Shreya Shridhar Portfolio | CEPT University

PORTFOLIO SHREYA SHRIDHAR | CEPT UNIVERSITY

CURRICULUM VITAE EDUCATION 2003- 2017: National Public school, Koramangala, Bangalore (Primary and secondary education) 2015: 10th std- CBSE (10 CGPA) 2017: 12th std- CBSE (94.2%) 2017 onwards: B. Arch, CEPT (Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology) University, Ahmedabad

SHREYA SHRIDHAR D.O.B: 15 June,1999 NATIONALITY: American LANGUAGES: English Hindi French (Basics)

I am an undergraduate student at the Faculty of Architecture, CEPT University. The manner in which architecture engages with its context, intersecting with physical, social and temporal layers, as well as the impact that it can have from an individual to a communal level intrigues me. I am an avid reader, and in my spare time engage myself in painting, sewing, or can be found making furry friends at a dog park.

CONTACT NUMBER: +91 7259875133 EMAIL ID: shreya.15.shridhar@gmail.com

EXPERIENCE Jan 2021- Jun 2021: Internship at Mathew and Ghosh Architects, Bangalore - Created CAD drawings for ongoing commercial and retrofitting projects - Worked on motion graphics and animations for and ongoing museum - Responsible for communication with various vendors SOFTWARE AND DIGITAL SKILLS AutoCAD Adobe Photoshop Adobe InDesign Adobe After Effects (Basics) SketchUp MS-Office Rhino (basics)

LEADERSHIP POSITIONS Head, Journalism Team, KVDF (Current position) Head, Reading Club, CEPT (2019-20) Deputy, Reading Club, CEPT (2018-19)

MANUAL SKILLS Drafting Sketching Photography Model making

ACCOLADES CEPT Excellence Award and a place in the Honours Exhibition for ‘Of Zest and Rest: A Melange of Staircases’.

WORKSHOPS 2017 - Measure Drawings of a Traditional Settlement – Chota Oda, Rajasthan 2018- Exploring Auroville Architecture 2018- Beyond Boundaries – Understanding Works of B V Doshi, Ahmedabad 2018- Understanding Place – Lunuganga + Brief Gardens, Sri Lanka 2019- Designing with CSEB, Auroville 2019- Public Open Spaces in Kathmandu with Pratyush Shankar 2019- Rammed Earth, CSEB, Adobe Construction – Hunnarshala Foundation 2020- Writing Urban Histories with Pratyush Shankar

CERTIFICATIONS NLP: Confidence, Assertiveness and Emotional IQ Masterclass Udemy Credential ID UC-29fab47d-1780-47ac-9def-230f814eb7bb French A1 Level Alliance Française de Bangalore

CONTENTS 01 | NARRATIVES IN ARCHITECTURE OF ZEST AND REST: A MELANGE OF STAIRCASES

02 | MASTERS’ STROKE PLACE FOR WELLNESS, WELLBEING AND MINDFULNESS

03 | FROM UTOPIAS TO HETEROTOPIAS MIGRANT HOUSING: VALUES OF TIME, DENSITY, CULTURE AND ENERGY

04 | LAND- BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS LIBRARY FOR GANDHI ASHRAM FOUNDATION

05 | FROM DRAWING BOARDS TO CONSTRUCTION SITES BHOJANAALAY

06 | ANCILLARY WORKS UNDERSTANDING PLACE- STUDY OF BRIEF AND LUNUGANGA GARDENS- BENTOTA, SRI LANKA DOCUMENTATION OF PUBLIC OPEN SPACES- KATHMANDU, NEPAL RELATED STUDY PROGRAMME (RSP)- MEASURE DRAWINGS OF SETTLEMENTS IN CHOTA ODA, RAJASTHAN

NARRATIVES IN ARCHITECTURE OF ZEST AND REST: A MELANGE OF STAIRCASES Studio 7 | Monsoon 2020 Bangalore, Karnataka Guided by: Dr. Meghal Arya

The onset of the pandemic has gotten us reminiscing about life before the outbreak.

Activities such as playing, eating and having a normal conversation have all been replaced with quick greetings, glances or rushed exchanges. At the time when we most need it, there is a severe loss of sense of community, leading to an increased feeling of isolation.

With our lives turned inside-out, this design aims to create a space to interact through another pre-existing inversion, unique to my neighbourhood in Bangalore- external staircases, while exploring the idea of degrowth through minimal inserts. Analogies were derived from the structure of a narrative to weave a story which could be experienced through architecture.

The staircases are sufficiently integrated as a part of the house, yet at the same time are dissociated enough to have the potential to either become, or host a network of inbetween spaces that act as a mediator between the inside and outside. One can them as a base to add inserts, one expands their function beyond a transitional element to create a programme with no defined function- just a shared, unified space where opportunities to interact can be created once again. In order to create this interplay of dynamism and calmness, a story was written from the lens of a child, using the staircases and the interventions to be introduced as their playground. By borrowing these in- between spaces from the private realm, a plethora of newer spaces and environments can be made available to choose from, each with the potential to host a memory of an interaction, specific to an individual. One can recreate a place to play, dine, gather, lounge- a place for one to be able to catch up with a friend, an unfamiliar neighbour or even a stranger. This series of extensions would integrate itself along the walls of the residences to create a collective public space, bordering the private spaces- a unifying space. Its mere existence would provide a relief from the publicness within one’s home. It would become a remnant of a world before the pandemic and a reminder of what was.

THE SETTING A shift from a realm of exteriors to a series of interconnected interiors. With our work life having slowly made its way through the walls of our houses, there is already an element of publicness that has been forced into the private realm.

In the city of Bangalore within a residential neighbourhood in Koramangala- what once used to be a bustling vibrant place had fallen into a lull. Parks and streets were deserted, and the area began to resemble a ghost town.

Activities such as playing, eating, having a normal conversation have all been replaced with quick greetings, glances or rushed exchanges. Only time you could see people step out their houses was to get essentials or just carry out routine, quintessential mundane tasks.

In spite of living in a residential neighbourhood, the physical proximity of two neighbouring houses unfortunately had no effect in bridging the social disconnect between its occupants.

The Compound walls with potential to create spaces of interaction were instead creating rigid boundaries and divisions. At the time when we most need it, there is a severe loss of sense of community, leading to an increased feeling of isolation.

Location of external staircases

Degree of privacy of external staircases

STAIRCASES AS A MEDIATOR However, the solution to this inversion, lay in another such inversion. Though typically private elements, the staircases of this neighbourhood have declared themselves as public by bringing themselves to the facades of the houses.

They each have a unique character. With varying forms, some of them have been introduced as plugins, while others wind themselves along the walls of the house, wrapping themselves around the exterior, merging themselves with the compound walls. Given their positioning, the staircases and facades of the houses have the potential to form a transitionary buffer between the interior and exterior, thereby mitigating the publicness of our homes.

They are sufficiently integrated as a part of the house, yet at the same time are dissociated enough to have the potential to either become, or host a network of in-between spaces that act as a mediator between the inside and outside - a shared, unified space where opportunities to interact can be created once again.

Form of external staircases

STORYBOARD AND CONCEPTUALIZATION While staircases offer vertical movement along the facades of the houses, narrow residual spaces between the houses as liminal spaces offer planar horizontal movement, as well as pause points.

This gave me the opportunity to create varying degrees of complexity of layering of movement of pause. An interplay of dynamism and calmness.

In order to create this interplay of dynamism and calmness, a story was written from the lens of a child, using the staircases and the interventions to be introduced as their playground. While the rest of the world hid behind their masks, children seemed rather unperturbed by the whole situation. They played and enjoyed in the residual spaces offered to them, creating a never before imagined multiplicity of space.

In contrast to the existing heavier concrete setting, a juxtaposition of lighter steel elements to create the interventions would intrigue people enough, yet at the same time not seeming too alien. A quick, light path for children to tread and jump upon, swinging and twisting from one place to another, yet at the same time creating calmer, more static spaces for the adults to either talk while supervising, or to withdraw from the publicness of the interiors.

Chance interactions

Dynamism

Hidden alleys

LAYERING OF MOVEMENT To determine the nature and location of movement and pause, various iterations were explored. A maze, snakes and ladders with highs and lows, and a different path to choose everytime, and the inherent nature of the site itself. With a mix and match of all three ideas, multiple paths were formed such that a user always has a new path to explore everytime they move through this. Spaces spill over connecting the staircases, balconies, terraces and roads, further strengthening this idea of interconnectivity and layering of movement.

Bit by bit, the facades of the homes began to branch out, further enhancing and defining this buffer space and instead giving people spaces to rest, play, traverse, converse and so much more.

ELEMENTS OF THE INTERVENTION A catalogue of a series of lighter elements has been used forming jungle gyms, staircases, ladders, niches, alcoves, extensions and platforms. Depending on their form and dimensions, the staircases too double up as spaces to rest, to grow plants, to read a book- a series of affordances and opportunities for people to use these elements the way they wish to. The elements have been added according to existing elements and activities observed, the user groups, internal configuration of the houses. With paths of movement that branch at multiple junctions, one may not even traverse upon the same path twice. Depending on the turn they choose to take that day, they may stumble upon a space to dine in a hidden alley, a space to swing and play, or a chance interaction with a neighbour they haven’t spoken to before. This creates a series of spaces of dynamism, calm spaces and spaces to withdraw.

A PLACE TO GATHER, A PLACE TO BE By borrowing these in- between spaces from the private realm, a plethora of newer spaces and environments can be made available to choose from, each with the potential to host a memory of an interaction, specific to an individual. One can recreate a place to play, dine, gather, lounge- a place for one to be able to catch up with a friend, an unfamiliar neighbour or even a stranger. This series of extensions would integrate itself along the walls of the residences to create a collective public space, bordering the private spaces- a unifying space. Its mere existence would provide a relief from the publicness within one’s home. It would become a remnant of a world before the pandemic and a reminder of what was.

MASTERS’ STROKE A PLACE FOR WELLNESS, WELLBEING AND MINDFULNESS Studio 4 | Spring 2019 Lonavala, Maharashtra Guided by: Sachin Soni

The studio dealt with the analysis of the attitudes of a given architect (in this case, RCR Arquitectes) towards design. After understanding RCR Arquitectes’ attitude towards various aspects of design, their attitudes must now be appropriated, modified and implemented according to the given programme and the context. The programme was a place for wellness, wellbeing and mindfulness with amenities such as residences, thermal baths, saunas and massage rooms.

The site is situated just a few kilometres away from Bhaja caves in Lonavala on a steep, rocky slope with dense vegetation. A place for wellness acknowledges the present moment, creating spaces to restore mind and body. It provides a nurturing setting, giving way to find oneself and interact with new acquaintances.

The material palette used is quite dark. There is usage of modern, more synthetic materials as well.

Form of building resembles a single horizontal line in the frame of view.

From an external point of view, mass acts as a datum.

Axis or circulation too can act as datum in some cases.

Greek tripartite order is used to respond to the volcanic stratification of the rocks in the area.

Form divided into modules of similar proportions to make it appear repetitive.

The principal grid is structural. This is then overlayed by a grid of light.

Intersection of volumes within volumes.

Solid from outside, hollow from inside. Voids are designed

Building either sits gently, or is anchored to a base.

There is a thin line of shadow under the building

The light in the region is white and diffused. It morphs spaces and blurs boundaries

Osmosis between in and out in terms of light and views. Usage of courtyards to blur boundaries between interior and exterior.

Creation of anamorphic spaces due to interjecting volumes.

It is a filmic journey through a sequence of arranged light and dark spaces and views.

ARCHITECTURAL ATTITUDES OF RCR ARQUITECTES After studying various projects by RCR Arquitectes, their attitudes and approaches were understood through the means of analytical drawings and diagrams. The aspects that were covered included (but were not limited to) their attitudes towards light, movement, structure, making and detailing, approach towards concepts, programme and response to context.

THE CUBE

THE MAZE

THE TROPHY

An installation made based on the architects’ attitude towards physical and ephemeral substances. From the exterior, it appears to be a solid mass, with the facades creating a sense of layering and long, vertical openings. The interiors are a series of voids which use light, shadow and reflective materials to create heightened volumes, frames and a stronger perception of depth.

A game made based on the architects’ attitude towards organizational and conceptual devices. The clue in order to solve the maze is alignment of frames. Once the right set of frames have been aligned, that is when the right set of openings align to form a path for the ball to move through.

In their projects, framing is used as a very strong device to establish a dialogue between the interior and the exterior.

An installation made based on the architects’ attitude towards making and detailing. In order to enhance the qualitative experience of the space and achieve unobstructed, planar surfaces, layers of constructional details are concealed. The trophy is a representation or abstraction of this idea of layering that is used to achieve those surfaces.

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Left to Right: Ground floor plan, Basement plan

The orientation of the plan was done to maximize views from site. The corridor acts as a connecting element or a datum as well as a continuation of the existing trails on site. The programmes were distinctly segregated through the four masses.

The programmes were split across levels based on degree of privacy but connected volumetrically. The overall organization of spaces was based on the structural grid. The long, rectilinear proportions of spaces prompt movement through them.

The movement occurs through a filmic journey of a sequence of interspersed light and dark spaces. The pauses in the journey are are articulated by the careful framing of different views.

SECTIONS Top to bottom: Section through multifunctional spaces and residence, section through dining, court and residence.

The corridor divides the programmes into spaces that are inward and outward looking spaces. The outward looking spaces are flooded with light and focus on views, where as the more inward looking spaces have more subtle meditative light and restricted view or frame the sky.

The removal of the fourth wall creates a stronger sense of enclosure, but blurs the boundaries between the interior and the exterior. Osmosis occurs between interior and exterior through light and framing of views. The inclusion of courtyards and open spaces within the built portion strengthens this dialogue.

The openings are articulated so that the built frames the natural appropriately.

This enhances the dialogue between the interior and the exterior through framing.

WALL SECTION The structure across the four masses is a steel frame structure, sitting on a load bearing structure that is embedded in the ground. In order to enhance the qualitative experience of the space, all details of construction are concealed, thereby embodying the idea of ‘detail as no detail’. The surfaces so obtained are uninterrupted both in terms of vision as well as tactility.

Raw corten steel was chosen as an exterior facade as it will transform along with the context as time passes. Concrete plasterboard was chosen on the interior purely for the materiality of concrete- its texture, its tactility and the manner in which it can differently treat the light that falls on it.

FROM UTOPIAS TO HETEROTOPIAS MIGRANT HOUSING- VALUES OF TIME, DENSITY, CULTURE AND ENERGY Studio 6 | Spring 2020 Kumbharwada, Dharavi- Mumbai (Maharashtra) Guided by: Imran Mansuri, Suraj Kathe

Kumbharwada is one of the first settlements in Dharavi, built by migrants from Gujarat in the second half of the 19th Century. It is home to the pottery industry, one of Dharavi’s most famous local crafts. Kumbharwada is made up of five lanes, dotted with over 120 kilns, with houses and workshops crowded around them. Most of the houses in Kumbharwada fall under the ‘live-work’ typology. In addition to pottery, the residents are also engaged in tailoring, embroidery, conduction tuition classes as well as running small clinics.

Keeping in mind the very rich context, the aim was to design a modular masshousing scheme covering an area of 42,300 sq.m, inhabited by approximately 1750- 2000 families. A very sensitive approach had to be maintained towards the relationship between the built and open spaces, as well as the multiplicity of the open spaces. A series of explorations were done while planning and organizing various housing cluster ensembles in response to the adjacent urban context, thus, creating an ‘interface’ by balancing the underlying orders and complexities.

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UTOPIA TO HETEROTOPIA | COMMUNITY MAPPING

CRITIQUES: IMRAN MANSURI | SURAJ KATHE TA: ZEEL PATEL

The most active chowk in the street. Multiplicity of space here was evident. Activities varied throughout the day. This ranged from washing of clothes, cooking, making and firing of pots, and children playing.

The most active chowk in the street. Multiplicity of space here was evident. Activities varied throughout the day. This ranged from washing of clothes, cooking, making and firing of pots, and children playing.

GROUP MEMBERS: ARUNDHATI HAKHU, SAKSHI NAPHADE, SHREYA SHREEDHAR

Internal court where goods are stored. The surrounding houses are used for packing of goods.

A work chowk is formed due to the kilns.

A chowk with a temple integrated into the built fabric. The shikhara is visible only from the neighbouring terrace.

Another chowk with a temple. Here, morning activities can be seen with women washing clothes, people bathing on the streets and other praying.

Hawkers traversed the streets, trying to sell goods. They would stop temporarily at setbacks to set up shop.

COMMUNITY DOCUMENTATION The gully that was documented had a mix of residential, live-work and pottery activities. The orientation of the street is along the predominant wind direction. A prominent feature of this street was the manner in which the activities change according to the time of the day. The nature of the open spaces varies according to the peripheral conditions. Another observation is the absolute lack of space. Kilns which are not functional anymore have been converted into storage space. In order to claim more space they use otlas and box jaalis as gestures of extension. This particular gully also had two temples.

In contrast to the usual treatment of temples, here they were integrated into the dense fabric of the street, with a lesser sense of sanctity attributed to it. The various nodes on this street were formed due to their peripheral conditions. Due the the aforementioned as well as the elements constituting the space, the liveliness of the space varied drastically.

Retention of the organization as it is along wind direction, creation of more open spaces. Staggered arrangement of secondary gullies to increase circulation.

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CONCEPTUAL SCHEMA AND DEVELOPMENT

Conceptual explorations were made at a site level in order to explore hierarchy of open spaces. The idea was to retain the linearity of the streets as well as the current edge conditions of the blocks.

Taking forward the idea of segregating the kilns from the rest of the community (to contain the pollution), a staggered street was introduced, which was then converted in to a series of courts to act as a mediator between the potter and rest unding edges is linear Similar organization followed in the villages from where Retention of the organization as it is along wind direction, of the residential or live work community.

SW- NE and secondary they migrated. Each family owns a kiln located right inaround centres such creation of fronts more open spaces.

Staggered arrangement of Open spaces created as shop The open spaces so generated have in a manner formed a centres and generate of the andLinear inter- organization becomes easy for In order to enhance the Identify hierarchy open W- SE. Moving all the kilns to one endfront of community their houses. secondary gullies to increase circulation. (activity nodes), temples and kilns thereby indirectly hierarchy of open spaces which are connected by a around themofwith varying pe spersing live work and residential activities across the rest transport and circulation of materials and products. creating a polycentric model. network of streets.

More than connectors, here streets form on site).

Introduction of open spaces, they were introduced in the existing of the community. The edges will be commercial fringes. the primary open spaces for activities to be conducted. to further increa blocks.

The character of Kumbharwada lies in the nature of its open spaces, so the aim was to retain this nature.

Diagrammatic explorations were done in order to understand the various centres of space and how the nature would change by modifying the peripheral conditions.

wada. As the kilns are the rest of the space - usable.

The organization of the kilns is due to the manner in which it is owned. As the families owning kilnas are too widespread accross the community, the pollution is not contained and is very widespread.

Moving all the kilns to one end of the community and interspersing live work and residential activities across the rest of the community. The edges will be commercial fringes.

View of the redesigned commercial edge

Imagined activity in the cluster

Imagined activity in the live work cluster

SITE MASSING MODEL The massing model developed aimed at retaining the existing character of Kumbharwada by enhancing the hierarchical nature of the open spaces. Courtyards were introduced in between blocks in the residential as well as the pottery community, with varied proportions according to function.The gullies running in the east- west direction maintain their staggered nature and act as connectors between the primary streets running in the predominant wind direction. The narrowness of the street was retained while also making them more accessible. Clusters are also interconnected at upper levels through streets.

Along the commercial edge, The commerce is retained to the lower level while the upper levels are for residential purposes. This edge also has semi open spaces for hawkers or smaller vendors to set up shop temporarily.

Stacking: Stacking was done by sliding units along the service shafts to form terraces as well as large overhangs and shaded spaces. Hence, the nature of the street on the ground level was also maintained at higher levels, thereby forming a street in the air.

Linking: Linking of units was done along the services. These had been moved to the sides of the units to obtain a clear space for cross ventilation.

Flexible workspace on the ground level which is customizable according to the needs of the user. Can double as a space to dry earthenware as well.

LIVE- WORK CLUSTER The idea of creating a flexible workspace in the pottery community was explored, where in the structure is provided such that the users can customize their workspace. The idea of a shared workspace, thereby enhancing strenght of community becomes important.

These spaces may also later be converted into spaces where pots can be dried, thereby enhancing the multiplicity of the space.

SECTIONS In the sections, the units are staggered away from the courts and over the streets to create generous overhangs, thereby shading the streets. This also prevents the blackening of the facades of the house. The street then acts as a buffer on higher levels. The plinths become spillover spaces as well as extensions of territory.

FAMILY CYCLE One of the houses that was documented belonged to the Gedia family. There were 12 members (2 families) living in a 2 storeyed house. They were involved not only in pottery but also in various other occupations across the city. An interesting feature to note is that although they had 2 floors available to them, they chose to use only the upper floor to accommodate themselves. The entirety of the lower floor was used for storage purposes.

LAND- BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS LIBRARY FOR GANDHI ASHRAM FOUNDATION Studio 3 | Monsoon 2018 Beside Gandhi Ashram Complex, Ahmedabad, Gujarat Guided by: Milind Patel, Kavita Menghani

Exploration of various ways the ground and building come together was primary to the initiation of the design process. Most promising land-forms and context, which have the potential to become far richer expressions with built-form, are regrettably left out as sectional explorations sometimes become purely representational.

The programme was a Library for the Gandhi Ashram Foundation. A library is a place for constant learning, self-development and discovery. It is a place that invokes curiosity in all users. Books have a feeling associated with them that makes them hard to let go of. Hence, in the future, books will not be done away with but it is possible for digitized media to take an upper hand.

This library, would be a warehouse of all forms of media suited for all kinds of readers. It would not just cater to a niche community or society who are truly interested in Gandhian philosophies or ideologies. Hence, it would have a variety of spaces suited to everyone. Most spaces would be silent, focussed and relaxed. However, this would also be a space for gathering, generation and exchange of ideas. This is a haven- the calm away from the chaos. Just like one’s mind, the library too has an ever-evolving nature and an adaptability of spaces suited to various functions.

CONCEPTUAL MODELS AND CIRCULATION The conceptual models explored ideas of meandering movement towards the river, gradual rise in terms of massing and volumes. The final concept was the idea of calm away from the chaos. The land- building relationship that was used to develop this was the idea of the building rising from the ground.

The diagram was made to analyze movement and circulation through the various spaces. All the movement was ultimately directed towards the river. The plinths were visualised as multifuctional spaces either for leisure or setting up outdoor exhibitions. Stacks were merged with the reading spaces. The subterranian level was visualized as an underground courtyard.

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PLANS AND SECTIONS To enhance the land building relationship, a foreground was created using a play of plinths, both risen as well as sunken to create spaces for reading as well as disccussion. To generate a variety of reading spaces, the building was developed both above as well as under the ground. This was done in so as to generate new ‘grounds’ both under the canopy as well as at the basement level.

The analogy used to develop the land building relationship was that of a growth of a plant. Elements, volumes and massing have slowly been added as the building grows towards the river. Continuous volumes and cut outs have been made so as to establish relationships across various levels. Finally, after moving through the building, the point of culmination is in the space under the canopy. The canopy acts as a unifying element as well as a gesture of openness towards the river.

FROM DRAWING BOARDS TO CONSTRUCTION SITES BHOJANAALAY Studio 5 | Monsoon 2019 Pindval, Dharampur (Valsad)- Gujarat Guided by: Kartikey Shodhan, Jhanavi Bhatt

The main aim of the studio was to bridge the gap between what is drawn on paper and how it is actually implemented in real world construction practices.

So, alongside the design process, weekly site visits were conducted to ongoing construction sites to gain familiarity with materials and construction processes and implement the same in the design.

The main design project was to design a ‘Bhojanaalay’ for Sarvoday Parivar Trust, which operates out of the Dharampur district of Gujarat. According to the specifications of the client, the programme was a dining-cum-multifunctional space for students on on level and a guesthouse for trustees and potential donors on the other level. After observing construction practices as well as conducting market research, the aim was to implement the learnings while designing and detailing.

GROUND FLOOR PLAN Left to right: Approach from the school, View from the common play ground, Top view of the design.

In order to preserve the openness of the campus, the siting of the building was chosen to be that of the existing dining space (which was to be demolished).

The programme could be divided into three types of functions- dining/ multifunctional, services and guest accommodation. The plan was then organized on the basis of function.

The aim was to make the space more breathable, thereby providing an entrance court as well as a service court.

The structure is a brick load bearing structure with RCC filler slabs as a spanning system, or MS rafters and purlins, covered with insulated GI sheeting.

SECTIONS Clockwise: Wall section through the wash area, Longitudinal section towards the play area, Section through staircase (guest entrance, Section through dining area, Elevation from the play area.

The structure was a 1.5 brick thick load bearing system. The spanning system was that of RCC filler slabs with terracotta pots acting as fillers. For the roofing, the spanning system was MS rafters and purlins, over which was pre insulated GI sheeting. As the area in which the campus was located was relatively isolated, all material and structural decisions were taken on the basis of materials which were easily available and relatively economically feasible. Furthermore, the labour so available wasn’t highly skilled. Hence, the quality of constrcution was another factor that was taken into consideration.

STAIRCASE DETAILS Against the heavy load bearing structure, the expression that was chosen for the staircase was that of a light sculptural element. Furthermore, given its placement in the plan, it forms a very important element in the overall gesture of entrance for the guest accomodation. The staircase is a steel double stringer staircase with kota stone treads.

DOOR AND WINDOW DETAILS One of the primary observations from existing buildings on campus was how the doors and windows would get jammed due to the swelling of timber during monsoon. Hence, to prevent this, the primary design consideration while designing this was to prevent timber to timber contact between main and shutter frames of the doors and windows. Furthermore, sealing of the space was important so as to prevent infiltration as well as seepage of air and water.

SERVICES Clockwise: Electrical plan of guest accommodation, Section through washrooms, plan of washrooms, isometric section of services

The entire service block was designed as a plug- in to the main dining space.

Instead of having a singular washroom accommodating all necessary utilities, they were split so that more than one user could use a service at a time. Sections were drawn so as to ensure appropriate alignment and placement of sunk slabs and service shafts. The electrical layout was decided based on the proposed layout of the room, but is still done so as to allow rearrangement of the furniture.

WORK AS A CONTRACTOR Left: Wall section and details provided by the contractor Right: Final model

In this exercise, one got to play the role of architect as well as contractor. A wall section as well as necessary details were provided to construct a 1:10 scale model of one of their peer’s design.

The result was a series of negotiations and discussions to come up with the final product.

ANCILLARY WORKS UNDERSTANDING PLACE- STUDY OF BRIEF AND LUNUGANGA GARDENS- BENTOTA, SRI LANKA DOCUMENTATION OF PUBLIC OPEN SPACES- KATHMANDU, NEPAL RELATED STUDY PROGRAMME (RSP)- MEASURE DRAWINGS OF SETTLEMENTS IN CHOTA ODA, RAJASTHAN

UNDERSTANDING PLACESTUDY OF BRIEF AND LUNUGANGA GARDENS Bentota, Sri Lanka The course was designed to understand the making of a place as an intersection between context, designer and articulation. Both the gardens were understood through text, images, sketches as well as site visits so as to gain an in depth understanding of the character of the place. The course outcome included means of visual representation that allowed for a reading of the continuity of spatial experiences that imparts a ‘sense of place’ to any landscape.

Memory map of brief gardens

RSP: MEASURE DRAWING OF A TRADITIONAL SETTLEMENT Chota Oda, Rajasthan The study attempts to introduce students to both -the overall landscape and topographical relationships of the settlement as well as understanding the house form. For the former, a prominent clearing (village square) and one major street (streetscape) are measure drawn to study the characteristics of open spaces between houses, gradients, ground cover, etc.

For the latter, detailed plans, sections and elevations of the houses are drawn with great emphasis on mapping activity and peopleanimals-paraphernalia relationships.

In a major departure from the generic house within and yard or shed for animals outside the situation, here the interior assumes a microcosmic dimension to support living, cooking, storage as well as accommodation of livestock.

DOCUMENTATION OF PUBLIC OPEN SPACES |

Kathmandu, Nepal

The open spaces in Kathmandu valley are unique from the point of view of their public-ness and the manner in which they govern the formation and usage of built forms around them. This workshop was aimed at enabling one to read the urban morphology of a city with respect to its urban spaces. Some of the topics with respect to which this workshop was conducted were: Architectural typology and open space, Urban nature of water structures, Transient open spaces- nodes and street, Performative urban spaces.

SHREYA SHRIDHAR CONTACT NUMBER: +91 7259875133 EMAIL ID: shreya.shridhar.barch17@cept.ac.in shreya.15.shridhar@gmail.com