Im Akshay, a graduate from CMRU School of Architecture, born and raised in Bangalore. I grew up in the world of watercolors which led me to fall in love with architecture from an artists perspective. Exploring design with materials, models and compositions has always been something that excites me. I have always been hands on throughout my course and it gives me joy to design using physical mediums. Spacemaking through creating experiences that are rooted in contextual values and tell a story, linking the past to the present is what most of my projects try to achieve. I have the most fun with the journey that reflects in the final output. I have always been a hardworker and I do my best in every task I take up. I hope the following spreads are evocative enough to express my passion and willingness to learn.
A collection of projects from my 5 years of schooling that express all the fun I had while working on them, every project taught me something new and helped me expand my knowledge in many dimensions. Hope you have a good time viewing them!
Existing building on site
Jayanagar is one of the oldest areas of Bengaluru, planned post Independence to accomodate the rising population. It is located in the south of the city and is characterized by elements that are the true to the city; Tree lined streets, Street vendors and wide footpaths. The site selected is a rectangular piece of land (100mx180m) holding the heart of the neighbourhood, The citys first Mixed use mall comprising of civic offices and local business owners surrounded by homes, morphed from a Residential retreat to a chaotic commercial community.
‘Pete’ is a Kannada word for ‘Market’, such as Chikpete, the oldest market of B’lore
THE NEW PETE JAYANAGAR, BENGALURU
A Proposal for a new format of a neighbourhood shopping complex, The New Pete (Market) is a confluence of cultural, commercial and communal spaces anchored in the essence of Bengaluru that can act as a Blueprint to upgrade the existing shopping complexes, creating timeless spaces establishing a new Image for the city.
Existing site map with inferences
Mapping helped in understanding the scale and proportions with respect to the immediate context of the site resulting in applying similar proportions to the new proposal with an intention to make the public feel familiar with the new building that would stand in the center of Jayanagar for the next generation, relating past and future .
Sketches and sections on site
Notice the trees as you read the sections from A1 to A4, street activities are richer and denser in places where trees are at a closer distance and this relates to the intent and the originality of the neighbourhood. Hence Outdoor activities are related to the shaded areas that changes in the sections A3 and A4 where new construction of commercial buildings without proper planning results in a heat island and creates disruptive nodes which affects pedestrian activity.
The Old complex
Noting down elements from the existing complex that echoes the past of the city and carrying forward the characters that make the Jayanagar shopping complex a sacred public space.
Unbuilt recreational spaces
Semi- open Vending areas
Activities under the Canopy
Congregational Nodes
Eccentric building form
Scale and proportion of edges
Permeability of the market
Solo shops to Brands
This section cuts through the center of the shorter part of the site from East to west, that is 100 meters long with a view of the North elevation from the central square. The openings are oriented to the east for good sunlight and a view of the wide pedestrian street - which is welcomed into the site by means of a ramping staircase that leads you to the central square and takes you across the site to the west.
New Heart of Jayanagar
The New Pete is a kit of many parts that reflects multiple aspects of the neighbourhood. Streets align with the openings on site to draw the crowd in. Duality in terms of a slow and fast pace of a market is seen with spaces like a viewing deck that looks over the flower market for people to pass time; A drive -thru market for someone running late. The southern side has Food and Entertainment blocks that invite the Public into semi-open spaces filled with activity. A central courtyard, creates a buffer between the retail stores and the wet market , inviting shoppers to take a break under the trees. Small areas are left free to accomodate temporary solo shops.
The vaulted gateways create a reflection from the past with fort like columns supporting them and terraces opening into the East, facing the pedestrian street. A series of these vaults together compose a new image for markets that can become a language for the new shopping complexes that would come up in other parts of the city.
Recycling
The Entertainment entrance faces the south across the bus terminal and is a 400m walk from the metro station, The open corner invites the public to pass their time at the free-for-all show happening at the amphitheatre, or grab a book to read at the community library while they enjoy some freshly baked aloo buns. Above this plaza sits the threatres that are a stage for local plays and regional cinema, connecting the people with stories from multiple cultures.
The Image of The New Pete is the east facing facade that looks over a wide street filled with pedestrians shopping and eating. The large columns supporting the vaults are a reference from the past when Bengaluru was a fort. Staircases take you up with a view of the street and the central square creating multiple viewpoints.
Sketch from site
On the Backwaters of Kerala, a boat ride down the Vembanad lake is a piece of land that floats on water along the National waterway 3, also the boat route for the annual Snake Boat race festival. On the West across the water is the city of Alleppey and on the East are a cluster of farming villages. High humidity and extreme rains were major observations with regards to climate that the building had to tackle using vernacular methdos and local materials.The final proposal integrates stratergies related to spacemaking, keeping the scale relatable to children whilst responding to site.
LITTLE DUNE SCHOOL ALLEPPY,
KERALA
An Exciting project from an early semester with a brief to design a school for kids of the age 4-12 years. The design derived at the end considers the context, culture and climate of Alleppey. A thatched roof in a contemporary form acts as a parasol over the building that prevents the sunlight from heating up the classrooms. Play areas marked with recycled boats that the kids can use as benches and pause points during activities.
A DAY IN SCHOOL
Storyboarding was an exercise that helped in understanding the character of the school through experiences of kids in different spaces of the school. Doing this activity in the concept stage helped in visualizing an image of the school and different activities it could have for it to be atypical.
As you get off the school boat, you run to the morning assembly happening in the central courtyard. After finishing the prayer, you head to the farm to learn how to grow tomatoes as you get some morning sun on your skin. The next period takes place in the backyard of your classroom under the coconut tree as you learn about the environment. Its recess, and your favourite spot is the stilted space next to the courtyard because it reminds you of being under the dining table at home. For lunchtime, you meet your friends at your favourite boat on the playground to share your tiffin.
You go to the library to return an old book and on your way back you see some kids practicing for the annual day in a shared courtyard next to your class and end up watching them for a while. after the classes end, you grab a bite at the canteen and wait for your school boat back home in the lobby under the tree.
Classrooms opening outdoors
This section cuts through the school latitudinally from north to south. Spaces are designed to cater to the experience of the child by considering the scale and heights.
The spaces step up, providing views and visual connection. The parasol thatch roof helps in temperature regulation by letting hot air escape out from the ventilators.
Building on site
A site intimidated by its iconic neighbours, currently houses the Telephone house which was built when phone services came into the city of bengaluru. The small yellow building with the 3 arches was the main source of design as it helped in composing the image for the proposal, playing with the scale and proportions. The programs include a ‘ Work block’ with co working spaces, F&B outlets, office spaces, an open and a closed amphitheatre. ‘Art block’ with a kitchen, Library and a couple of galleries. The sky cycle is a ramping bridge that connects these two blocks by creating an experience of cycling amongst trees.
a Kannada word for ‘Unity’,
AIKYA CUBBON PARK, BENGALURU
A civic building located in the heart of Bengaluru in Cubbon park, surrounded by iconic landmarks, this project is for the public creating more room for them to breathe and use dynamically. An elevated green space flanked by two buildings on either sides creates an image that catches your eye as as you drive past it. the language of arches being inspired from an existing building on site whose parts were retained and built around.
The Work block is placed towards the front to make it accessible from the main road and by vehicles. The form of the work block is more rigid to reflect its formal functions , where as the Art block that is placed in the corner, closer to the park is meant to be experienced by walking in through the semi open tree pavillion overlooking the wide roads. The form for it is more playful to reflect the fun programs that it houses.
Art block
Sky cycle
Work block
The working drawings helped in further undertanding the details and how smaller elements add up to make the final output well rounded both in terms of form and function.
The First thing you see as you drive past Minsk Square, A series of Arches on water that glares.
Uniting all the beauty of the Garden town, Riding cycles over the old arches that have gotten brown
Resting under the trees in the Lungs of Bangalore, Cooking, with a view of cubbon with dogs to adore.
Building on site
A location with a potential of creating a new Landmark, celebrating the Past, Present and the Future of Bengaluru. The proposed program is a combination of a Festive cultural center and an Automobile Museum with an EV Incubation center both contributing towards Brand Bengaluru. The site has a frontage of 180 meteres, providing an opportunity to create an interactive-unbuilt avenue, inviting the pedestrians into the spaces. The site is shaped with a narrow north side and a wider south side which had to be responded to mindfully.
‘Habba’ is a Kannada word for ‘Celebration’.
HUB BA . JC ROAD, BENGALURU
HUBBA provides a platform to festivals of all scales to showcase the talent of artists and engages with Public via multiple mediums. The spaces are designed to cater to Local festivals, thereby giving the contemporary building a cultural core The facade is put together by exploring compositions through a series of paper models which helped in arriving at the architectural language, the left part scaled for humans with closer columns and the right part scaled for automobiles with tall ceilings.
BLR HUBBA is a cultural event that lasts for a month where there are performances and exhibitions happening in different parts of the city which helps the citizens connect with their land and learn about local art. This project is aligned with the ideals of creating spaces to accomodate events of all scales hence being a blank canvas that can be colored with culture and creativity.
The site consists of multiple buildings with informal boundaries, creating streets that are walkable and have a distinct character. Majorly consisting of government buildings, The current environment of the site is formal. Opportunities to use the intimate streets that connect social spaces such as the Indira canteen make the site open to ideas for NAMMA NEIGHBOURHOOD
The proportions for the cultural pavilion were derived from the Tippus summer palace which is located close to the site. This palace now is a semi-open public space in the heart of the city and inspires to create more such spaces where people dont have to pay to spend time in public.
The sketches to the left are activities bringing people together and the nature of spaces required to accomdate public and turn festivals into events.
Tippus summer Palace
4 meters
The North facade opens up in many ways, stepping up to create a multi-level public space that looks over the Amphitheatre, shaded by the by Big banyan tree . The diagonal staircase draws people to the viewing deck, expanding public spaces beyond the ground level.
The two parts of the building are connected by a circulation core in the centre that creates visual access between the two programs with relative scale factor using the grid.
Culture Pavilion
Automobile Museum
Library /Cafe
EV Incubation center
Food court Auditorium
This section is drawn to show the character of the Culture pavilion on the narrow north corner of the site. The semi open collonaded space steps up to create a vantage point looking outwards. The wide and busy street is connected to the quiet alley at the back. This pavillion used for passing time turns into a stage for performances during festivals.
A FESTIVE FACADE
A 180 meter frontage of unbuilt public space that creates areas of rest and activity, inviting people into the building and acts as a canvas to showcase festivals of all scale and backgrounds.
Walking under the pavillions as sunrays filter through, Water reflecting the coconut trees and skies deep blue.
Boulders turning yellow as they age, speaking about the history of Hampi on a new page.
- Hotel at Hampi
INTERNSHIP AT SJK ARCHITECTS
Mumbai 6 Months 2 Projects
During this period, I worked majorly on a hospitality project, an 80 key hotel in Hampi where I got to contribute ideas in the concept stage, understand the design details as it developed to Tender drawings and moved from the drawing board to the site. The second project I got to work on was an Automobile design studio based in Kandivali where i learnt how to design an extension for an existing building and understood how a steel structure works.
sqm
FURNITURE PALETTE
An Exercise to understand different ways in which standard furniture can be configured in a Hotel room for maximum space efficiency.
Below are options I tried out for Guest rooms varying in the carpet area and options considering with or without an outdoor area or a Jharokha. The chosen Layout is the one in the centre of the page.
28 sqm
32 sqm
SINGLE HEIGHT COLUMNS
300x300(16mm thk) MS Column clad with Local Grey granite stone
300x300(16mm thk) MS Column clad with Local Grey granite stone
Hotel at Hampi
The final option considered for the columns is comprises an MS Steel structure clad with a local granite stone sourced in Hampi, cut in a contemporary design inspired by the pillars in the temples around.
HAMPI HOTEL ON SITE
The Site boundaries changed over the time and the plan was modified according to the developing contraints. The Public block and the Back of House are ground structures and the Guest block is a two-storey structure.
The Plan above helps in understanding the combination of stone cladding the walls of the Public block are treated with. This is determined by the function and helps in creating drawings to communicate with the site.
9" thk Brick wall with 3" Stone Cladding on Both sides
9" thk Brick wall with 3" Stone Cladding on One side only
9" thk Brick wall
TENDER SECTIONS - PUBLIC BLOCK
Drawing these sections helped me undertstand the junctions between the materials and the importance of Transition spaces from outdoors to indoors.
TENDER PLANS - GUEST BLOCK
AUTOMOBILE DESIGN STUDIO
A unique typology that involved making spaces for designing and building life-sized model cars. The structure is a long span portal frame that creates a free space for movement of vehicles. Working on the detail drawings for this project helped me understand the harmony between many materials.
ROCK STUDY
A fun exercise to understand different types of rocks, Igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic, Learning about their characteristics and answering questions like, How are they formed? How old are they? What is their composition? and taking it further with an in depth research about a rock of my choice which was the Granite gneiss.
SOIL ANALYSIS
A simple test done to understand the composition of the soil on site. The texture of the soil can be determined depending on the formation of the Clay, Silt and Sand layers once the soil has settled after mixing it with water in the beaker. This test helps in concluding if the soil on site is Sandy, Loamy or clayey.
Shimsha
SLOPE ANALYSIS
Land is never flat and in order to understand its nature and determine areas that are suitable to build on, Slope analysis is an exercise that categorises the slopes according to the respective ratios ranging from gentle to steep slopes. This exercise also helps in determineing the ridges and valleys on site and mark the possible water channels that would form due to rainfall.
SLOPE RATIO
FICUS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS
Bengaluru
2 Months
‘Listening to the Land’; In this period I learnt the fundamental things an architect is supposed to know about land to be able to create an effective design for it. Landscape is a lot of science, It is the first step of architecture, knowing about the soil, its nautre, what trees would add value to it and what it demands the building on it to be like. This internship involved hands on learning with practical experiences such as meetings, site visits and case studies.
Art by akshay was born out of my love to paint on location every weekend in different parts of the city. I started in Mumbai when I was interning there and it taught me something new as it not only helped me capture the place but also its environment as I experienced it. In order to share my art with people, Art by Akshay is a small brand I started where I sell prints and products of my paintings, each of them with a story to tell.
The ducks of Banganga is my favourite painting from Bombay as it was the first time I painted in the rain with my sketchbook in one hand and an umbrella in the other, which is what the logo for the brand is inspired by. You can look up @artbyakshayy on instagram for more.
