Bhamini Mehraa Undergraduate portfolio

UNDERGRADUATE ARCHITECTURE P O R T F O L I O

Bhamini Mehraa

BHAMINI MEHRAA

D.O.B: 4th of July, 2001

Phone: 9880229760

Email ID: 2019_bhamini.m@wcfa.ac.in

Address: Mysuru, Karnataka, India

Languages: English, Hindi

EDUCATION

Ryan International School, Bannerghatta

Chrysalis High, Gunjur

2018-present Wadiyar Centre for Architecture

SOFTWARE SKILLS

Drafting Autodesk Autocad

Modelling

Autodesk Revit Trimble sketchup

Post production

Adobe illustrator

Adobe photoshop

Adobe indesign

Rendering

Enscape V Ray

OTHER SKILLS

Diagramming and analysis

Hand drafting

Model making

Sketching

Measure drawing

Layout and Presentation

Illustration

Writing

EXPERIENCE

COMPETITIONS

• Design and build competition Intracollegecompetitiontodesign Winners

• NASA Architectural Journalism Architecturalwritingtrophyonthe India,heldbyNASA

• CP Kukreja Trophy (2022) Designofapavilliontocelebrate independence,heldbyNASA

• ANDC Design Trophy (2021) DesignofaTransitHub,heldby

CO-CURRICULARS

• Connected Collaborations Event held in collaboration with

• Courtyard Editor (2022) EditorandwriterforcollegeNewsletter

• Wall Illustration painting Thecampuscanteenwall-designed

• Bamboo Workshop (2022) Buildingabamboopavillion

• Freelance branding (2021) kavvach sanitization services

• ZNC Battle of Bands Trophy 2ndRunnerUp

• ANDC Fashion Trophy Participation

competition (2022) designfurnitureforcampus

Journalism Trophy (2022) thetopicofPublicnessin (2022) celebratethehistoryofIndia’s

(2021) byNASA

CONTENTS

1. Sustainable Architecture

Cottage Industry | Semester 07 | 4th Year

2. Public Architecture

Public Library | Semester 05 | 3rd Year

3. Housing Design

Housing | Semester 04 | 2nd Year

4. Design of a House

Individual House | Semester 02 | 1st Year

Collaborations (2021) with SEA, AVANI and CARE

Newsletter painting (2022) designedandpainted (2022) (2021)

Trophy (2022) (2022)

5. Interior Design

Redesigning College Exhibition Space | Semester 07 | 4th Year

6. Working Drawing

Semester 06 | 3rd Year

7. Furniture Design Competition

Designing furniture for Canteen campus

8. C.P. Kukreja Design Trophy

Design of Public Pavillion

9. Miscellaneous

AXIS AND VOIDS

Sustainability Design Studio I Semester 7

Assistant Prof. Suren Aalone

Studio Brief

The brief- as a response to the commercial rigor of the district of Kanchipuram in the sale of silk sarees- entailed the design of a Kanjivaram Saree Cottage industry that was experiential in nature, along with a retail space that would foster sellers both in-house and otherwise. The building was required to respond to the climate of Kanchipuram through active and passive strategies in order to create comfortable and healthy workspace for the weavers, as well as an engaging space for the buyers and visitors to linger in.

Ideas employed in the project

The intent was to create transparency in the process of weaving a saree- which would help engage and educate the buyers visiting the retail market. Thus, in order to facilitate an immersive path, a diverting axis was created on site which behaves like the experiential datum for the visitors- in the diversions of which fall courts that become pause points for both the workers and the buyers. There was also an aim to create a sense of in-betweeness in the project, which is executed through the use of greenery in both the courts as well as within the workspaces itself.

Project Brief: Cottage Industry

Site Location: Srirangapatna, Chennai

Site Area: 10,000 sqm

Built Area: 6000 sqm

Section AA’

Section BB’

Section CC’

Section DD’

Creating a tilted axis

Placing the mass along the axis

Diverting the axis to create pause points

Creating courts as points of rest

Demarcating the pathway with a roof of domestic scale

1. Public OAT

2. Dyeing Space

3. Admin Office

4. Outdoor breakout space for workers

5. Drying Space

6. Weaving Space

7. Designing and training Space

8. Cafe 9. DEWATS plant infiltration 10. DEWATS 11. Toilets Plan at +2000mm level

The water baths have a thermostat that keep the temperature in check. Once the temperature of the water bath crosses 35 degrees, the water is sent to the storage tank and the cooler water in the tank- at 28 degree- is sent circulated back up to the water bath to maintain the heat gain.

Buffer space with vegetation and permeable wall- becomes an inbetween space within the block

Permeability through and through for cross ventilation

Section of Weaving Unit

Tilted window with seating as a breakout space within the block

Operable window shutters on all facades

Storage Unit that can also become seating by the window

Double roof reflecting harsh sunlight

Diffused light entering the space from roof

Water bath as one of the layers of the roof for reducing heat gain

Air outlet in a high volume to create stack effect

Dessicant Dehumidifier in inlet

Air inlet on the bottom of seating to allow cool air into the space

Louvres as a north east facade strategy to block sun out 3000 mm buffer space for air to cool before entering

The endeavour was to collect the rain that the humidity of Kanchipuram provides and employ it in different systems through the project like a material for roofing or even for manufacturing processes like dyeing. The project looks at utilizing the ability of water to thermally insulate as well as its potential for air conditioning. The aim was that the same water being employed is recycled and reused for these systems so as to aim for self sufficiency specifically with the factor of waterall year round with minimal need to source it from elsewhere.

The water baths have a thermostat that keep the temperature in check. Once the temperature of the water bath crosses 35 degrees, the water is sent to the storage tank and the cooler water in the tank- at 28 degree- is sent circulated back up to the water bath to maintain the heat gain.

to the water bath to maintain the heat gain.

the tankat 28 degreeis sent circulated back up

sent to the storage tank and the cooler water in

the water bath crosses 35 degrees, the water is

temperature in check. Once the temperature of

The water baths have a thermostat that keep the

Heat gain when concrete is used as a roof material

Heat gain when water is used as a roof material

Diagram of water bath circulation Diagram of ice

Diagram of Water Circuit

THE FRAGMENTED LIBRARY

Public Building Design Studio I Semester 5

Studio Brief

The primary intent of the brief was to create a permeable public Library that responded to the immediate context of the small town of Srirangapatna. A subsidiary objective of the semester was designing through the scaffolding of a precedent study- whether it be aligning with the ideas of the chosen building to study, or detering from them. The semester focused on negotiating between four main themes- the Precedent study (Bishop Edward King’s Chapel, Niall Mclaughlin), Place (Srirangapatna), Public and Program.

Ideas employed in the project

Derived from the precedent study, the idea of ‘degree of translucency’ brings about a variety in the expression of the library building, executed by the use of massy exposed brick juxtaposed with filigree concrete columns. The ideas of contextual and publicness are responded to by breaking down the scale of the building, and there is an axis created that allows open permeability through the site. The smaller fragments of space allow for intimate reading nooks as well as community reading spaces.

Project Brief: Public Library

Site Location: Srirangapatna, Karnataka

Site Area: 1900 sqm

Built Area: 1500 sqm

Assistant Prof. Kiran Kumar

Establishing a connect between the public road to private street

Creating permeability through the builtfostering a street like space

Providing space for the residences in order to create a daily active public hub

Fragmenting the mass in to create a relatable, domestic scale

Diagram concieved from analysis from Bishop Edward

Niall’s idea of placing columns within structure

Overlapping and disrupting the (concentric) Layers

Niall’s idea of Semper’s structure

Idea of individual elements composing the built

Using the elements in a composite manner

Bringing about a Degree of Translucency through articulation of the wall, column and plinth

Conceived key diagram (and model)

King’s Chapel

Idea of Concentric Layers

Plinth Column Columns with a low heighted wall Column with wall Wall

Following a scaffolding of geometry Creating multiple spaces and nooks Visual and physical permeability

1. Multipurpose community space

2. Children’s room

3. Cafeteria

4. Toilets

5. Bookshelf rooms (A, B: Non fiction, C: fiction)

6. Reading spaces

7. Archive

8. Admin

9. Computer lab

Section AA’

Breaking a large mass down- as a response to Srirangapatna’s scale

Disrupting and overlapping the layers- connecting the mass

Creating a balance of built and unbuilt spaces as well as permeability on site

Adding the layer of program and zoning the functions; Connecting reading and bookshelf spaces

Treating the edge condition; Plinth modulation towards the public road and recessing towards private road

Detailing the geometry with a composite of wall, columns and plinth

Bringing

Accentuating the idea of existing amidst ‘Mass Vs Filigree’ with material

about a degree of translucency by detailing it further

Addition of roofs on reading spaces and clerestory’s in bookshelf areas

Edge condition towards the residential road; Recessing the plan to invite the street within

Permeability within the site; Creating a street like space as a connector for both roads

Edge condition towards the railway road; Plinth creates an implicit threshold for the building as well as a gesture for rest Contextual Response

Serial views: Taken from different points of the street like space in plan

Mood of the place

Sketch depicting the functioning of the library as well as public interface on the ground plane

An imperative part of the theme of the wall and column articulation is the material. The brick articulates the mass, and the concrete columns articulate the filigree- which denote the openings. The two come together to form an in between of weight and weightlessness, publicness and privacy, open and enclosed, opaqueness and translucency.

Material details

Views

Section BB’

THE HOME, THE COLLECTIVE & THE HUB

Housing Design Studio I Semester 4

Prof. Anand Chalvadi

Assistant Prof. Akash Rai

Studio Brief

The aim of the studio was to create a housing complex that was suitable for college students- both in terms of the basic amenities and spatial requirements, as well as adaptability of the built to lifestyle of a student. The brief required a study of the demographic of students and a consequent response in the design both in terms of the character of the shared spaces as well as the tailoring of an individual unit and how well it adapted to the transient life of the floating population.

Ideas employed in the project

Responding to the immediate context, the site was analyzed in terms of the degree of publicness. Facing the circle, a small part of the site was given to the public as a Hub that could behave like an open plinth- facilitating students from all over mysore to exchange dialogue as well as have a multipurpose space. The spaces within the site have a gradience of publicness, from the hub being the most public to the individual balcony spaces being the most private. There are several degrees of shared spaces, inviting different sizes of congregation.

Project Brief: Housing

Site Location: Mysuru, Karnataka

Site Area: 5000 sqm

Built Area: 3000 sqm

Reacting to the circle near the site

Dividing the site in terms of degree of publicness

Modulating the plinth to create implicit thresholds

Defining the entry points for the public vs the residents

Zoning and massing the functions on site, in terms of publicness

Creating voids for openess and permeability

Breaking the mass, and pushing and pulling the units to create in between spaces

Establishing pause points in the shared circulation areas

Creating circulatory paths and connecting the masses

1. The Hub

2. Gymnasium

3. Cafeteria

4. Security Desk

5. Courtyard

6. Common Gathering Points

7. Laundry Room

8. Projector Room

9. Units (A: Individual, B: 2 Bedroom, C: 3 Bedroom)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

7. 8. 9.

9.

9.

6.

6.

9.

Placing of units

Pushing and pulling units

Private terraces for all units

Front porch to each house

Corridor space

Individual balcony for each house

Gathering place for residents on each floor

Creation of a public front towards the common corridor

Diagram of Degree of Publicness

Private balcony Front porch Corridor Shared gathering points Shared amenties Courtyard

Development Diagrams

THE WALL HOUSE

Design of a house I Semester 02

The minor task entailed understanding spacemaking through decoding a painting, and creating abstract models of the 4 basic planes- horizontal, vertical, over head and base- and consequently analysing the enclosure and feel of the space caused by these planes. The brief of the major task required us to design a house for a chosen demographic of people using the scaffolding of a precedent study, and analysing them through concept of the same 4 planes.

Prof. Kavana Kumar and Prof. Kiran Kumar

Plan at 1200mm

Plan at 4200mm

INTERIOR DESIGN

Prof. Anna Cherian

Studio Brief

The task was to interior design the campus’ exhibition and pantry. The brief required us to make several iterations of the arrangement of the plan of these spaces, which would be led by an overarching theme. Anthropometry and human scale were to be taken care of.

Ideas employed in the project

Inspired by the WCFA Campus’ existing language of being a juxtaposed composition of light elements like steel columns along with the language of heavy elements such as brick masonrythe idea was to design the spaces with contrasting filigree and massy components.

Groupmembers:Bhamini,Arlene,Riya

Grey Plywood Pink ceramic herringbone

Pink lime plaster

Cane Green Fabric

Section through Pantry

Views of Pantry

Views of Exhibition

Green Lime plaster

Concrete finish

Copper

Coarse concrete finish

MDF Beige finish

Exposed brick

Different uses of space

Panel board Design Folding mechanism of Panel board

WORKING DRAWINGS

Prof. Srinivas

Studio Brief

The brief was to create working drawings for a housing project. The idea was to understand the technical language of drawing and learn communication of building construction on paper.

Groupmembers:Bhamini,Anish,Lina,Anupama

The brief entailed designing furniture for the canteen on campus- pieces that would adapt to the multivalent language of the canteen, the temporality of the space and would accommodate different sizes of crowds through different points of the day.

Thus, the design process took its course through the idea of ‘modules’. Keeping the notion of ‘interpretative’ in mind, this modularity was followed with the idea of ‘expansion’, in both the horizontal and vertical axis. In order to facilitate the Expansion, the skin became the dynamic, changeable component and the skeleton became the static frame. All of this is crafted keeping in mind the comfortable postures and ergonomics of the human body. The endeavour is only to perpetuate the canteen’s charisma by creating pieces that would attune to the need of the hour, the people and the dialogue as a device to bring people together.

Group members: Bhamini, Riya, Ameera, Yajan

These modules are meant to be interpretative with regards to form and use. The visual similarity of the modules creates inherent ambiguity in use and possibilities to explore endless permutations.

r e t h a t i s A d a p t a b l e a n d I n t e r p a t i v e i n n a t u r e . T h e i d e a o f t h e ' p i e c e ' o f f u r n i t u r e i s t o b e a c c o m m o d a t i v e w i t h r e s p e c t t o t h e t i m e t i m o f t h e d a y a n d p r o v i d e f l e x i b i l i t y d e p e n d i n g o n t h e s t u d e n t s n e e d s a n d m o o d s T h u s , t h e d e s i g n p r o c e s s t o o k i t s c o u r s e t h r o u g h t h e i d e a o f ' m o d u l e s ' K e e p i n g t h e n o t i o n o f ' i n t e r p r e t a t i v e ' i n m i n d , t h i s m o d u l a r i t y w a s f o l l o w e d w i t h t h e i d e a o f ' e x p a n s i o n ' , i n b o t h t h e h o r i z o n t a l a n d v e r t i c a l a x i s . I n o r d e r t o f a c i l i t a t e t h e E x p a n s i o n , t h e s k i n b e c a m e t h e t d y n a m i c , c h a n g e a b l e c o m p o n e n t a n d t h e s k e l e t o n b e c a m e t h e s t a t i c f r a m e . A l l o f t h i s i s c r a f t e d k e e p i n g i n m i n d t h e c o m f o r t a b l e p o s t u r e s a n d e r g o n o m i c s o f t h e h u m a n b o d y T h e e n d e a v o u r i s o n l y t o p e r p e t u a t e t h e C a n t e e n ' s c h a r i s m a b y c r e a t i n g p i e c e s t h a t w o u l d a t t u n e t o t h e n e e d o f t h e h o u r , t h e p e o p l e a n d t h e d i a l o g u e a s a d e v i c e t o b r i n g p e o p l e t o g e t h e r b g r T h e s e m o d u l e s a r e m e a n t t o b e i n t e r p r e t a t i v e w i t h r e g a r d s t o f o r m a n d u s e T h e v i s u a l s i m i l a r i t y o f t h e m o d u l e s c r e a t e s i n h e r e n t a m b i g u i t y i n u s e a n d p o s s i b i l i t i e s t o e x p l o r e e n d l e s s p e r m u t a t i o n s

Expansion of the furniture poses a choice of the type of use depending on the need. The furniture has the ability to expand horizontally (through the skin attaching to one another) and vertically (through stacking within pre made grooves).

E x p a n s i o n o f t h e f u r n i t u r e p o s e s a c h o i c e o f t h e t y p e o f u s e d e p e n d i n g o n t h e n e e d T h e f u r n i t u r e h a s t h e a b i l i t y t o e x p a n d h o r i z o n t a l l y ( t h r o u g h t h e s k i n a t t a c h i n g t o o n e a n o t h e r ) a n d v e r t i c a l l y ( t h r o u g h s t a c k i n g w i t h i n p r e m a d e g r o o v e s )

T h e s k i n , r e s t i n g o n a s t a t i c s k e l e t o n , i s t r e a t e d a s a w a y t o

f

a c i l i t a t e t h e e x p a n s i o n o f t h e p i e c e s T h e f a c e s h a v e t h e a b i l i t y t o c o n n e c t t o o n e a n o t h e r h o r i z o n t a l l y ) a s w e l l a s h a v i n g g r o o v e s t h a t r e c e i v e a n o t h e r p i e c e ( v e r t i c a l l y ) T h e s k i n a l s o e x p a n d s t o c r e a t e t a b l e t o p s a n d r e s t i n g c h a i r s

The skin, resting on a static skeleton, is treated as a way to facilitate the expansion of the pieces. The faces have the ability to connect to one another horizontally) as well as having grooves that receive another piece (vertically). The skin also expands to create table tops and resting chairs. The size of

T h e s i z e o f t h e f a c e s v a r y t o a c c o m m o d a t e d i f f e r e n t p o s t u r e s

f o r c o m f o r t a n d n e e d T h e h e i g h t s a r e p l a y e d a r o u n d w i t h a n d i n t e r p r e t a t i v e , t h r o u g h t h e i d e a o f s t a c k i n g , s o a s t o b e o p t i m u m d e p e n d i n g o n t h e u s a g e

The heights are played around with and interpretative, through the idea of stacking, so as to be optimum depending on the usage.

r e , b u t ) h e W e s t r s u c h a e t o b e a b l e a n d

F r o m c o n v e r s a t i o n s a n d b a n t e r t o ( r a r e , b u t ) i n t e l l e c t u a l d i a l o g u e , a l l i s i n h e r e n t t o t h e W e s t f a c i n g W C F A C a n t e e n . I t i s i m p e r a t i v e f o r s u c h a d y n a m i c a n d v i b r a n t d i s p o s i t i o n o f s p a c e t o b e c o r r e s p o n d e d w i t h f u r n i t u r e t h a t i s A d a p t a b l e a n d I n t e r p a t i v e i n n a t u r e T h e i d e a o f t h e ' p i e c e ' o f

C.P. KUKREJA DESIGN TROPHY NASAdesigncompetition

The goal of the competition was to place a pavillion in a public space of historical signifcance as well as a location of urban congregation. The ultimate goal of the pavillion was for it to help encourage public interaction and conversations.

The pavillion attempts to carry forward the same spirit and history of the place, and maintain a similar use of the space- which is to provide a free space for people to gather communallywhile also adding a layer of playfulness and dynamism to the space. Thus, the space not only aims at capturing the quality of static activities (such as gatherings and protests) that take place under a tree, but also yearns to propagate the dynamic activities (play) that usually take place under and around a tree. The experience of a tree in terms of a spatial quality is thus abstracted by the canopies that imitate the quality of filtered light that a tree provides, while also being inorganic and free in form and material. The underground plinths behaves as a static plane, while the undulating roof serves as a dynamic membrane.

Groupmembers:Bhamini,Arlene,Riya

Site Location

Site Plan

“Abstracting the experience of the tree (as a spatial entity)”

• The Canopy of a tree as a pause point/place of rest (in contrast to Bangalore’s commotion)

• The memory of Play- the tree being a playful element- making the space dynamic and active

• The shade of a tree to gather (in small and large groups)- making a space more multiplepurpose in nature, promoting transient quality of program

• Abstracting the elemental quality of resting under a tree in terms of the quality of light, threshold/barrier from the commotion, climatically cooler (underground)

Theory of Architecture

The intention was to breakdown the ideas (or theory) of each of the buildings, and represent a single or multiple ideas through diagrams. Alongside, we were required to write short analysis notes on the buildings, supporting both the 3d and 2d diagrams.

Casa taller en Hokkaido, Hakkadio Countryside, 2005

Observing how the horizontal planes arranged on the vertical axis, provides a sense a scale. Analysing how circulation through multiple volumes simultaneously, transcends the sense of enclosure from more than just one ‘floor’.

La Rotonda, Northern Italy, 1550

The relationship between the openings in La Rotonda propels investigation in the influence of the visual axis in articulating an “in between” space. The openings alone have the power to blur the line between inside and outside and change how a space could be perceived.

Bibliothèque nationale de France, California, 1994

Observing the structure that articulates scale in the space, inferring the magnitude of the scale, and analyzing the human response and the language it provides. Taking into account how the openings for natural light affect the quality and perception of the scale.

Ichihara Public toilet, Ichihara City, 2012

The Ichihara Public toilet and its elements, provide ground for differentiating between the physical and visual boundaries of a space, and analysing how an extended visual boundary dissolves the sense of ‘enclosure’.

Related Study Program I Semester 04

The goal was to create a bamboo pavillion on campus, through which we would understand building with bamboo. The workshop led us to understand the creation of joineries with bamboo and its loading capacity.

The task was to create an entrance pavillion to an exhibition. The pavillion was temporal in nature and used bamboo as a material. The idea was to explore bamboo as a building material, and the intent of the structure was to create a light framework which allow a dance of light and shadow.

AD Precedent Study I Semester 05

The task entailed analysing a building and diagramming 3 key concepts that made the building. It acted as a precedent study to the 5th semester brief of designing a Public Library.

AD Minor Task I Semester 03

Process

Movement

Layers of Built

Building with Light

Imitating the Context

Phone: 9880229760

Email ID: 2019_bhamini.m@wcfa.ac.in