Design Portfolio

PORTFOLIO PORTFOLIO

AkshayaSivasankar

I believe that design is much more than just an expression of yourself. I truly believe that it has to be experiential and must create an impact to the end user. Design should be a manifestation of the clients’ desire rather than a designers’ masterpiece.

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Hotel De Madera

Research and Creative Component

Mountain Modern House

Interior Design

The Journey

Spiritual Design Studio

Research Thesis

Masters Thesis Project

Freelance Works

Residential Design

Hotel De Madera

Hospitality Design Studio

Group Project

Site Location

Program

Semester

Type of project

Medium

Panama City, Panama

Spa Hotel 1st Semster,M.F.A August-December, 2017

Academic

Revit Modelling & Revit Cloud Rendering

The project was to create a Spa hotel in Panama City, overlooking the Panama Canal, keeping in mind the population, location and culture. The program was to include public spaces like lobby, dining and retail spaces, private spaces like rooms with three classifications - standard, deluxe and suite rooms. The main program was to include a spa in the top floor with massage rooms, pool and Jacuzzis and tie the entire design using the interiors and the color theme.

Site

Panama Canal

View of the hotel from the Dock (Revit Render)

Hotel Lobby

The design was a Spa hotel in Panama overlooking the Panama Canal. The design uses the local wood for construction and the structure is exposed. The undulating facade is strickingly different to the surrounding buildings and the design accepts the variation in the floor plan and produces different sized rooms creating a dynamic design.

Lobby and Plaza (0m)

Hotel Section

Library, Lounge and Employee Lounge (8m)

Mecanical

Formal Dining (48m)

Mecanical and Fitness (44m)

Formal Dining (48m)

Mecanical and Fitness (44m)

The common spaces like the lobby, lounge and dining celebrates the wooden construction. To tie the exterior and interiors, custom lights mimicing the facade is designed and used throughout the hotel. The interiors were done keeping in mind the wooden structure and trying to complement the wooden tones and the structural elements. The color theme was decided to be more on the cooler side , to compliment the warmth of the wood, but yet not conflict it altogether.

Precedent images and color palette for the hotel and Spa

Standard rooms

The undulating facade creates different floor plates at every floor providing with a dynamic design. So, every room gets a floor to ceiling window and a exapanse view. The floor plan is divided between spaces on the basis of multiples of the width of the undulating ribbons. This also provides the posibility of having variations in guest rooms.

FLOOR PLANS FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF GUEST ROOMS

Spa Lobby

Jacuzzi - hot & cold

Jacuzzi - Hot & Cold

Mountain Modern house

Interior Design

Site Location

Program

Type of project

Medium

Carson City, NV, USA

Interior Design

Residential Design & Construction

AutoCAD

This is a 2 storey residential project in a high-end residential community near beautiful Lake Tahoe. This project was completed in 2024 after 1.5 yrs of work alongside the architect and client. The scope involved designing a 5 bedroom 4 bath house in a mountain modern design style. Interiors were done in a neutral color theme with pops of color added with greens, blues and client’s eclectic artwork collection.

View of the living room

Main Living Room

Guest Room

Site Location Program

Semester

Type of project

Medium

The Journey

Spirituality Design Studio

Elephant Island , Colorado

Spiritual Design

3 rd Semster,M.F.A August-December, 2018

Academic

Revit modelling, Revit Cloud Rendering

Transcendence,which allows us to imply that the space itself is intended to address the “other”, something not present but essential to the meaning and purpose of the space. We moreor-less agree that this “other” is something that we, as humans, have always sought, the mystery that answers who we are and why we are here. The goal was to create a space that facilitates Transcendence.

External View of the Water builiding (Revit Render)

CONCEPT AND SITE ANALYSIS

Walk the Earth,depicting life here in the world

Use Fire to burn memories we want to leave behind

Use water to purify the soul & body and move forward with a fresh mind

Air as a means to lift and blow away the soul higher towards to sky.

Sky as means to reach a higher calling & meditate

To use the 5 elements of nature and relate its characteristic to each space along the journey and use the elements to create a spiritual trigger that can help the visitor one step closer to the whole experience.Each space will be associated with one of the 5 elements of nature and will signify one aspect of the spiritual process that adds to the entire spiritual journey.

The site analysis , suggested places for positioning view points in the design. The site contour, helped positioning of the builidngs in accordance to the natural elements associated.

Expanse Views

Entry to the island through boats

Walkway among the trees to reminise the time spent on earth up until now

ADA Walkway among the trees to reminise the time spent on earth up until now

Fire to burn memories we want to leave behind and continue the jounery forward with a clean mind and soul

Wash and cleanse in the water building and continue the journey as a new person

Experience the ‘ether’with the recreation of starry sky activated by the user

Dock to Exit from the island after finishing the journey , without having to go back

Final spot on the journey which culminates at the end with meditation spaces overlooking the mountains

Site

Plan indicating the journey

Walk through trees and winding roads

METAPHOR

Journey of Life

Crossing hurdles and blocks in life +

Reaching a goal/ finding salvation

Pathway from FIRE to WATER

ACTIVITY

Collect memories and write on paper

METAPHOR

Prepare to let go

Put in fire and watch it burn

Letting go of burden +

Free to move forward

View of the forest from inside - FIRE

Abulation tank with exapnse view - WATER

ACTIVITY METAPHOR

Cleanse the body after burning ritual

Purification of the soul

Contemplate and manifest dreams

Preparing to move forward + Open to new opportunities

Abulation tank with water cascade - WATER

Physical model showing the dome - ETHER

ACTIVITY

Walk through dark tunnel towards light

METAPHOR

Preparing to move forward + +

Contemplate and manifest dreams

Open to new opportunities

Global migration and multicultural environments: Integrating design systems to facilitate

cultural hybridization

Research thesis & Creative component

Program

Semester

Type of project

Medium

Research Thesis and Creative Component

3rd Year,M.F.A August, 2019 -May, 2020

Academic

Research & Revit 3D modelling

The thesis aims to address the issue of global migration and the stresses along with it, by providing an universal system of design integration that facilitates cultural hybridisation. The goal of the thesis is to not limit the usage to migrants, but also to multi-cultural people who need a part of their culture and to help upcoming students and current designers to design responsible buiulidngs.

Abstract

Global economies and global conflicts have led to unprecedented migration in the twenty-first century. This research argues for successful multicultural environments and the creation of a design approach that facilitates cultural hybridization. It examines traditional design systems — deeply rooted in cultures, values, and religions — that continue to be expressed in building construction. It identifies the fundamental ideologies and principles of the design systems of Western civilization (Classical principles of design), India (Vaastu Shastra), and China, Japan and Far East (Feng Shui) and the shared principles that allows the design systems to be integrated. It draws on literary and archival sources to understand defining principles and on case studies of historic and contemporary design integration, to show how and why traditional design systems have been successfully integrated. Findings are visually applied in two-dimensional prototypical plans and three-dimensional renderings.

DESIGN INTEGRATION

By studying the three design systems, it was clear that there are multiple similarities in the way each of these design principles were formulated. The basic ideologies and principles of Vaastu Shastra, Feng shui and Classical design overlap in the following ways.

Feng Shui planning diagram

Vaastu planning diagram

Classical Principles of design

Feng Shui

Vaastu Shastra

Interiors

Color Theory Floor Plan

By overlapping both the diagrams of 9 square grid, a design for a 2095 square feet residence was developed. The placement of the rooms was guided by the matrixs and the interiors were designed accordingly with the color scheme obtained from the Feng Shui guide diagram. The interiors are then done by applying the Classical Principles and Feng Shui color guidelines.

This research is useful for interior designers and architects and will facilitate planning for successful multicultural residential designs globally. It aims to facilitate multi-cultural understanding, acceptance, and cultural hybridization in a way that protects and reflects individual cultural values. It fills an important gap in the current interior design research and scholarship by identifying specific principles of each design system and by providing a basis for successfully integrating principles of design systems from multiple cultures within a single plan.

Vastu Shastra planning matrix

Feng Shui planning Matrix

Residential Plan

Vaastu Shastra

Ruled by : Soma and Kuber

Benefits : Health, Wealth and success

Feng Shui

Attribute : Career

Benefits : New Career opportunities

Color : Black

Classical Principles

Emphasis : Accent Wall

Balance : Symmetry with TV unit, plants and overall planning

Harmony : Variety and Unity in usage of different shades and tints of the color

LIVING ROOM

Vaastu Shastra

Ruled by : Agni

Benefits : Awakening the soul

Feng Shui

Attribute : Wealth and Prosperity

Benefits : Wealth, harmony and opulence

Color : Purple, Blue and Red

Classical Principles

Emphasis : Blue cabinets

Harmony : Unity by using gold metal

finishes to cabinet handles, plumbing, light fixtures and furniture legs

Vaastu Shastra

Ruled by : Prithvi

Benefits : Strength and authority

Feng Shui

Attribute : Love, marriage, relationship

Benefits : Strengthen relationship between couples

Color : Pink, Red and White

Design Elements

Decorated with elements from oriental culture – floral wallpaper and wooden screen.

MASTER BEDROOM

Vaastu Shastra

Ruled by : Yama

Benefits : Freeing of soul, rebirth

Feng Shui

Attribute : Fame

Benefits : New opportunities and success

Color : Red

Design Elements

Decorated with elements from indian culture – wallpaper with indian print, floral carpet, pillows with rajasthani print, indian paisley printed bedding and common indian colors

BEDROOM

Vaastu Shastra

Ruled by : Brahma

Benefits : Positivity & spiritual vibrations

Feng Shui

Attribute : Health

Benefits : Increase overall health

Color : Orange

Design Elements

Indoor plants, Natural lighting

OPEN SPACE

Vaastu Shastra

Ruled by : Isa (Northeast), Surya (East)

Benefits : Gateway to gods (Northeast), Enlightenment (East)

Feng Shui

Attribute : Knowledge & Spiritual growth

Benefits : Increases spirituality

Color : Blue, Green, Black (Northeast)

Green (east)

Design Elements

Wooden mandap with lattice work, brass bells, Indian imagery, sculptures and figurines

Site Location

Program

Type of project

Medium Chennai, India

Freelance works

Residence Design and Interiors

Residence Design and Interiors

Freelancing

Revit Modelling , Revit Rendering

This is an ongoing project for a newly married couple. The idea was to create a 3 bedroom residence which is vaastu compliant but also has a lot of innovative and modern ideas. The client wants to have a design that has a modern twist to traditional architecture. The emphasis is on obtaining the maximum natural light and air possible while also deal with privacy in an appropriate manner.

Arial View of the residence (Revit Render)

The ground floor has the entry to the house and a verandah just outside the main door. This is a imitation of a traditional concept called ‘thinnai’ an outside seating area to entertain visitors. Then the house has a living room split into two to increase the privacy of the house. The first floor has a open to sky space with plants, sicne the client is passionate about having natural elements arpound the house. Because of this, the design in included to have a plant/green room to promote calmness in the house. The first floor has two big bedrooms with nice huge bathrooms. The master bedroom also has a balcony to sit and enjoy the view.

Second Floor view

Terrace View

Freelance works

Residence Design and Interiors

Residence Interiors - London

Residence Interiors - London