Portfolio // January 2023 // Architecture.Interior.Product.Research

Shail Sheth

Content

Selected Works

01.

02.

03.

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06.

Detailing and Making processes, Ergonomic studies

07.

A comparative analysis of assembly approach between interior systems and phenomena of tree, Research Thesis

Fungi Network

Adaptive Reuse + Extension project, USA

Extroverting the Introvert

Adaptive Reuse Assembly Construction project, India

Transcendence Jurassic Camp House competition entry, USA

Hanging in Thin Air

Adaptive Reuse project, India

Wooden Bicycle

Cold-Press Glulam Wooden bicycle prototype

Thinking in Objects

Phenomena in Nature are Systems in Interior

Evolving relationship between major components of design and how they can be impacted through sub components and vice versa. This inquiry is developing from 2018 and with new learnings and understanding - there is addition, subtraction, new relationships between major and minor components. The goal behind this inquiry is to formulate an idea-road map for assembly based construction design which considers aesthetics, functionality, materiality, and planning with equal importance.

Materiality

Impact of the form on material explorations

Technique and Technology and their advancements

Assembly strategies

Additional parameters (Geography, Function, Site, etc.)

Composition

Organization

Manifestation

Kit of Parts (KOP)

Development and Resolution

Assembly

Junctions & Details

01 // Fungi Network

Type: Adaptive Reuse + Extension

Studio Advisor: Prof. Sarosh Anklesaria & Prof. Jonathan Kline

Location: Pittsburgh, USA // Scale: 110,000 sq.ft

Fungi Network is designed to target the inequities witnessed in Homewood community by addressing the themes of circularity, pedagogy, and biomaterials. The themes addresses the issues of disinvestment in the area that affects the area ecologically and socially. These inequities manifest as vacant houses, the lack of opportunity for the residents, and the perpetuation of the linear building material life cycle.

The proposal offers the solutions to these inequities. In conjunction with the local business, Construction Junction (C.J), the proposal will amplify their already established circular economy with the introduction of the biomaterial: Mycelium, and the materials that C.J does not process. Fungi Network includes the adaptive reuse of an existing structure along with the new extension elements that will house an institution to process the salvaged materials and biomaterials as well as a research facility to keep the practices up to the latest technologies and innovations.

The new facility will offer the residents of Homewood community the opportunity to receive training and jobs that will support the transition into a world of decarbonized materials. Despite the barriers that community faces, they have established places of social gathering and cultural significance. The proposal plans to amplify the community by elevating the artists in the community with artists’ spaces along the platform that connect the existing spaces. Fungi Network aims to provide support for a just transition towards the decarbonization of materials.

Duration:14 Weeks // Team member: Shayla Thomas

Jobs & Education

49% work in health care and social services

23% earned a college degree

20% work in education sector

Median Income

$50,000 or lesser household income

Site

Ego v/s Eco

Lifting Land

Sheltering the architecture

Disassembly design

Reuse and Resee

Reacting Living material

Iteration models for roof variations

Finalized roof variation model considering the north light intake

Finalized roof variation model structure resolution

Exterior view of the proposal Fungi Network

Model conceptually depicting the articulation difference between mycelium cladded roof (in white) in comparison to other components and elements (in plywood)

Research Lab interior view and the seamless relationship with the platform

Mycelium panel of the roof being replaced in the Makers space

Working scenario and the internal relationship between existing built form (adaptation) and the extension

02 // Extroverting the Introvert

Adaptive Reuse Assembly Construction academic project

Studio Advisor: Professor Kireet Patel (kireetpatel@cept.ac.in)

Location: Ahmedabad, India // Scale: 16,146 sq.ft

The project proposes an amalgamation of three types of public spaces within the Premabhai hall, Ahmedabad, with a sensitive and critical approach towards adaptive re-use.

The core idea for the concept was to derive an interior assembly system which does not seize any amount of the interior floor area, hence allowing a free, undisputed and clear floor plate. To make the idea possible, the system is dependent totally on the vertical structure of the architecture. Using a truss girder system, two elevated levels connected by a suspended glass tunnel forms the Heritage museum space. Suspended pre-stressed wooden vertical beams in the proscenium allows two intermediate levels inside the rib of the beams to function as the Pole-play theatre.

The Bhadra bazaars (markets) are incorporated on the eastern and western side of the built. To make the bazaar work efficiently, an external facade comprising of concrete pipes inter-connected by escalators are suspended by girders from the top, making the facade interactive and lively from both the outside and inside and making the built-form visually lighter.

Beautifully resonating in the entire space is the direct conflict between the aesthetics of the members and the details of the concept of assembly along with the homogeneous concrete architecture of the built.

Duration: 16 Weeks

assembly system

Facade system, open elevated vertical transit system

Facade system, open elevated vertical transit system

Elevated levels of the Heritage museum space

Suspended theatre constructed through Glulam inverted vertical beams and metal components forming junction with existing concrete structure

Suspended theatre with material rendering showing the experiential quality and functioning of the space

Glulam wooden component

03 // Transcendence

Jurassic Camp House competition

Jury members: Aaron Neubert and Dan Brunn

Location: Paria Canyon Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, USA

With an idea of the conception of life in Jurassic Age experienced through the site’s ancient heritage, the concept took the form of an egg module having a subtle conversation with its surroundings by continuing the dynamic horizontality through its articulation, yet translating the conversation in its own language through its form.

It stands proudly with the warm, rich tone of laminated Douglas Fir and sleek metal sections. The prefabricated module, elevated on six pillars to accommodate itself in the undulating site, eliminates the concept of a wall to experience a feeling of the sheer force of the surroundings in a panoramic view.

The module can be disassembled and can host different functions in different locations, as required, like resting, sleeping, an administration working area, etc. with transparent solar panels capping it making the module energy-sufficient and accentuating the feel of the bare nature around.

Key words: Transcend, Invigorating, Intrepid, Lucid and Engulfing.

My contribution and scope of work:

- Conceptualization and Ideation of the form

- Configuration and organization of the pods

- Resolution of the assembly stages

- Individual 3D model of the pod and 2D drawings depicting the working and space planning of the interior spaces

Team member: Chirag Upadhyay & Kush Bansal

Egg form used with the site contours

Outer skin acting as a light diffuser

Pod performing as a self-sufficient system

Emerging from the context and Merging in the lines of the surrounding

Interior view of the Level 2

Level 2

Level 3

Assembly stages of the pod with minimal ground excavation

04 // Hanging in Thin Air

Adaptive Reuse Academic project

Studio Advisor: Ratna Shah and Errol Reubens Jr.

(ratna.shah@cept.ac.in & errol.reubens@cept.ac.in)

Location: Ahmedabad, India // Scale: 68,298 sq.ft

The enormously vast, seemingly immeasurable and loosely punctuated space of the abandoned Industrial building sitting in close proximity to the airport, in its measure of floating flights, echoed the dimensions of infinity of space and mankind’s adventure to measure, and, the experience of being weightless.

The idea of the experience, the fancy and the thrill of being in air, experiences associated with being suspended, levitated, projected and pushed through space can not only be experienced but also be enriched by providing a deeper understanding of the science behind it.

The Flightorium Center functions as an Experience and Science centre taking visitors from pragmatic and speculative experiences, through a series of spaces in a sequential order and then opening up to the large volume which appears to be suspended through a tactile grid network.

Existing spatial grid of the structural network of the site and the spatial dimension that it offers is stretched by offsetting it and punctuating it against another tactile grid which accentuates the depth of space and exaggerates the illusion of infinity.

The constant referencing of both while moving around suspended volumes intends to give the dimension of infinity a thrill.

Duration: 16 Weeks

Site having airport runway in close proximity

Understanding site through parameters

Explorations and development of type of grid and the organizational and structural capabilities

01. Entry 1

02. iFly simulator

03. Levitating pod

04. Amphitheater

05. Exhibition space

06. Entry 2

07. Watch tower

08. Library

09. Workshop spaces

10. Theatre

11. Open space

12. Kitchen

Latitudinal section through the Flightorium experience centre and Aviation science centre Interior view of the Flightorium centre from the Levitating pod area towards the amphitheater

Interior view of the Exhibition space

the

Roofing detail with the grid system

Metal bracket supporting the concrete floor

beam structure supporting

new intervention Amphitheater Workshops Library Entrance to Aviation Science centre Entrance to Flightorium centre

05 // Wooden Bicycle

Cold-press Glulam Wooden bicycle design

Project under: Ar. Jwalant Mahadewala (connect@andblackstudio.com)

Status: First stage prototype executed

The project started by comparing the vibration absorption co-efficient of wood as a material with aluminum, which is majorly used in the Urban sport bicycles. In the aluminum frame structure, the vibration is absorbed through the additional shock absorbers installed in the front fork and/or the rear end of the frame.

Ideas initiation started from the removal of the shock absorbers and making the frame geometry along with the material of the frame which absorbs the vibration from the tarmac, giving the rider a smooth and comfortable ride.

To manifest the idea into a real form, the cycle’s structural frame was re-thought and re-engineered from scratch keeping in mind wood as material and Glulam as a technique. The geometry and orientation of the grains of wood were used to an advantage to make the frame optimum in terms of proportion and elemental sizes which ultimately reflected on the overall weight of the bicycle.

Glulam wooden frame structure was divided into 4 parts which was guided by the elemental proportion according to the function and orientation of the wooden grains by the type and the axis of forces. To make the frame rigid and durable, the wood has been compressed and later made into thin strips of 6mm for Glulam lamination.

Duration: 8 Weeks Design // 20 Weeks Execution

Glulam wooden members as per the bending curve and angles

Comparison between the existing and new bicycle frame

Stainless steel detail aligning with the curves of the wooden members for aesthetical and structure

Process of glue-laminating the wooden strips to form one singular component

Exploded view of the bicycle

06 // Thinking in Objects

Ergonomic studies, Detailing and Making processes

Professional and Academic projects

Location: Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Morbi, India

Furniture developments were a continuous process and were initiated with the remaking of a wooden and a metal chair to understand : wood and metal as primary materials, wood joineries, metal junctions, and also analyzing the ergonomics and anthropometry involved in furniture design.

The design aspect had started by developing and executing the cantilevered wooden stool. The working system aspect in the furniture was explored in the Deployable deck chair where scissor mechanism was fused with the functionality of the deck chair. To manifest the fused idea, digital fabrication techniques were explored.

Techniques like laser cutting for process models and CNC milling/cutting were integrated for the final real scale prototype. Other furniture developments were guided by private project needs such as economical constraints, on tandem with the rest of interior space, time for execution and interior space type.

The office open workstations, office desks and units were developed from planar materials like sheet metal, plywood and MDF (medium density fiber) boards for rapid execution and for ease of quantifying. Furniture design process was first explored through paper, model explorations, leading to detailed development and material procurement, sourcing of skilled carpenters and craftspersons, to actual making in the workshop for a thorough understanding of the entire process.

Duration:14 Weeks // Guide: Professor Kireet Patel

Scale working model showing the five variations of the deck chair

Exploded isometric showing the kit of parts and assembly

Junction detail of the one of the four primary scissor moving parts Exploded isometric of the sculpture for kit of parts and assembly

Exploded isometric drawing of the chair showing the kit of parts and components coming together Prototype

Isometric of the facade system and the casted shadow

07 // Research Thesis

Phenomena in Nature are Systems in Interior: A comparative analysis of assembly approach between Interior systems and Phenomena of Tree

In interior-architecture practice, one of the many approaches is through systems. A system consists of many sub-systems which are systems in their whole. The study focuses on that approach and the tangible form of the manifestation which is an amalgamation of the structural, functional and aesthetic needs of the interior space.

The driving factor in interiors is the human need, and to address that, the relationship between the technical design, cultural based atmosphere and sense of place should be in harmony. However, technically focused interior design looses on the cultural significance and sense of place and viceversa. This triads needs a source to answer those problems. Nature is incorporated as the answer to the issue. In the field, nature has been looked at for forms and structure, but can nature also be the source for techniques which can be applied in the interiors?

Nature in this study is categorized into Visual and Technical aspects. Nature functions as a system, those functions are conducted by sub-systems which consist of their own sub-systems and they work in harmony for specific purposes. The research inquires in the direction where nature can aspire by its capabilities along with the source for optimum form derivation. The research identifies the factors in Interior-Architecture systems which are untouched, unexplored and unattended in the respect of phenomena of nature which can be the source for systems in interior.

Duration:14 Weeks // Guide: Professor Kireet Patel

Capabilities

Strategy of Assembly applied on Unit/Elements using theories of Montage theory and Layering considering and keeping in mind Tolerances, Clearances and Clash detections by using Junctions and Details to achieve Aesthetics and Functions with the Resources

Resources formulating Units and Elements through Growth principles, Strategies of Efficiencies and using Stratification with the effects of External forces which impacts the Accessible connections and Fragmentation points to achieve the Resultant form.

Character of the system

Assembly approach

Constituents of assembly

Units

Elements

Tolerance

Joints

Strategies

Montage

Theory

Layering

Resources

Aesthetics

Space Planning of the system

Opacity aspects of the system

Technical capabilities

Capabilities as constituents

Components

External factors

Fragmentation points

Strategies of Efficiency

Resources

Resultant

Porosity aspects of the system

Expansion

Seed as an outcome for the repetition of the process

Contraction of stem

Stem progression

Cotyledons, expression of duality

Seed sprouting

Roots

Azadirachta-indica & Polyathia-longifoila tree

Koch curve

Sierpinski Gasket

Analysis diagram of Agri Chapel

Analysis diagram of GC Prostho museum

Agri Chapel interior view GC Prostho museum interior view

Inferences for Character of system

Inferences for Space Planning of system

De-Materialization Principles

Bringing the material-form to the minimum by reduction/ fragmentation/ division of the material. During the process of De-Materialization the material is brought to the minimum hence creating or resulting into a certain degree of self-similarity between the elements leading to Standardization.

The rules-orders impacting elements an entity. The elements of an entity impacted with respect to organization and composition which results configuration of the tangible elements the entity.

elements of entity are organization results into elements of

Bringing the fragmentation of the elements and the principles of the elements of an entity together, to form a process/ method.

De-Materiality

Synthesis

Practice Principles

Acknowledgments;

With due respect and credits to the organizations, companies, universities, and individual people (as mentioned in the portfolio) for granting the access and permission to use the work I had done and for the opportunities provided.