Vaishnavi Gillala | Architecture Portfolio | Selected works 2015-2023

M.Arch Candidate: University of Illinois

As an architect, you design for the present, with an awareness of the past for a future which is essentially unknown.

- Norman Foster

Healthcare design | HDR Collaborative Studio

Graduate studio work - 2023

Instructors: Grace Rappe, Dave Redemske, David Bostwick, and Sheri Teymouri

Collaborators: Krystal Levitske & Binayak Pujari

Being the third-largest city in the United States, Chicago has always struggled with homelessness due to its size and difficult history. Led by one of the most reputed healthcare design firms across the globe, the focus of this studio is to create a facility that rethinks the convergence of mental health and the criminal justice system for Chicago’s homeless population. Keeping in mind the past, present, and future of the homeless, the project acts as a recovery machine which allows the patients to work their way through healing in the mental health resource, then get educated at the destination with the help of student and community volunteering programs, and finally get employed at the social enterprise as a way to intergrate themselves back into the society.

The site is located at the intersection of W Ida B. Wells Drive and S Dearborn St. The structure designed as an interlocking of the three masses allows for terrace gardens at multiple levels. These gardens complement the programs and act as healing spaces and de-stress zones. The public plaza to the north allows for community engagement and shares a dialogue with the existing MCC plaza.

ELEVATION SECTION

PERSPECTIVE SECTION

EAST ELEVATION

NORTH-SOUTH SECTION

THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE TOWARDS THE OPEN AND TRANSPARENT NORTH FACADE INVITES PEOPLE INTO THE SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

THE PUBLIC PLAZA PROVIDES AS A PLATFORM FOR BOTH THERAPY AND ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY

THE CHICAGO APEX

High-rise and habitat design | Professor Paul Armstrong

Graduate studio work - Fall 2021

Collaborators: Tasmia Kamal & Rani Zaid Kaylani

Nominated for Earl Prize Graduate Excellence Award 2021

This project explores different aspects of tall buildings and urban living spaces. The main focus is to present skyscrapers as a collaborative enterprise that require the integration of technical and aesthetic aspects to achieve an innovative building. Featuring retail, office, hotel, and residential space, the mixed-use high-rise design explores the relationship between structure, form, and program. Located in the Chicago Loop Business District, it will also serve as an iconic landmark.

SITE ANALYSIS + FORM DERIVATION

The site is located in the Streetville district of Chicago, on the north bank of the Chicago River just south of the NBC tower. Its western side is bordered by North City-front Plaza Drive, its northern side by North Water Street, and its eastern edge by North Columbus Drive.

The building is integrated with the surroundings such that curving facade seems to blend into the ground plane. This makes the riverwalk level adjacent to the built-form a more inviting space.

INTEGRATION OF GROUND LEVEL WITH THE RIVERWALK CREATES AN INVITING SPACE FOR THE PEDESTRIANS

WINTER GARDEN OVERLOOKING THE ATRIUM PROVIDES AS AN ADDITIONAL SPACE FOR SOCIAL ENAGAGEMENT

The structure is designed as a tripartite volume, with varying masses at podium, hotel, and residential levels. At ground level, much of the mass is dedicated to the public, enhancing human interaction with the space, and as it rises up, the mass becomes slenderer to ensure adequate daylight to the hotel and residences. In order to facilitate both efficient allocation of functions and rotation of mass towards slenderness, the floor plans twist and recede into smaller floor plates. An expansive atrium on the podium level creates an interactive environment with views of the Chicago River from the inside. At the top, a skydeck observatory offers fascinating views of the city as well as Lake Michigan to the visitors.

HVAC SPACE

AIR DUCTS SUPPLY AND RETURN VENT

REINFORCED CONCRETE SLAB

REINFORCED CONCRETE COLUMN

GYPSUM BOARD CEILING WITH INDIRECT LIGHT

BRASS COATED RAILING WITH FULLY TEMPERED GLAZED PANELS

SCALE: 1/8"=1'-0"

ARC STRUCTURAL BEAM BETWEEN COLUMN AND

RC FACADE SUPPORT

FRITTED CLEAR DOUBLE GLAZING UNITS

STRUCTURAL SILICON HORIZONTAL JOINT

TRUSS WITH STEEL SUPPORTS

FACADE SUPPORT

VERTICAL MULLION

GFRC CLADDING WITH METAL SUBFRAME

STEEL CONNECTOR TRUSS WITH MULLIONS

DRAINAGE ME PIPING

STRUCTURAL BEAM RC SLAB

STRUCTURAL DIAGRAMS

STRUCTURAL LAYOUT OF TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL FLOOR

THE STEEL BELT TRUSSES ARE CONNECTED TO THE CONCRETE MEGA COLUMNS AND OUTRIGGERS TIE THE PERIMETER COLUMNS WITH THE CENTRAL CORE TO RESIST LATERAL LOAD.

STRUCTURAL LAYOUT OF THE SKYDECK

MEGACOLUMNS RISE TO SUPPORT THE ROOF WITH PHOTOVOLTAIC PANELS. THE BEAMS ARE TIED TO SUPPORT THE ARCHES GIVING A STRUCTURAL EXPRESSION. TUNED MASS DAMPER INSTALLED TO PROVIDE RESISTANCE TO THE BUILDING SWAY/MOTIONS.

STRUCTURAL LAYOUT OF TYPICAL HOTEL FLOOR

CENTRAL CORE WITH SHEAR WALLS AND 4’ DIAMETER MEGA COLUMNS. THE CORE HIGHLIGHTS ELEVATORS, FIRE STAIRS, INTERNAL SECURED SPACES FOR MEP CONNECTIONS WHICH ENCLOSE SHAFTS, AIRWAYS, UTILITY CLOSETS, CHUTES.

STRUCTURAL LAYOUT OF MECHANICAL FLOOR

BELT TRUSSES IN THE MECHANICAL FLOOR AT LEVELS 20, 60, 100, 115 WITH A HEIGHT OF 30’.

CONCRETE FLOOR SLABS WITH STAIRS. STRUCTURAL CORE WITH CONCRETE MEGA COLUMNS AND BUTTRESSES.

CURTAIN WALL SYSTEM SUPPORTED BY A SYSTEM OF HORIZONTAL CABLE TRUSSES WHICH TRANSFERS LOAD TO THE SUPPORTING COLUMNS.

SITTING ALONG THE RIVERWALK, THE STRUCTURE MARKS AS AN ICONIC LANDMARK

THE MASSIVE ATRIUM ENRICHES USER EXPERIENCE THROUGH ITS GRANDEUR AND SCALE

NODE AT LINIERS

Urban design | Professor Rodrigo Vidal

Graduate studio work - Spring 2022

Collaborator: Kyle Bean

The project is a part of the ongoing Metropolitan Buenos Aires Urban Transformation Project led by Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires (AMBA). The development objectives of this project for Argentina are to improve housing conditions and access to basic services and infrastructure in six different nodes of disadvantaged neighborhoods in the periphery of Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area, and strengthen the institutional capacity for urban management at the metropolitan level. This proposal focuses on planning and designing health, social, and mobility infrastructural facilities as a second growth model through urban anthropology in the underserved Liniers neighbourhood of Buenos Aires.

SITE ANALYSIS

The site is located at Node 5, in the Liniers neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Liniers is a neighborhood of Buenos Aires on the edge of the city, centered on Rivadavia Avenue. It is also an important train station and bus hub, connecting western Gran Buenos Aires with the Buenos Aires Metro. The neighborhood is predominantly occupied by residential buildings on the north and some commercial areas on the south. It also houses prominent landmarks such as the San Cayetano Church and Jose Amalfitani Stadium in the vicinity.

CONCEPT + FORM DERIVATION

The concept has been derived from the intent of connecting people from three major conjugation spaces around the site. The triangle of connectivity inspires the structure to seem like it is emerging from the ground on the east, only to incline upwards to meet the elevated train on the west at a height of 13 meters, while also embedding other programs within it.

SECTIONS

The structure comprises of different programs such as a train station, bus terminal, hospital, civil court, police station, commercial complex, auditorium, as well as urban parks, all of which vary in scale and functionality. Thus, the design and planning embeds circulation and connectivity as its key factors. With two main plazas on either ends of the longitudinal section of the structure, the intended northsouth axis connectivity is very well-established. The user experience is enriched by intermediate courtyard spaces as well as ramps that connect functional spaces to the urban roof park and the community park. The parking is alloted to the backend of the hospital block to enable ventilation and views from the outside facade.

EAST PLAZA FACILITATES A TRANSVERSE CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN THE NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD

WEST PLAZA ACTING AS A PLACE OF CONGREGATION BETWEEN HOSPITAL, CIVIC BUILDING, AND TRAIN STATION

ECOTONE :

Graduate studio work - Fall 2022

Collaborator: Will Napier

Montcada I Reixac’s position between the two mountains, La Coscollada and Collserola, and two rivers, Ripoll and Besos, north of Barcelona has created urban fragmentation and tension between the town and its surroundings due to overlapping infrastructure mobility and natural systems. The aim of the project is to develop new public space and landscape models for Montcada I Reixac, thereby enhancing its morphological richness and dynamic connections, thus becoming a territorial articulation capable of achieving optimal urban, social, and ecological cohesion. As a sustainable approach, the neglected space under the existing infrastructure mobility viaducts, which is currently a site for informal parking, can be revitalized and transformed into a lively urban space.

BLURRING THE BOUNDARIES OF MONTCADA I REIXAC

Urban design | Professor Sara Bartumeus

SITE ANALYSIS

The site is located in Montcada I Reixac, a town sitting amidst the beautiful landscapes of Spain. The location provides for a confluence of transit networks and industries that support and connect the town to the city and the territory beyond. However, the result is a broken relationship between the northern and southern zones of downtown except for one strong linear axis, recreating the bottleneck effect of the region on the municipal scale. To turn this situation around, a clear and bold solution that unifies the municipality and opens it up to the rest of the region is needed.

SCOPE OF INTERVENTION

DESIGN STRATEGIES

DESIGN PHASES

The design incorporates a system of bioswales, trenches, and berms which are beautifully weaved together by altering the microtopography of the site. This system not only ties together all the programs discussed earlier, but also helps in resolving the ecological issues of the place such as flood prevention and restoration of the lost ecology around the river Ripoll. In this way, a continuous structure of intertwined social and environmental elements makes the site a cohesive urban connector that accommodates the needs of the community as well as their connectivity to nature.

INCORPORATING COMMUNITY-RELATED ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT

INNOVATIVE USE OF MICROTOPOGRAPHY TO CREATE VISUALLY ENHANCED PLAY AREAS THAT ACTIVATE THE SITE

DEPLOYABLE STRUCTURE

Making of a prototype | Professor Sudarshan Krishnan Graduate seminar work - Fall 2021

A deployable structure is a transformable structural system that can reconfigure and change its shape/size without having to be dismantled or reassembled. The possibility to investigate the operation of a deployable structure was made possible by the course ARCH 536: Planning and Design of Structural Systems. In this project, the prototype of a deployable sphere has been constructed using members laser-cut out of HDF boards. The angulated members and end connectors were thoughtfully designed, and the pivot joints connecting the scissor members are made of polystyrene rods. The final product is put into motion to expand and contract as intended.

MEMBERS

CONNECTORS

STAGES OF DEPLOYMENT

AND

ANGULATED MEMBER CONNECTOR - ELEVATION

SCISSOR MEMBER CONNECTOR - PLAN GEOMETRY OF THE RADIALLY DEPLOYABLE RINGS

[ARCHITECTURE] IN THE AGE OF [DIGITAL] REPRODUCTION

The seminar ARCH 576: [architecture] In the Age of [digital] Reproduction prescribes students to study the recent design/fabrication projects by some of the renowned architects and designers. The final project includes a laser cut pop up model made from chip board which will display the mutation of an existing architectural project of a selected architect/ designer. This project is an exploration of exterior building skin as a tool to control daylight penetration and ventilation into the building. It draws inspiration from Thom Faulders’ project- Airspace Tokyo.

Making of a prototype | Professor Erik Hemingway Graduate seminar work - Fall 2022

EXPLODED VIEW OF BUILDING AND SKIN

ITERATIONS OF DIFFERENT DENSITIES

PROTOTYPE - PLAY OF LIGHT AND SHADOW

STAGES OF EXPANDABLE SECOND SKIN

FARMHOUSE

Design drawings | Working drawings | 3D visualization | Site surpervision

Architectural internship work - 2020

Firm name: Nandu Associates, Hyderabad, India.

Located in the outskirts of Hyderabad: Chilkur, this farmhouse is the vision of a businessman in the pharmaceutical business. The requirement was for a weekend villa for his family of four, housed amongst a dense guava farm. My role as an intern involved various tasks such as to work on the design drawings, working drawings, 3D conceptual renders, and supervise the work on site.

The form of the main building and entrance porch were derived from the empty space left in between the dense guava farm, to ensure no trees were felled in the zoning of this project. The courtyard creates a sense of arrival as one entered into the house - further instilled with double height spaces near the staircase and dining room. The abundance of natural light and the folded plate staircase made the main hall look light and airy. The west wall alongside the staircase was designed to have punctures - to allow light to fill the space without bringing in heat. Roof heights varied as per vastu and functionality of space. All in all, the gradual ascension of roofs created an interested visual hierarchy from the entrance.

ZONING + DESIGN

1. Entrance

2. Entrance porch

3. Main Building BUILT-UP AREA: 889.5789 SQ.M NO. OF FLOORS: GROUND + 1

3. BUILDING TUCKED AWAY AMONGST TREES, IMPERCEPTIBLE FROM THE MAIN ROAD

2. ZONING OF THE MAIN SPACES WITHOUT UPROOTING ANY EXISTING TREES

1. PLOT WITH A DENSE GUAVA FARM

VERANDAH DESIGNED AROUND EXISTING TREES TO AVOID FELLING

TEMPLE SITTING ON THE WATER BODY CREATES A SPACE FOR CALM AND SERENITY

THE GRADUAL ASCENSION ON ROOFS CREATES A VISUAL HIERARCHY FROM THE ENTRANCE

ENTRANCE COURTYRAD WITH LUSH VEGETATION CREATES AN INVITING SPACE

TECHNICAL DRAWINGS

Detail drawings

Architectural internship work - 2020

Firm name: Nandu Associates, Hyderabad, India.

This section consists of a series of other working drawings that I have produced for different range of projects during my architectural internship. Working on detail drawings for various projects has shaped my attention to construction details.

PROJECT 01. INDU RESIDENCE | DETAIL DRAWINGS

LOCATION : HYDERABAD, INDIA.

PROJECT 02. JNAFAU AUDITORIUM | DETAIL DRAWINGS

LOCATION : HYDERABAD, INDIA.

VISUAL WORK

Sketches and Architectural Photography

The following is a compilation of other hobbies and interests that I have nurtured over time, which have played an eminent role in getting my creative juices flowing. This segment comprises of selected architectural sketches and architectural photography.

NEWMAN HALL , AHMEDABAD | HASMUKH PATEL

AMDAVAD NI GUFA , AHMEDABAD | BV DOSHI

ANDUR LAKE HOUSE, KOLHAPUR | SHRISH BERI

SAGRADA FAMILIA | BARCELONA

BASILICA DE SANTA MARIA DEL PI | BARCELONA

ETSAB | BARCELONA THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO | ILLINOIS

CASA MILA | BARCELONA