Architecture PORTFOLIO Selected works from 2012- 2018
Vidhya Rajendran M.S. Architecture in Design Computing at UW vidhya28@uw.edu +1 206-887-8609
contents Polycab Resorts hospitality
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(Click on the image)
Co-living Apartment
pages 19 - 21
residential pages 3- 7
Plywood Flexing digital fabrication
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Interpretation Centre
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pages 22
cultural centre pages 8 - 15
Parametric Design facade designing
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Game Tower institutional pages 16 - 18
pages 23
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Co-living
A high rise apartments planned to house 154 units in 14 floors, has a central recreational block which accomodates all the amenities. This sharing of spaces is necessary for a harmonious living by its residents. These spaces are organised based on their functionality and are designed to combine the open spaces with the closed ones in a fluid and organic manner.
Residential Apartments Type Semester Mentor Scope
Softwares used
Undergrad | Studio work 9th semester (Individual) Dr. K.Thirumaran Conceptualising and study of Space-ProximityActivity of the programs in Grasshopper, modelling, floor plans, spatial analysis Grasshopper, AutoCAD, Rhinoceros, Sketchup, 3DS Max
Chennai The site is located in the residential core of Adayar and has a site area of 1.51 Acres.
Concept Space maximization and co-living are the core concepts of this project. The recreational block aims at organising the spaces in a harmonious and continuous manner. Thus studies were conducted to learn the interaction between different typology of activities amongst each other as well as with the green spaces. This gives a program for mapping the activities in a continuous manner marked with randomness, so as to maintain the coherency of the spatial layout.
Pure black and white represents two distinct functions (programs). The transition of colour depicts the change in the functionality of the spaces. This smooth gradation of function thus gives a continuity to the spatial arrangement.
Now, three colours represent three distinct functionsEntertainment, Health and Education. The transfusion of colours marks the transition from one distinctive activity to another.
The gradation is stepped down to controlled number of colours. Based on the colour mix, the functionality of the space is chosen. The floor plates have randomness and continuity interjected in the layout.
Study | Colour mapping against functions
Study | Functions vs Greeness of space
Study | Volume distribution
Study output
Closed spaces: Jacuzzi, Indoor Spa, Massage area, Indoor play, Gaming cafe, Dance club, Library, Music room, creche
Semi- closed spaces: Music and relaxation pods, Cafe and lounges, Gymnasium, Aerobics, Basketball courts, Multiutility spaces, art rooms, exhibition halls, informal training centers
Semi- open spaces: Outdoor seating, Hammock, Tennis courts, Children’s play area, Wifi zones, workshops
Terraced spaces: Shallow pools, swings, star gazing, screening area, rock climbing, trampolene playground, mini golf course, gardening, greenhouse
Kids zone
Youngster zone
Elder zone
Translation | Concept into coherent spaces
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Scenario 01 - Office
Transformative spaces 1 Guest Bedroom
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Recreational block
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Typical Floor plan & Unit plan 4
1 Scenario 03 - Sleeping
Scenario 02 - TV Watching
2 Living room 2
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Daylighting analysis Scenario 02 - Party area
4 Children’s Bedroom
Scenario 02 - Sleeping
Scenario 01 - Play area
Scenario 01 - TV Watching
3 Master Bedroom
Scenario 02 - Sleeping
Scenario 01 - Work space
Interpretation Centre
Tamil Nadu has a great tradition of heritage and culture that developed over 2,000 years ago and still continues to flourish. Mamallapuram, a town in Tamil Nadu, is known for its heritage structures and cultural traditions. This town is currently facing socio-cultural issues: the heritage and culture is not being recognized, the town’s economy is falling due to less footfall, and the need to bring out the artistic expressions of the native sculptors. My project aims at bringing out the cultural influences imbibed by the town through architecture.
Cultural centre Type Semester Mentor Scope
Softwares used
Undergrad | Thesis Project 10th semster (Individual) Dr. K.Thirumaran Master planning, Conceptualising, Plans, Sections and Elevations, Renders, Presentation Sketchup, AutoCAD, Vray, Photoshop
Mamallapuram The immense built-heritage of the town with its innumerous Dravidian temple structures and traditional handicrafts is a perfect place to compliment the culture through architecture.
Background
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SITE | Surrounding
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Mamallapuram is a picturesque rocky town wedged between the beach and lagoon. It stands as a testimonial for a combination of history with art and architecture. The town was built by Pallavan kings to increase their sea trade and portray their interest in perfecting art and architecture during their reign. Mamallapuram stands as a centre of art and as an icon to early Dravidian style of temple architecture. The Shore Temple symbolises the heights of Pallava architecture and the maritime ambitions of the Pallava kings. Though small in size, its excellent proportion and the supreme quality of the carvings made it the most prominent structure in the study of temple architecture. Another notable monument is the Pancha Rathas, an architectural ode to Mahabharata’s five Pandava brothers. These ancient edifices, carved out of a long stone or monolith, are decorated with bas-reliefs and murals.
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Heritage mapping Monument prohibited area
Landuse mapping
Educational use
Commercial use
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Tourism development mapping
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Traditional settlement mapping
What makes Mahabalipuram so culturally resonant are the influences it absorbs and disseminates. An Interpretation Centre is used as a focal point to create a Heritage township that would emphasise the existing fabric. The ancient monuments are accentuated to attract the tourist population. The site is strategically placed inbetween the two most prominent heritages of Mamallapuram- Shore temple and Pacha Rathas. Along with this, the beach-ward location enhances the vistas from the site. Against this backdrop, an Interpretation Centre would be most appropriate in this location as it would try to interlace the environment of the past preserving its culture, tradition and architecture, and the present architectural fabric. The apt location of the site supplements the spirit of the place.
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3 Shore temple
Present day
Light house
Mahabalipuram had been a most frequently visited tourist town. Due to the stagantion in the development of the town, the town faces reduced footfall. This leads to other sociocultural issues - the historical value is not being recognized, the town’s economy is falling, and the need to bring out the artistic expressions of the native sculptors.
Pancha Rathas SITE
The Walk: View of the Shore temple and the activity plaza
Genius Loci *
Mind map: The spirit of Mamallapuram contained by built- unbuilt strands
“Architecture means to visualize the genius loci, and the task of the architect is to create meaningful places, whereby he helps man to dwell” - Norberg-Schulz
“The essential of the Genius Loci theory is to understand the cultural connotation and human natural characteristics of the entity space. Space is always created by material substances for certain purpose and limitation, only when its been given with locally and cultural contextual significance can a space become a place.” A space is made of following components: 1. The static physical setting 2. The activities taking place 3. The meaning that the space holds
* Dissertation Reseach link: https://issuu.com/vidhya6/docs/manifestation_of_genius_loci_throug
Mind map: The spirit of Mamallapuram is imbibed into the site through tangible and intangible aspects
Translation into Architecture | Site plan
Surrounding vistas panaroma
The layout analysis of Mamallapuram Temple
Public Plaza: The functionality of the public plaza is resolved using the layout of a typical Mamallapuram temple. The circulation is kept simple and borrowed scenery is used to emphasise the surrounding heritage structures.
Semi - Public Plaza: The heritage of Mamallapuram is in a state of deterioration. There is also a dearth in the conservation practices in South India. A sophisticated conservation facility with an institute wing also forms a part of the project to support and to ameliorate the Heritage Museum. The conservation laboratory overlooks the 1500 years old Pancha Ratha.
Visually linking the workplace and the place of work Traslation of traditional layout concept into the Site plan
Entry portal | Visitor’s centre
Central node | Landscape The central node is a crowd organiser. It has the core buildings organised around it with sufficient breathing spaces provided to catch glimpses of the beach. It opens onto an activity area for the public to enjoy the local culture against the backdrop of the shore temple and the sea.
Infusing a sense of local character Borrowed view of the beach and the view of the activity area
View of the Visitor’s centre
The visitor’s centre is the first building that one encounters on approaching the site. It serves as reception for the visitors. The long perpendicular wall that cuts through the building, juxtaposed against the stone cladded wall, sets the orientation of entry into the building and exit onto the central plaza. The top floor is aligned along the axis facing the Pancha Rathas.
Associating the reading room and the context of the city
Plan overlay
Heritage Museum Shore temple
Shore temple
Axis of city growth Basement floor
Pancha Rathas
Pancha Rathas
Design evolution through acknowledging the axes of the town
The Heritage Museum, which is based on intagible concepts derived from the axes of the town, houses tangible heritage of South India- the sculptures, textiles, scriptures, paintings, etc. Key
Sectional view
Houses the works of the native sculptors
Ground floor
First floor
Houses the archaeological remains, deities and ancient artifacts
Second floor
Interior view of the Gallery along the shore temple axis
Spatial experience
Interior view of the model
Model view of the Museum
Cultural Centre
Sectional view of the cultural centre
The Cultural Centre houses the intangible art forms of Mamallapuram. People experience the traditional culture though the architecture of the building and the art form in itself.
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“Thus formed an art, inbetween those fingers.�
Spatial experience 1 Play of light and shadow | Borrowed views of the beach 2 The Street | Local character | Traditional setting 3 Reflections | Light through water | Diffused lighting 2
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GAME
TOWER
Institutional Type
This complex is exclusively for studios and production companies. It has a variety of programs stacked one on top of the top in a playful manner providing large spaces for courtyards and outdoor seating.
Semester
Green stategies have been implied in this building to improve the energy efficiency.
Softwares used
Mentor Scope
Undergrad | Competition work Intership - 7th semester Ar. Mathan Ramaiah Generating concepts, design development, building analysis, plans, sectional elevations Sketchup, Vray, Photoshop, Lumion, AutoCAD
Hyderabad The site extends upto 6.23 Acres in the corporate zone- Hi Tech city of Hyderabad.
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Concept
Keeping all the public programs to lower levels and organized around a central courtyard, which is used as a congregation space for larger events. Studios and Auditoriums are kept on the lower level with free roof to ensure large spans and adaptability. Office tower is rotated to N-S façade to reduce solar gain which naturally creates large span spaces for Studios and Auditoriums.
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Jenga blocks
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Top floor is further rotated to create a shadow for the public space.
Playful design aesthetic. From the exterior the form resembles a game of stacking blocks. Formal play based on programmatic and climatic logic. Aeriel view
Program distribution Section AA’
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Climatic analysis 1. Natural lighting in the building
4. Shadow Analysis
High factor of daylight penetration into the offices reduces the need for artificial lighting, reducing energy demand upto 28%.
5. Wind direction
Large courtyards ensures the maximum penetration of the prevailing EW winds of Hyderabad.
2. Green roofs and terraces
Active roof with walkways and landscape creates a leisure environment for the office goers. The playful roof brings out the spirit of the work happening in the building.
West wind is allowed to penetrate and cool the public spaces. Highly shaded outdoor spaces allows the program to expand outwards.
3. Reduction in solar radiation N-S glazing ensures minimal solar gain and reduces the energy consumption for cooling upto 30%. Roof top landscaping reduces heat radiation from roof slabs and hence reduces the consumption by 20%. Solar panels on roof doubles as shading devices reducing indoor heat build up.
Polycab
Resorts
Located near Halol, this facility is designed to accommodate 160 people at a time and three botique bungalows. The aim was to reflect the sense of simplicity and rich Indian culture. This will be a world-class net zero organic farming community which will set benchmark in showcasing the modal of using seven strands of sustainability in simple yet luxurious calm and serene atmosphere.
Hospitality Type Semester Mentor Scope
Softwares used
Professional work Intership - 7th semester Ar. Mathan Ramaiah Master planning and conceptualising and planning the entry plaza. Sketchup, Grasshopper, AutoCAD
Ahmedabad Located in hot dry climate of Halol, Ahmedabad, this organic community spans upto an area of 20.27 Acres.
Arrival Plaza
Master plan of the organic community
Plan of the arrival plaza
sustainability
modules
Organic Food grown in naturally condensed soil and no fertilised with animal manure from on-site animal husbandry.
Self-reliant 100% off grid clean tech energy systems designed to meet the community’s loads.
Effective watershed measures to enhance the catchment areas and conservative usage at all levels with the help of latest technologies.
The shelters are designed to optimize the spaces and to encourage better interaction with nature.
Fresh outdoor air naturally cooled with earth as the heat sink.
The Earth and soils are conserved and built organically to help increase the soil organics-Vedic farming
People and the way they live are important aspects of the community, their interactions within and outside. Their involvement in social welfare is an essential criterion.
View of the central O.A.T Rendered by the in-house rendering team
Entrance Porch
Flexibility in the design using grasshoper scripting
The evolution of the arched entrance pavillion started by drawing the inspiration from the Rajasthani ornate shades - “Jharokas” and the western architypical arcades.
Jharokas
The design is evolved by decoding and deconstructing the elements by understanding its spatial and aesthetic character. Hence deriving a contemporary but a rooted design to the precinct.
“Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness.” -Frank Gehry
View of Entrance canopy Rendered by the in-house rendering team
Plywood
Flexing Type
Graduate work | Autumn 2018
Scope
ARCH 527 - Digital fabrication Roark T Congdon
Mentor
Project 2 : Chair The chair was cut from a half an inch plywood. The spacing between the folds are designed to accomodate the bending. The seater piece holds the bent piece in place. And the cross bracing prevent the chair from swaying.
Living hinge
Project 1 : Laptop stand The living hinge is held inbetween the two flexible legs. As the legs are flipped to a closed position, the living hinge seamlessly bends giving way to the slant arrangement.
GM iLegend
City
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Freelancing work
Scope
Coding for the exterior facade
The project attempts at establishing a commercial and tourist hub in Sarjapur, Bangalore. Planned at a massive scale of 72.52 Acres, it will house state of the art facilities like the auditorium, business office, hotels and shopping centers.
Multiplex block
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Surface to be modified
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Dynamism on the facade is induced through skewed quad girds supplemented with gradual reduction in the size of the opening, in the direction opposite to the orientation of motion.
Skewed quad grid on surface Elevational view of the Multiplex from road
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Sub-surfaces of varying dimensions
Controlled reduction of surfaces