vaishnavi ramesh
95 University Ave, Unit 2430 Westwood, MA 02090
01 02 03 04 05
06 07
vramesh@risd.edu | (857)919-3338 https://vaishnaviramesh.myportfolio.com
CARVE |
The Future of Housing
KILLING THE ANGEL | Thesis Seminar
NOVEL URBAN ECOLOGIES | Micro Housing in Providence
SYSTEM OF LOOPS |
Making of Design Principles MAPPING MAGNETIC FIELDS|
Experiements with Ferrofluid
HOUSE FOR THREE BROTHERS| Professional work
ADA DRAWINGS|
Institute for Human Centered Design
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vaishnavi-ramesh-03053b47
EDUCATION Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Providence,RI | Masters in Architecture (M.Arch) | 2015-2017 Anna University, Chennai,India | Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) with ID (Interior Design) Specialization | 2006-2011 DESIGN EXPERIENCE Institute for Human Centered Design (IHCD), Boston,MA | Summer Intern | June 2016- Aug 2016 Created visualizations of the ADA standards by revisiting the drawings and modifying them, to allow for comprehensive understanding by designers and non-designers alike. Contributed to sketches for a research paper 'Inclusive learning Spaces for Higher Studies' Projects: Involved in Plan review to study the existing conditions of the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry to propose changes to make them more inclusive. KSM Architecture, Chennai, India | Architect | June 2013-June 2015 Headed Residential and Commercial projects.Prepared Approval drawings, Presentations, Design Development and Working drawings. Coordinated with consultants (Structural, Electrical, Plumbing and HVAC) .Assisted Partners with site visits. Redesign- Pedestrian Walkways in Sterling road,Chennai | House for three brothers (IM Gears), ECR,Chennai Mozaic, Goa, India | Junior Architect | Nov 2012- April 2013 Designed and Conceptualized a group housing project under the guidance of the Principal Architect. Prepared Approval drawings and involved in Design Development.Projects: Housing for Clive Lobo,Assagao | Renovation of ‘The Village’ resort,Anjuna | Renovation for Sangolda (Vernacular Goan house) Lavanya Designers, Chennai, India | Designer | June 2011- Oct 2013 Designed and helped execute Interior Design projects.Involved in space planning, design discussions with clients, Compilation of working drawings and Presentations. Advani and Associates, Bangalore, India | Co-op | July - Nov 2010 PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION Registered Architect in India, since 2012 CA/2012/54464 SKILLS Technical Design
| AutoCAD, Sketchup, Photoshop, Microsoft Office, Revit Architecture, Rhino, Grasshopper, Illustrator and Indesign | Sketching, Modeling, Photography
Concept Diagram Residential units facing the street with the shared spaces nestled within them. A larger common space connects all the shared spaces. The shared spaces have internalized views into the common space.
Carving away
CARVE | The Future of Housing What does a habitat of the future look or feel like? Technology has in many ways made life easier, but it has also disconnected us from the earth and from each other. I am proposing a dwelling that reconnects us with the wild, essentially the carve contains within it an urban jungle that can be accessed from within a dense urban sprawl of the city. In some sense, I imagine that the textures and the spatial enclosures would rebuild the missing connection.
A solid block that retains the language of the street and respects the facade. There is a need to bring light into the deeper parts of the solid block, hence there is a physical act of scooping out or ‘carving away’ along the N-S orientation to allow light into the interior parts of the shared spaces.
KILLING THE ANGEL | Thesis Seminar There is something empowering about belonging to a space. In patriarchal societies, there is a perceptible manifestation of gender that is constructed into spaces. The street and a public life contain within it the notions of movement that is unrestrained and free. These are attributes of a space that men identify with and an unintended consequence has resulted in public spaces being demarcated as male domains. This notion is embedded in how women experience public life, as they are accustomed to the idea that public spaces and streets are only spaces they pass through to reach destinations and not enjoy as a flâneuse . How can women claim public spaces and legitimate their right to belong in society as equals?
NOVEL URBAN ECOLOGIES | Houses that Engage the Street Providence has seen a growing rise of spaces allocated to Parking lots and these spaces are often misused and become unsafe, especially in low-income neighborhoods, resulting in an increase in crime. I worked under the framework that these neighborhoods can be reclaimed by introducing families within a communal setting with a focus on an active participation with the street, to enable the development and rehabilitation of these spaces.
01| Semi Detached Units
To address affordability through shared walls and shared common spaces. Visibility of Entrance from the street
04 | Create Density
Densify to further add to the affordability of the Units. Regain Entrance visibility from the Street (Now Recessed).
05 | Addressing the 02 | Private Break-out spaces
Private spaces for each units carved away on the South and East faces. They provide seacure areas for Children to play away from the streets.
03 | Transition Space
A common Entry Court becomes a Focal element of the design, resulting in a more gradual transition from the Public area of the street into the more private zones of the dwelling units
Street Facade
Creating Visual Interaction with the street by increasing the transparency of the facade when compared to the more traditional housing Units in Providence.
01 | Prefabricated room
The connecting ends are ship lapped to reduce air leakage. This prefabricated module is placed on the foundation and fastened with metal strapping that secures the perimeter of the modules to the foundation, in order to take wind load.
03 | Placing adjacent Modules
Connected to the metal strapping o of the internal walls within the shiplapped ends.
06 | Services
The Entry Court also serve as the ‘Lungs’ of the structure by housing the ERV and recirculating air within the units by drawing Fresh air from the outside. The thickening of the walls of the court also double as a Living Building Ecosystem to filter water.
02 | Internal Walls
They are strapped to the ship lapped ends by means of metal fins that are wedged within the internal wall system.
04 | Metal strapping & Finishes
Bolted to connect the prefabricated mosules along the length and the width. The exterior cladding (Cork) and the interior finishes (Gypsum plaster) are set in place after the prefab mobules are connected together, to conceal the joints.
SYSTEM OF LOOPS |Making of Design Principles A single piece of paper when dropped can fall in many different ways; the possibilities are endless depending on the methods used in manipulating them. This paper shuttle then traces a certain fall, an event that has come into existence by the simple act of dropping it. The paper shuttle’s fall becomes a a part of a series of moments captured in time.
Volumes Stair system The project is defined by two spaces that intersect, imparting an overlapping quality to each of the spaces through the interactions between them. The intersection between the loops of the shuttle, as the ‘Vesica Pisces’, defines the position of the two loops at any given point in time, making it an integral part of the design of the Observation tower. The fall of the shuttle is located at the meeting point of the Site with the alleyway that runs perpendicular to it, further reinforcing the significance of its intersection. On entrance, one converges into a large volume of the inter-connected open staircase system. The nature of the shuttle is reflected on the arrangement of the stairs where they come together to view the shuttle or move apart to view the outside. When one ascends and follows the movement with the alleyway that runs perpendicular to it, further reinforcing the significance of its intersection. On entrance, one converges into a large volume of the inter-connected open staircase system. The nature of the shuttle is reflected on the arrangement of the stairs where they come together to view the shuttle or move apart to view the outside. When one ascends and follows the movement
The stairs connect to the spaces by extending their movement, thereby allowing the viewer to experience a space which becomes a part of the staircase system. This resulted in funnel - like volumes that also directs views based on their positioning. These volumes are combined in ways to explore their spatial relationships. Option 1: Intersecting volumes Presents opportunities for greater interactions between the spaces. Option 2: Meeting of the ends Results in segregation of spaces Option 3: Overlap Maintains visual connectivity between the levels but directs the viewers towards each of the spaces.
Based on the sun path diagram, the funnels on the Southern end of the site were redesigned to capture the light conditions across different months. Since the site is overshadowed by the context, it became all the more essential to filter some of the light into the volumes to create a soft diffused glow evoking an intimate experience.
MAPPING MAGENTIC FIELDS | Experiments with Ferrofluid
This project started off as a way to explore a Phenomenon. The aim of the project was to gain an intuitive understanding of a simple condition like a dipolar magnetic field, by experimenting with various methods and tools. As a start, Ferrofluid, which consists of nano particles of magnetite, was used to study the magnetic properties and to map and understand the magnetic field as vectors.
Manipulating Images The next step, was to largely understand this phenomenon by studying the documentation of the Ferrofluid reactions visually through photographs and their manipulations. When the magnet is brought closer to the ferrofluid, the structure begins to slowly grow in layers, until this final 3 tiered result. These spikes are a direct result of the magnetic field and can be plotted as vectors indicating the direction of the Field. The fluid also reacted differently based on the strength of the magnet, and when these magnets were added, more number of these layers began to appear. The manipulated photos further convey this directionality of the field because of the crease on the spikes that reflect light and hence becomes more visible. Another thing that becomes obvious in these images is the outer-most ring suspended in the ferrofluid almost as a boundary that controls the phenomenon within it.
PROFESSIONAL WORK | House for Three brothers The clients were three brothers who required a house for each of their families in a 2 acre lot. The site is located at a height of 6.5 meters below the road level, making views to the sea a difficult task. Hence, views within the site gain importance.
ADA DRAWINGS |
Institute for Human Centered Design Created visualizations of the ADA standards by revisiting the drawings and modifying them, to allow for comprehensive understanding by designers and non-designers alike. Contributed to sketches for a research paper ‘Inclusive learning Spaces for Higher Studies’ Projects: Involved in Plan review to study the existing conditions of the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry to propose changes to make them more inclusive.
95 University Ave, Unit 2430 Westwood, MA 02090 vramesh@risd.edu | (857)919-3338 https://vaishnaviramesh.myportfolio.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/vaishnavi-r mesh-03053b47