Architecture portfolio by Tonoy Sarma

architecture*

TONOY SARMA

* portfolio

Hello.

The work which has been put here has been chosen to portray my skills and abilities in the various spheres of architecture. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Tonoy Sarma. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find my details at the end of the portfolio and in the CV I have sent you. Thank you for your time.

1 Water Water Everywhere

Dynamic Housing System For Flood Mitigation in Rural Assam

THESIS

www.issuuu.com/tonoysarma

The flood scenario in rural Assam has been consistently very grim for more than a decade now. In my final year dissertation I address this issue, in an attempt at architecture which holds up against floods and allow the people a tangent out of the spiral of losses they drown in after every flood.

X Semester

Concerns

Typical House Layout Sanitation

House

Livestock

Harvest

Lives

Concept The traditional Assamese rural houses are rooted to the ground. Apart from the general convention of building houses on the ground, it is also due to the belief of the people that living up on stilt houses would be uncomfortable and inconvenient. According to them cleanliness, hygiene and good sanitation practices cannot be ensured in this style of living. On the other hand the Mishing community in Assam has succesfully adapted to the extreme flood scenario and have lived up on stilt houses for generations. This distinct jump in character between these two ways of living, allowed me with space for exploration of an alternative way of meeting them in the middle. With minor additions to the traditional rural house, we get a dynamic house whose walls fold up during monsoons and exists on the ground the rest of the year. The essence of the traditional house is kept intact for it to blend into the existing architectural landscape while making it easier for people to adapt to.

JUN neighbouring houses

Beams

i Pivot

Pulley

Beams run along the break where the height is increased from.

A system of pulleys are connected from the walls to a counterweight.

Key Cables

iii

Walls 1 and 2 fold before the onset of monsoon, forming a floor at the upper level.

Pulling down the key makes the walls swing up to form floors at the upper level.

Raising up the walls allow : ~ unhindered passage of flood water ~ prevents life from coming to a complete standstill ~ minimises risk of property and life loss.

AUG

are independent all year round, but with the onset of monsoons as the walls are raised, they connect and allow mutual aiding.

Development As the design process progressed, many new experimental areas and ideas were explored. The material chosen was primarily bamboo because of its abundant availability. Using bamboo also would make construction easy by harnessing the bamboo skills of the local people. The design evolved from an individual living unit to a system of dynamic units based on function. The 4 basic spaces (Living, Kitchen, Toilet and Granary) were taken up and designed. The final result would be a community made from the permutation and combination of these functional units depending on the user allowing a very organic settlement to grow. (Please refer to my complete thesis at: http://issuu.com/tonoysarma/docs/thesis_doc_final to get a much better understanding of the entire design process)

B Towards Final Design

Conceptual Details

• • •

•

Modular walls of a fixed size for easier production and extension Size of the house can be increased unidirectionally by adding more wall panel modules A fixed distance with the neighbouring house has to be maintained for the houses to connect when the walls are raised. The walls move up and connect creating a courtyard at the upper level. The roof overhang doubles up as a storage space. The livestock can take shelter in the semiopen added space formed by the raised walls. It can also work as storage. Premade modular bamboo panels act as the ceiling which are used to replace the walls which fold to become the upper floor.

Panels

Construction Sequence

Monsoon Transformation Sequence

The Living Unit The living unit is made up of wall panel modules (2.1 x 2.1 m; 3 x 2.1 m) and the unit can be extended unidirectionally. The walls are pivoted and can swing up and down. During monsoons they can be raised up and thick ropes can be used to keep it in place. They are tied to the beam opposite which creates a counterbalance.

The living unit does not have a variety in design but each house would be a product of the characteristic functions of each family. They may use the dynamic walls and floor to suit their individual needs and give each house a unique identity. 3 scenarios of user based variability have been highlighted in the Fig. above.

House Details

CASE 1 : Living up on a permanent basis with the livestock below. CASE 2 : In case of more family members, a mezzanine floor may be formed at the upper level CASE 3: People can choose to have their house extended by adding more wall panels.

The Granary

The Toilet

The Kitchen

Final Design At the final stage, the design has evolved into a system of dwelling that aims at protecting the people and preventing total disruption of regular life. The design elements have been boiled down to 4 fundamental spaces; the living unit, the kitchen, the shed/granary and the toilet. Each of these four elements individually contribute to having a household which can stay on the ground for most of the year, and sustain themselves at an upper level as the flood season starts. A permutation and combination of these 4 basic units results in sowing the seeds of an organic community based on the decisions and choices made by the people themselves. The formation and organisation of the cluster is also affected by the financial capacity, growth and situation. ~

Please visit

http://issuu.com/tonoysarma/docs/thesis_doc_final

2 Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Talk to Strangers

Mass Residential Housing The Gulf of Khambhat, Gujarat

HOUSING

A housing project in reviving the social intimacy that existed around the chaotic settlement of ancestral houses and narrow lanes in the Gulf of Cambay (Khambat) situated 90 odd kilometers from the heart of Ahmedabad. The town used to be flourishing whose trade languished as the sea receded by a great distance.

VIII Semester

I call it

How do you imbibe social intimacy?

Making people cross paths

where does the most basic interaction happen?

which is

The Social Funnel

Between adjacent houses: above and beside. So my design puts the access to the immediate houses through a common area. Interaction level 1.

on multiple levels, multiple times

Brief A housing project of atleast 600 houses were to be accomodated on a site located in Khambhat, Gujarat. 4 types of unit variety were to be included according to size (35, 50, 75 and 100 sq mt.) with more numbers of smaller houses and lesser numbers of the houses with the increase in size.

and how do you form a community?

you multiply this small cluster horizontally with a common lane access. Interaction level 2.

and you stack the clusters vertically.

In my design instead of treating the entire site as a cluster of houses, I divided it into smaller micro-communities. It starts off with a few houses of similar type being clubbed together into a small cluster. Then, such clusters of all the types were brought together unified by one stairwell which everyone had to pass by (explained in the figures) and a common ground. This defined a micro-community. Multiple such micro communities helped achieve the number of houses on site while functionally serving my attempt at social intimacy and balance. Focus was also put on how the units share terraces between themselves in the different house types. The reason being the grand celebration of the kite flying festival of Uttarayan in the city. This was also a feat which was achieved in a very balanced fashion.

but how do these members meet now?

A stairwell unit which connects all the houses of that community, which everyone has to pass through in order to reach their houses or leave them. And that is where all the people see, meet or greet when they pass each other. Interaction level 3.

What does an element which unifies a micro-community contain?

A big staircase.

Space for local vendors

3 regular elevators. 1 emergency elevator.

A convenience store

Characteristic monumentality

and what are the perks? • A common stairwell allows all the people of the community to pass by one another at some time of the day, promoting interation.

O D EN

MEDICAL

GENERAL

FURNITURE / STRETCHER GENERAL

GENERAL

LIFT

LVL+65

LIFT

V E N DO R S

LIFT

R FO

LIFT

LVL+65

GENERAL STORE

950

LVL+

P L A T F O RM S

L+

LVL+95

The Units

• The monumentality of the unit allows easy identification and location.

+65

• The emergency elevators facilitate stretchers and can also be used to move furniture.

LVL

0 95

• The convenience store also acts as a medical store for emergencies.

L+

• Moreover, people can buy their essentials everyday to or back home as they pass the local vendors at every starwell or the convenience store.

LV L+

A S C E N D

The units were designed to complement one another keeping the functionality of the cluster in mind as well. 4 types of units were to be formed: 35, 50, 75, 120 sq mt. in sizes. The access to the terrace from every house was thought of as it holds great significance for them, especially during festivities.

9900

COMMON TERRACE

4000

LVL +2400

2655

OTTA

3000

3600

LIVING ROOM

750

PRIMARY CORRIDOR

COMMON WASH AREA

35 SQ MT UNIT CLUSTER LVL 0

6127

1500

BEDROOM

1500

BEDROOM

WASH AREA

4230

WASH AREA

LIVING ROOM

7015

ASCEND

7015

LIVING ROOM

1670

1200 1670

BEDROOM

1200 1670

BEDROOM

LVL ±00

7015

COMMON COURTYARD COMMON WASH AREA

LIVING ROOM

DESCEND

KITCHEN

LVL +150

4730

LVL +150

MAIN PASSAGE

15690

1500

7510

MAIN PASSAGE

4000

11115

4000

7510

1500

11115

4000

7510

1500

CLOSET

LVL +1200

2870

COMMON WASH AREA

2500 3025

BEDROOM

2885 3025 1500 4460

KITCHEN

BEDROOM

LIVING ROOM PASSAGE

4230

2870

BEDROOM 2500

KITCHEN

4460

BEDROOM

BEDROOM BEDROOM

COMMON TERRACE

PASSAGE

BEDROOM

KITCHEN

LIVING ROOM

BEDROOM

WASH AREA

3270

4230

CLOSET

CLOSET BEDROOM

KITCHEN

PASSAGE

10355

WASH AREA

4230

BEDROOM WASH AREA

BEDROOM

LIVING ROOM DESCEND

LIVING ROOM PASSAGE

WASH AREA

3270

LVL +3300

CLOSET

LIVING ROOM PASSAGE

COMMON FOYER

LIVING ROOM

4230

4000

WASH AREA

7510

2885

1500

3270

LVL +300

3270

COMMON FOYER

KITCHEN

1500

DESCEND

BEDROOM

KITCHEN

COMMON COURTYARD

KITCHEN

WASH AREA

1500

COMMON TERRACE

35 sq mt. cluster

4230

LIVING ROOM

COMMON COURTYARD

LVL +3250

LVL +2600

6126

WASH AREA

LIVING ROOM

7015 1200

4000

KITCHEN

LIVING ROOM

LVL +3250

1670

900

BEDROOM

KITCHEN

LVL ±00

LVL +2600

3270

WASH AREA

KITCHEN

LIVING ROOM

3270

KITCHEN

WASH AREA

KITCHEN

900

BEDROOM KITCHEN

WASH AREA

LIVING ROOM

4000

BEDROOM

KITCHEN

4230

BEDROOM

6126

1200

4000

WASH AREA

900

BEDROOM

3270

LIVING ROOM

3270

BEDROOM

900

KITCHEN

4000

LIVING ROOM

6126

35 SQ MT UNIT CLUSTER LVL 1

4230

KITCHEN

DESCEND

KITCHEN

PLANTER LVL +300

LVL ±00

3000

BEDROOM

LVL +300

ASCEND

3600

ASCEND

FOYER

DESCEND

1500

750

KITCHEN

ASCEND

LVL +3300

DESCEND

BEDROOM

KITCHEN PLANTER

OTTA

FOYER LVL +3300

LIVING ROOM

KITCHEN

3070

BEDROOM

LIVING ROOM

BEDROOM

1420

COMMON WASH AREA

50 sq mt. cluster

3585

7500

The Clusters

7500

3585

3770

COMMON TERRACE

1520 4300

2170

LIVING ROOM

4300

GARDEN PATCH

2485

GARDEN PATCH

DINING

3285

DESCEND

BEDROOM

KITCHEN

3000

BALCONY

3000

DESCEND

BEDROOM

COMMON OTTA

BEDROOM

DINING

LVL +150

5000

ASCEND 5000

75 SQ MT FIRST FLOOR

A farming area has also been provided in the site for self sustenance and provision for solar power harnessing has also been regarded.

75 sq mt. cluster 2365

1535

3155

LVL +4350

BEDROOM BEDROOM

ASCEND

PASSAGE LVL +3300

3770

DESCEND

DINING

1015

BALCONY

2770

KITCHEN

3785

2365

BALCONY

WASH AREA

BEDROOM

LIVING ROOM

ASCEND LVL +1650

LVL +300

4115

The micro-communities which form comprising of all the varieties of units make a module, which repeats itself over the site. Each module functions in the same manner with minor differences and result in a large harmonius community.

75 SQ MT GROUND FLOOR

2500

5885

BEDROOM

WASH AREA

LIVING ROOM

1520

LVL +2400

WASH AREA

2385

VERANDAH 1385

1385

100 sq mt. house

3500

3000

WATER TANK

3 All Work and No Play

Career Development Centre Patan, Gujarat

INSTITUTIONAL

To keep students balanced and oriented towards the important aspects in their lives, a Career Development Centre was to be designed. It had to cater to their co curricular aspects while having seminar rooms and classes to keep their academic conduct. It also had to house a library to feed their minds and a canteen to keep their stomachs happy.

V Semester

The Site The Informal Space

Divided into 3 zones.

Fn distinguished by levels, colour and function

Concept The design concept revolved more around the form this time and the attempt was to relate an element of significance to the function the building served. This was an excercise in abstraction of elements from their original form. The site was divided into 3 parts and the design was made to make those areas stand out in their own characteristic way and be distinguishable from each other by means of form and function.

Highest physical level. loud colours. Signifies the informal nature and colourful expression of the arts. Houses the amphitheater, canteen, spaces for musical and performing arts. The form has been abstracted from the shape of a guitar.

The Formal Space Mid level. Subtle colours. Signifies formality and discipline. Form of the building has been abstracted from a fist, indicating determination and perseverance. Houses seminar rooms and lecture halls.

The Silent Space Lowest level. No colour. It defines a sense of depth and it is bare of any colour, signifying silence. An experience of zig zag routes and a tunnel into a pure space shaded by trees near a pond, giving the user a feeling of serenity and seclusion for him to reflect upon his life.

VI The Silent Space V

The Tunnel to the Silent Space

IV The Path towards the Tunnel III The Open Exhibition Area

III

The Formal Building

Entry to the Informal Space

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

SECTIONS

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

Conclusion

The design encompasses a play with three different kinds of architecture and expression. The strength of it being its balanced co existence without disrupting the overall function and aesthetics.

Thanks.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Tonoy Sarma. Age: 23. Architecture graduate from the Institute of Architecture, Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University. If you like my work or for general queries you can find me at: +91 8128562852 or send a mail to: tonoy911@gmail.com to check out more of my work, please visit: graphic design www.behance.net/tonoy911 thesis document http://issuu.com/tonoysarma/docs/thesis_doc_final