Exposed Timber Truss

4. Corrugated Metal Shading fin

5. Interior Stud Wall

6. Knife Plate Connection

7. 2x5” Rigid Insulation

8. Double Pane Insulated Window

9. Vapor Barrier

[PLAY]CE

RETHINKING CHILDREN’S PSYCHIATRIC REHAB

Master’s Final Project

Instructor - Ph.D Benjamin Smith

WHAT?

This project is proposing to take another look at the way we design psychiatric rehabilitation for children. Generally when we think about healing architecture we think about a place that is peaceful, calm, with subtle colors, greenery and quiet but children do not operate that way, they express themselves very differently as opposed to a grown adult but this difference has not been reflected in the way we design rehabilitation centers for children. The project will be situated in New Mexico, which is one of the worst affected states with the highest number of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

WHY?

The consequences of childhood trauma are seen much more clearly when the child is an adult. It manifests into adulthood in many unfortunate ways as the mental growth of the child is stunned at that age the trauma occurred, like depression, anxiety, addiction etc. Healing does not look the same for everyone. Since Young children do not have the needed understanding to assimilate their trauma experiences, nor do they have the communication skills or the healthy coping skills needed to heal from trauma conventionally.For this reason, psychiatrists have used a therapy treatment that has worked well which uses the children’s universal language which is PLAY.

SITE DESIGN

HOW?

One of the trauma in children is treated is by using play therapy which is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy. Since Young children do not have the needed understanding to assimilate their trauma experiences, nor do they have the communication skills or the healthy coping skills needed to heal from trauma conventionally.For this reason, psychiatrists have used a therapy treatment that has worked well which uses the children’s universal language which is PLAY. Since I’m proposing to integrate something loose like play into a rehabilitation program which is very rigid and strict. To understand it better, I separated the spaces in childrenscapes to 5 different spaces. Learn, play, heal, rest, services, socializing and to study how they interact with each other.

Rhinocerous, Grasshopper, Adobe Suite,

LEARN PLAY HEAL REST SERVICE SOCIALIZE

LEARN PLAY HEAL REST SERVICE SOCIALIZE

LEARN PLAY HEAL REST SERVICE SOCIALIZE

LEARN PLAY HEAL REST SERVICE SOCIALIZE

LEARN PLAY HEAL REST SERVICE SOCIALIZE

LEARN PLAY HEAL REST SERVICE SOCIALIZE

Spatial Syntax Diagrams

To study the relationship between different programs of spaces and how they (should) interact with each other, I created a spatial syntax diagram as shown below. Different iterations were created based on the level rigidity and placement of spaces.

Step 1: 2D Spatial syntax diagrams

The inner circle in these diagrams represent the rigidity of a psychiatric rehabilitation space, where more ‘serious’ activities like classrooms, services, play therapy with clinicians etc. The outer circle however represents a more free-willed play and learning spaces where most of the agency is given to the children themselves.

Step 2: Approximate plan layout

Based on the syntax diagrams, these approximate plan diagrams were created to understand the scale of spaces in relation to one another, and how they might interact with each other.

Step 3 : 3D space Articulation

Based on the Plan concepts, a series of 3D diagrams were created to help understand how the different spaces might interact in elevations and how level based connectivity might work.

FORM

Based on 3D concepts, the cuboid is diagonally cut through to allow open play areas which ensures the play-scpaes get most out of the site. The heart of the building which is the main play area, is made out of a net structure which is inspired by the ‘Knit Playground’ and the ‘Sensory Playground’ which has been created to provide children with flexible spaces which enact a mother’s womb which translates into something that is homely, comfortable and flexible as well, these nets would also be used as a circulation

The building is entered through a stairway on the southside, where people are met with the reception and a view of children playing in the play area on the ground level. The children can use the net for activities like circulate throughout the building as it is connected to all floors and also as a place to reflect in below sunshine, as a play space, to jump around, and relax. On first floor, the program is mainly focusing on the healing aspect of the project, where there private counseling rooms for a one on one counseling but also a large emphasis on healing through play, so there are play therapy rooms which consists of music rooms, arts and crafts, Toy room, Game Room, Dance room etc. These help in letting children express themselves through these mediums as they are not as verbally equipped to express their issues.

Interior view of the auditorium

Interior View of the Play net area