Concert Hall Design Competition
Vilnius | Lithuania
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Concert Hall Design Competition
Vilnius | Lithuania
Academic Internship
Pune | India
Bioclimatic Design Workshop
Kerala | India
Objective : Architectural and planning solution for National Concert Hall, taking into account the urban and natural conditions of the site.
Tasks : Design Development Team | Axonometric Section | Presentation Drawings | Research | Plans
Author : Omar Rabie
Softwares Used : Autocad | Sketchup | V-ray | Photoshop | Indesign
Co-Living Spaces
Auroville | India
02 03 04 05 Rural Schools | AA Thesis Work
Burkina Faso | Africa
Location : Vilnius | Lithuania
Typology : Concert Hall
Climate : Humid Continental
Area : 16,500 m2 | Building Footprint : 6,500 m2
The design is an honest attempt to integrally realise the dual nature of the program; to synthesise the characteristics expressing the essence of a House of Nation and a Classical Music Concert hall. Ask a house of the nation what it wants to be? ask a concert hall what it wants to be? The simple geometry, solemn proportions, monumental gate towards an indoor warm topographical public plaza, and the indoor-outdoor multilevelled accessibility all orchestrate the sensibility of a House of the Nation. So, where is the music? The music is in the Rhythms; the rhythm of the solid wooden stepped plaza, the rhythm of the semi-translucent luminous milk glass, the rhythm of the ascending and descending spiral, a geometry with its own inherent music within, the rhythms of golden proportions and Fibonacci sequence, and the rhythm of the light—the music of geometry, texture, and light.
Off the Hill...For the People
It is hard to miss the current strong classical cube on the (Taurus) hill presence of the current derelict Trades Unions Palace. The dominant looking-over the city presence is accentuated by glamorous deciduous trees hugging the cube from three sides, altering its level of visibility seasonally. Our sensibility towards this special position in & for the city, understanding of the history of Lithuania, of Vilnius, and of the century-long never realised idea of a House of the Nation, brought us to this conclusion : Not to fully erase this powerful presence the memory of this focal city node but to try to harmonise (with nature), democratise (multileveled accessibility), and humanise (scale); transform the cube to be not on, but of the hill (borrowing Wright’s expression) and not over, but for the people.
Window-Wall Ratio
Total Surface Area : 20,278.9 m2
Total Volume : 745,976.26 m3
Ratio : 0.0271
Surface To Volume
House Of Nation
Circulation
Acoustic Simulation
Based on Eyeing statistical stimulation, with full audience, and the hall room volume of 18,270 cubic m, we will reach the reverberation time of 2 sec, at mid range frequencies (500 Hz); easily reducible to 1.5 sec through variable acoustics when-required. Basic acoustical computational stimulation (Enhanced Acoustic Stimulator for Engineers EASE) has concluded that the hall based on the very popular and ancient shoebox type for classical music would work well in this context. The stimulation has concluded that the elaborate roof profile initially leads to a good level of transmission of sound energy from stage to ground floor and from stage to balcony. The slanted (upper concert) roof top is smoothing the modal resonance of the hall room in very low frequencies.
House of Nation
Backstage
Bioclimatic Morphology
Systems of Radiative Heating (Interior Wooden Spaces), Displacement Ventilation (Halls, Foyer, Stepped Plaza &House of Nation), with spot Heating/Cooling Strategies, when needed for the Foyer and stepped plaza; are initially suggested to reduce the heating & Cooling En- ergy Consumption. most of the functional spaces, with very controlled glasing area, to avoid internal heat gain loss. The well protected pleasant micro-climat- ic conditions, reduces expected energy consumption.
Academic Internship
Pune | India
Objective : Tranforming 2D Drawings To Physical Models | Photography | Presentation | Materiality Research
Tasks : Working Drawings | Model Making | Materiality Research | Site Visits | Interiors
Author : Deepak Guggari
Softwares Used : Autocad | Sketchup | Photoshop | Indesign
Site : Aundh | Pune
Typology : Office Building
Cardboard being a generic term for heavy duty paper of various strengths, it ranges from a simple arrangement of a single thick sheet of paper to complex configurations featuring multiple corrugated and uncorrelated layers.
For this particular project at VDGA, we used corrugated fibre board as partition walls, at an office in Chinchwad Pune. Keeping in mind, its properties of carrying load and increase its durability layers of MDF were added in between the cardboard layers.
Materiality Research
Most types of “cardboard” are recyclable. Boards that are laminates, wax coated, or treated for wet-strength are often more difficult to recycle. Clean cardboard (i.e. cardboard that has not been subject to chemical coatings) “is usually worth recovering, although often the difference between the value it realizes and the cost of recovery is marginal”. Cardboard can be recycled industrially, or for home uses. For example, cardboard may be composted or shredded for animal bedding.
Physical Models For Residential Projects In Pune | India
Bioclmatic Design Workshop Kerala | India
Objective : Designing with bioclimatic parameters to achieve physiological comfort with minimum energy consumption.
Tasks : Concept design | Research and implementation of bioclimatic design | Climate analysis
Author : Tanvi Patil
Softwares Used : Autocad | Sketchup | Photoshop | Climate Consultant | Blender
Location : Kerala | India
Typology : Residential
Climate : Hot and Humid
Area : 200 m2
The concept is to get a sense of wholeness, the feeling of belonging and connection to the site. The design is inspired by a traditional Kerala house, with a clear indication of openness to the east of the site, along with creating microclimates and transitional spaces throughout the plan. All the spaces open to a central courtyard like the traditional houses of Kerala and have a visual connectivity with each other.
Examples of traditional architecture working in this manor are often vernacular archetypes, keeping in account factors that avoid complete dependence on mechanical systems.
Summer Solstice
Living Area
Kitchen | Utility
Bedroom 1
Bedroom 2
Formal Strategies
Orientation And Morphology
Transitional Spaces for Air Flow
The major site constraint is the orientation. Factors Used for natural cooling are : wooden louvers, creating venturi effect. Thermal cooling for the bottom floor with thick wattle and daub or CSEB blocks. Physiological thermal cooling. Transitional spaces creating macro climate.
Openess Towards Nature
Also, designing with Nature means accounting for multi-seasonal considerations, for example, reducing heating needs with maximum sunlight from Southern oriented windows. If these techniques have worked for generations in these communities designed for their geographic region, then clearly modern design could benefit from careful integration of these traditional principles. It is entirely possible to design modern bioclimatic housing and architecture, using natural ventilation, passive solar design, sustainable materials, and many other traditional site specific techniques.
Winter Solstice
Co - Living Spaces
Auroville | India
Objective : Designing housing modules for community living, using climate responsive design strategies
Tasks : Design Developement through Physical Models | Presentation | Photography
Author : Omar Rabie
Softwares Used : Autocad | Sketchup | Photoshop | Indesign
Location : Auroville | Tamil Nadu
Typology : Community Living
Climate : Hot and Humid
Area : 50 m2
Encouraging community / sustainable living is the main objective of the project. The modules designed, consist of only the living and bedroom spaces with an occupancy of two or three, with the rest of the amenities like the kitchen, dining, recreational and bathroom spaces being common. This not only reduces the construction cost but also becomes and efficient module for sustainable living. Research has shown improvement in the health and wellbeing of people with community centred housing. There are various reasons for the boom in shared living, from rising living costs, to falling levels of home ownership, especially among young people.
The key is to understand what kind of community needs to be built. Co – living projects are made about social factors as they are about the space themselves. It is not just a case of arranging square meters. What kind of habitat could we create? As the site is situated in a hot and humid climatic region, the lower floor, being used during a major part of the day, has thicker walls (CSEB-compressed stabilised earth blocks). The upper floor, being used during the latter part of the day, would be having lighter walls (low thermal mass) and mesh for adequate cross ventilation.
Rural Schools | AA Thesis Work
Burkina Faso | Africa
Objective : Passive Design Strategies for Rural Schools in Hot and Dry Climate
Tasks : Carrying out simulations for Thermal and Visual comfort | Microclimate | Strategies for Low cost, Energy efficient Schools buildings | Material research
Author : Tanvi Patil
Softwares Used : Autocad | Sketchup | Photoshop | Indesign | Rhino | Grasshopper
Demographics of Burkina Faso
It is observed that rural people strongly support community based schools and public education. As an effective economic development strategy, they view quality of education as an essential factor as schools produce a quality local workforce which in turn contributes to the community capital.
“ The school is the most the most important public institution in a rural community, a rallying point for services to poor families and children, a polling place, a library, and a community centre.“
Currently there are around 3233 primary schools and 21 libraries in Burkina Faso. The student to teacher ratio is 50:1 with a female enrolment rate of 31% for primary schools. Free primary education is not compulsory. To this day, access to schooling and education remains difficult in Burkina Faso, especially in rural areas where the enrolment rate is at a low of 25 percent. A little more than a quarter of the total population know how to read and write.
Dori, Burkina Faso
Dori is situated in the north eastern part of Burkina Faso, it is located around 14.030N and 0.030W. It is the capital of the Sahel region and covers an areas of 36166 km2 or 13% of the national territory. To the north is republic of Mali, and the north-east is republic of Niger. The Sahel region has 4 provinces, Odalman, Seno, Soum, Yagha. With four urban communes, 23 rural communes, and 650 villages. Mainly habited by the Fulani tribe, Dori is characterised by the Sahelian arid climate, with alternation of two seasons, a long dry season generally from October to May and short rainy season from June to September. It is marked by low irregular rainfall, and the average annual rainfall is 400 mm. It is known for its popular livestock markets, and has a population of 21,100 people , mostly part of rural communities and villages. The elevation is 281 meters (922 feet) above sea level. The topography within 3Km of Dori, is essentially flay with a maximum elevation of 19 meters. Within 16 Km is essentially flat and containing modest elevation variations within 80 Km. 56% of the area in Dori, is covered by grasslands, 15% is covered by sparse vegetation and 11% by trees.
Indoor analytical work was carried out to understand and proof the applicability of strategies identified in the literature review, climate analysis and precedent research. Some of the key questions that have been tried to answer through the analytical work are: During school hours, what roofing design and typology would aid in achieving indoor comfort temperatures.
• Due to the economic situation in rural schools, can windows be without glazing, and with natural materials with higher transmittance and still achieve adequate light and ventilation throughout the classroom.
• To achieve acceptable indoor temperatures, what size of aperture openings can be used, for natural ventilation.
• How can ventilation be optimised, by different roof opening techniques and use of night ventilation.
• Would the creation of microclimate in the immediate surrounding of the classrooms, effect the further reduction of indoor temperatures.
What local materials and traditional construction techniques can be used to further reduce the carbon footprint, construction cost, and also support local economies by involving the community, while aiding to achieving good indoor air quality and comfort.
A (EPW) weather file was used to carry out thermal and daylight simulations along with metronome 7.0 weather data for the climate analysis. A combination of softwares such as Energy Plus, Open Studio, Auto Cad, Grasshopper, Ladybug and Honeybee were used to carry out the simulations, to derive a thermal model which calculated the indoor air temperature, radiation, daylight distribution and ventilation to come to acceptable values which were within the comfort band. In addition a base case analysis of the current practise in Burkina Faso and of the Gando Primary school (Kere Architects) was analysed, to establish set points and identify the main factors influencing the comfort temperatures and to compare with the design proposal.
Site Details
Thermal Performance
Chart Title
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CASE 6
The final improved case indicates a drop of 2.5 de grees bringing the total temperature difference to 4.5 degrees from the outdoor to indoor. the resultant values are within the comfort band for most days of school ing. This was achieved by coupling the ground temper ature to the indoor temperature, by introducing a heat pump method, where the shaded ground tempera ture is around 29 degrees and the inlets open into the classroom, further reducing the indoor temperature.
Core Educational Spaces
Corugated Metal Sheet
Local Wooden Truss
Operable Roof Opening panel
Rain Gutter
Timber Roof
Wooden Joists Compressed Earth Blocks
Wooden Louvers Compacted Earth
Concrete Foundation
Vegetation
Educational Supporting Spaces
Environmental Section
Outdoor Learning Spaces
