Undergraduate Interior Design Portfolio

saylee jain

Academic Projects

1

Hospitality

(Boutique hotel in Sikkim, Gangtok)

Community Workspace

(Co-working space, in Ahmedabad)

Educational (Primary school in rural Gujarat)

Exhibition (Exhibition Fort, Delhi)

Passion Projects

Amoeba Design Studio (Interior Design Intern)

Experiment Labs (Conceptual Designer)

design at Red

Academic Projects

My academic projects have ranged from designing hospitality spaces, educational projects, workspaces to curating exhibitions and designing illustrative narratives. My sense of understanding the users and stakeholders as well as getting a grasp on the context is very strong. My design approach is to keep the needs of the human being and the context at the very centre. In the process, I have developed a skill of storytelling through spatial design. My design sensibilities have only grown with every academic project which will be reflected in my proffesional practice.

Recitals of Sikkim

(Boutique hotel in Sikkim, Gangtok)

Sikkim is a land of culturally rich stories and tales that travel around with you as you traverse the state. The oral narratives have that the Teesta river was wholly and deeply in love with Rangeet, who is passionate and fierce and transcends from the same mountains. This project is the recital of the story of two rivers. I have used spatial design as a tool to make the users experience the different emotions and experieces that the story makes me go through. The rising action of the story is ‘long scenic acess’ and ‘love and acceptance’, the conflict in the story is defined by ‘divergence, distraction and turbulence’ and the falling action of the story is assosciated with ‘reflecion’ and ‘reconcillation’. As one walks through the different spaces of the hotel, the interior space making elements come together to express the respective emotion of the story.

Masterplan with Roof

Once their courtship is accepted and blessed by the Mt. Khangchendzonga, the two rivers, in look out for individuality, diverge to their individual paths to meet as grown beings. Rangeet, while fiercer and speedier, is distracted by the guidance of its serpent while Teesta, more slower and calmer, reaches before its lover. This is bothersome to Rangeet and triggers a turbulence in the relationship. The mountains and mother earth intrude to calm down the disturbance that has been caused in the lives of nature and the earthy people. The two rivers, have now reconciled at the Sangam point and flow together till eternity.

1. Entry

2. Sculpture Room

3. Reception

4. Restaurant and Bar

5. Spa

6. Rooms

7. Back of House

Reception

love and acceptance

understanding love and acceptance in monastery

translating spatial qualities in the reception area

The sculpture room is a glass box surrounded by greens. The central sculpture is the main entrance attraction.

decoding the achieved form according to concept

The entrance foyer is a warm wooden corridor with a small space for guest luggage storage.

sculptureroom

the thick built shelf

the cocoon like interior space

FOYER (in a warm cocoon like built)

solid walls with minimum openings

Use of Wood as primary material to introduce warmth and coziness in the space 3 4

Amalgamation of built-in and loose furniture to manifest the charecteristics of Teesta and Rangeet

5

reception interior view with the central fire place

reception interior view of a corner introverted seating

Restaurant and bar

divergence, distraction and turbulence

The designed hotel has two restaurants and a bar. The two restaurants are representations of the two rivers, Teesta and Rangeet. Both of them depicting characteristics of the rivers respectively.

understanding divergence and directions in monastery foyer

The bar is on the mezzanine level, depting turbulence in the folk tale. The space is designed wth tinted glass and mirror ceiling to create diffusion.

translating spatial qualities in the restaurant area

translating spatial qualities in the restaurant area

translating spatial qualities in the bar area

1 2 3 4

Tinted glsss box, assyemtrical furniture layout, and circulr furniture to create sense of turbulence

Wooden rafters to change the interior form drastically, representing the loud Rangeet river

Quaint color palette, minimal furniture, muted textures, double height ceiling, linear movements for the teesta river

Loud rangeet restaurant with bold colors, expansice chandeliers, patterned flooring and zig-zag movements

Sectional Perspective

Rangeet Restaurant

Teesta Restaurant

The square plan is divided into further symmetrical zones with internal points of reflection

The square plan is divided into further symmetrical zones with internal points of reflection

Internal courtyard is the primary point of centrality and reflection

achieving symmetry with nature at centre

achieving symmetry with human at centre

Spa Ground Floor Plan

Spa First Floor Plan

monochrome coor palette to focus on the functional activity hence re-inforcing the idea of reflection

Courtyard in the centre as the central reflective point

Therapy beds are focussed with one light fixture with the idea of centrality

Individual pockets with the idea of centrality

Spiral staircase for primary movement

Square pockets at the entrance of the spa, wih the element of centrality

View of the central courtyard, and the symmetrical space

Women Work Place

(Co-working space for women in Kalupur, Ahmedabad)

The project ‘Women Work Space’ gives a community platform for working for 100 women from Kalupur area. Surveys in this area revealed several women work in their households running small businesses in ‘farsan’ industry in poor conditions. My project creates a platform for making selling and co-working spaces for this user group. For this project an abandoned mill building is repurposed in the same vicinity i.e Kalupur area. This building has been vacant for 8 decades now. It used to function as a textile mill and was designed for that purpose. The building is also an opportunity to re-think new functions but has to be designed to create a comfortable, lit, spacious environment for working. The interior resolutions will give a new extended life and vitality to this old building while also making a community space for women to come together and run businesses.

site conditions

The site is one of the abandoned mills in the Teliya Mill compound in kalupur area. The mill is currently a godown for a jeans manufacturer. the windows are covered with temporary fittings and the place is poorly lit and ventillated. The two floors above ground are dilapidated

The first and the second floors are in extremely dilapidated conditions.

Interiors are dark and dingy as fenestrations are covered with

The structure of the building is made of cast iron. The columns and the jack arch ceiling have been rusted and needs repairment.

Thebuilding facde is visible righ from the entrance to the lane exposing all

There

cottage industries in Kalupur

Women in Kalupur area are engaged in multiple cottage industries that they run from home. Most of them include making farsans like papad, sev, achaar or khakra. Some women are also enaged in working with fabric and textiles. They stitch, embroider and weave for the people of the community.

Major reason for this enaggement is to keep themselves busy during the day hours when the majority family members are not home. Some woemn also do these activities in a group at a single person’s house, to maintain a social life and have company.

space planning

Hot

Vaani

(A primary school in Zainabad, Gujarat)

The intent was to design a school that aims to help children become critical thinkers who are able to articulate and reason ideologies and emotions. It also intends to encourage children to become opinionated, assertive and to possess their own voice. The school seeks to break the conventional notion of a ‘pin-drop silence’ classroom environment and allows individuals to possess their own voice and participate in discussions and dialogues. The project looks at two kinds of dialogues, Individual and Collective, where the former one allows for a discussion with one-self and the latter one gives room for discourse between people of varied thought processes and ideologies. Set in a rural background, the project aims to nurture a child’s opinions as valuable insights by providing a fluid space that allows for varied possibilities to coexist. Spaces are designed to promote conversations, community engagement and storytelling as essential tools for learning.

classroom cluster

The classroom cluster is designed to be a space for discussions and discourses. The two interior spaces are divided by one movable partition common spill-out space outseide classrooms

movement around classrooms allow visual access inside

physical access to adjacent classroom

low heighted windows for students to see outside while sitting

low seating bench platform for teacher for no heirarchy

1 2 3

raised shelves for keeping books and stationery

Demarcated flooring for everyone to contribute on the same subject mattter. Platform that allows for discussion

loose low heighted furniture benches which can be moved around to created required spaces and used as seating 4 5

Kursi, a memoir

( Exhibition at Chhata Chowk, Red Fort)

KURSI has always alluded to a sense of authority. It has also been regarded a level higher than the common cone of vision. From the kursi that translates to mere power, this exhibition is a humble attempt to critically bring forth, showcase and celebrate kursis that mean more than that, and the kursis that are seen more often - from throne to thresholds. Kursis that define the cultural essence of being ‘Indian’..

The site for the proposal is a historical and iconic one-Chhata Chowk Bazaar or Meena Bazaar, Red Fort. Historical because it was the gateway to the throne of Shaha Jahan, and iconic as it became the bazaar of the common. The Exhibition is a 3 hour experience which takes the vistor to a guided journey of the commoners, attributed in the following scenesthe Entrance, the Living, the Kitchen, the Dhaba, the Panchayat the Gathering, the Wedding, the Baithak and the Lounge

exhibition poster

The poster gives a glimpse of what Red fort used to represent and that underlying the current market which is very publicly accessible to everyone now, was a state of authority. The exhibition KURSI, on a commoner’s life is meant to be an irony in the main chowk of the Red Fort. the colors and the graphics talk about the same transition .

process schematic plan

the shops

the arcade the exhibition

the exhibition

Into the living room, with sankheda chairs and the jhoola, visitors are served with buttermilk to beat the heat of the outside. They can relax and experience the displayed seating elements.

Into the kitchen, the guests are given small vessels, hearths and teapots to prepare any basic food/beverage they wish to. Sitting on floor seats like the mudda, the pidha or the paata, the visitors indulge into activities themselves

Welcome to the exhibition. The first sequence is entering the house. The visitor is briefed bout the exhibition here. The subtle indian classical music and the hosts welcome you warm 3 2 1

to the panchayat, the visitors are taken to the open octagonal courtyard or the chhattar manzil. Under the open sky, 2 takhat’s are joined together for the sarpanch nd gram panchayat to sit on and address the commoners sitting on the floor or the paved paths

To the gathering in the verandah, people from the panchayat have decided to gather at a friend’s house for a game of cards and tea in the evening. Sitting on the mudhas and charpais the guests indulge in a small game of cards with the hot beverage, served to them.

Into the dhaba, the visitors are serves a small meal and the food they prepared in the previous sequence. Sitting on he pata under the open sky gives a feel of the roadside dining experience 6 5 4

The occasion of wedding calls for a musical performance by artists. The guests then enter the baithak where they indulge into classical music. A veena vadak is to be seated on the deewan and accompanied by a harmonium player

Lastly, to unwind, the visitors come to the lounge, where mellow music is played. Visitors can pick up a few reads from the bookshelf and enjoy a glass of hot coffee or cold lemonade while relaxing before they move down to reality.

The visitors then attend a marriage ceremony. They sit on low seats or the pidha which are meant for the bride and groom and indulge into the wedding games. Finding the ring from the rose water, etc 9 8 7

Proffesional Projects

My professional experience, even though limited, has exposed me to practicalities of the spatial design practice. I have interacted with users and stakeholders alike to understan their needs, aspiations and requirements. I have dealt wih vendors and site supervisors to understand the challanges faced on site. I have had on-ground experience with material selections, budgeting and material application on site. I am eager to add to my professional projects’ portfolio.

Amoeba Design Studio, Pune (Interior Design Intern)

Amoeba Design studio is a boutique firm based in Pune. Founded by Ar. Pashmin Shah and Ar. Satyajeet Patwardhan, this twelve year old practice designs chic luxury homes across the country. The firm strives to create homely spaces catering to the clients’ individual personalities and needs. As the studio team is very small, my job as an intern was very elaborate. I undertook responsibilities of producing working drawings of multiple projects, I proposed layouts, created mood boards, dealt with vendors and reported updated progress on sites.

Shah House, Pune

Site Management for Civil Work

Layout Development

Villa La Gamla, Goa

La Rozallia- Type 2, Goa

Experiment Labs (Conceptual Designer)

Experiment Labs is an start-uo. They are a leadership development platform that transforms young minds to think as leaders. Children in their formative years tend to learn and observe most efficiently. EL helps them find their talents, strengths, and weaknesses through our programs. EL needed to pitch their ideations for an offline learning centre that reflects their ideologies to investors. I helped them with conceptualizing the spaces through layouts and movement vs form iterations.

1. reception 4. classroom 1 7. collaboration space

2. coffee station 5. classroom 2 8. recording room

3. washroom 6. classroom 3

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

1

Passion projects

I am an event organizer and manager by nature. I enjoy conducting discourses and debates, hosting and participating various talk forums, organizing platforms to enagage in meaningful conversations, creating opportunities for voicing opinions and beliefs. Additionally, I also enjoy reading and writing. I have immense love for people I enagage with and places I go to, Over the years, I have engaged in multiple endevaours that allow me to explore my passions and interests

1.

A ‘ CONNECT” series event. In conversation with Educator and Researcher Parantap Bhatt based in Toronto and Parth Pandya, digital designer at Volkswagon

A Dabu Print workshop in Pipar (near Jodhpur) that i organised for a department academic trip with attendance of 56. That is me getting hands-on.

I enjoy writing. I have written for the department newletters multiple times and got 2 issues published in the last academic year. I also pur my heart out @thewhitepostcards on instagram.

Exploring and experimenting with materials

Hosting events

As the pre-final batch, made mementos for the convocating batch. Experimented with concrete for the shells for the planters.

Hosted the academic event for the 32nd Foundation day of the department at the University. Was in discussion with Priti Rao, founder at Spacehouse Himalayas and Avani Sethi, founder of Conflictorium, Ahmedabad.

Photograping people and places

4. 5.

6.

This is a photograph taken of one of the wooden houses at Shoja, Himachal Pradesh.