Dharmik Siddhapura Graduate Portfolio

DHARMIK SIDDHAPURA

Since my childhood, I’ve held a deep fascination for architecture and surreal creative concepts. Creating something fundamentally unique has always been my passion. I strongly advocate for an architectural style that not only tackles practical site challenges but also provides a delightful experience, seamlessly blending aesthetics with functional utility. I approach form development as a problem-solving method, aiming to enhance user experience through innovative design solutions. My vision for projects consistently revolves around this goal, and I am dedicated to achieving it through rigorous work. I thrive on challenges and remain committed to overcoming them. My portfolio showcases a diverse range of academic and professional projects, spanning from small to large-scale developments. It stands as a testament to my varied skill set in design thinking, technical knowledge, and proficiency in advanced software. This collection reflects my architectural ideals and represents my original work.

The Art Institute

Type : Semester 9 studio // Individual

Location: Bengaluru, India

Site area: 13015 sq.m

Duration: Jun’23 - Sep’23

About

The proposed Art institute aims at developing a modern and futuristic learning centre for fostering art among students and providing employment. It proposes to offers courses in textile design, ceramic art, metal craft, etc. The project is being planned in newly developed district of Bengaluru.

My Objectives

ART embodies freedom, liberalism, and boundlessness. The concept seeks to mirror these qualities through the expression of FLUIDITY. Just as it encapsulates the principles mentioned earlier, ‘fluidity’ precisely mirrors these values.

FLUIDITY

Fluidity is an expression of art, creativity and imagination. Deriving a fluid form as an icon for planning.

BRIDGING

Connecting building blocks through bridges

BUILDING FOOTPRINT

Setting building block footprints in tune with the fluid site plan.

BUILDING BLOCKS

Assembling the building blocks as per brief requirements, planning and connectivity.

‘RAMPS’ AS VERTICAL CONNECTIONS

Establishing vertical connection between each level through ramps instead of lifts to achieve sustainability in vertical transport.

ENCLOSURES AND SUPPORTS

Providing supports to ramps and giving a shield from weather through a wall enclosure around it.

TERRACES ON EACH FLOOR

Making space for creating terraces on each floor to enable visual and physical connection with sky and nature.

THE ‘FORM’

Dynamic and aesthetic skin for the building to match the central idea of an ARTISTIC art institute

TILTED FACE

To mitigate intense heat, the approach involves inclining the facade walls facing south on each floor by pushing the lower edge of the blocks inwards.

THE LANDSCAPE

Fluid pattern landscape enveloping the building to complement the fluid geometry

• To avoid direct penetration of heat in the rooms, the south facing facades are inclined and roofed.

• Learning becomes boring when just enclosed in a classroom, hence in order to avoid that, spillout spaces (terraces) on each floor and with access to all classes is planned.

View of vibrant interactive terrace spaces created on each floor

View of the site from parking space

Amphitheatre in a central recreational ground

View of ramps and bridges connecting the structure

AERIAL VIEW OF 3D MODEL

The Fashion Hub

Location: Lower Parel, Mumbai, India

Type : Semester 5 studio // Individual

Site area: 9,602 sq.m

Duration: Dec’21 - Apr’22

About Approach

Lower Parel in Mumbai is a former textile and fashion hub with a rich history and legacy. However, many of the textile mills in the area have become redundant in recent years. This project aims to revive the area’s character as a center of textile and fashion by creating a fashion hub.

Deriving a building mass after organising all spatial requirement

Making atriums/courtyards for multilevel visual connectivity and air ventilation

Opening the facade (fenestration) on the north for north-light and deriving floor plates

Bridging the two buildings by a semi-open terrace and corridors open to air.

Treating the building envelope with bioclimatic pattern forming a semipermeable thermal skin

The following grasshopper script indicates the process employed in order to achieve the building facade/skin along with the supporting space frame as shown in the images.

A bioclimatic strategy designed to beat Mumbai’s heat: a semi-permeable building skin with angled, customized openings. These strategic fenestrations filter sunlight, ensuring a pleasant and thermally comfortable interior by studying angles and exposure, offering a nuanced solution to the harsh climate.

Large openings towards the North (for comfortable and pleasant light)

Passages and toilet planned towards the south (direction receiving harsh sunlight)

SUN HOURS ANALYSIS

The analysis reveals that the structure receives direct heat majorly on the south facade, with other parts receiving diffused and comfortable sunlight.

RADIATION ANALYSIS

The sun radiation analysis shows how the bioclimatic strategy for building skin is protecting the openings from receiving harsh sunlight

PHASE 2

In times of intense heat, the openings can be automatically closed to ensure comfort.

PHASE 1

Open fenestrations allowing view and light

KINETIC FACADE SCRIPT

SUN-PATH

Laying of pile foundation for strong super-structure

Erection of shear walls and RCC columns as primary vertical load bearers

Using advanced slab types: flat slab, waffle slab for longer column free span

Covering the structure skeleton with a space-frame as per desired shape 12:00 NOON Harsh sunlight blocked by the facade

Customized openings according to sun-path 8:00 MORNING Pleasant sunlight allowed to penetrate

BLOW-UP SECTION

The Floating Pavilion

Location: River Drava, Slovenia

Type: Competiton // Individual

Duration: April 2022

The project’s objective is to rejuvenate the city of Maribor in Slovenia, renowned for its rich heritage of raft transportation on the Drava River, by constructing a floating pavilion. This pavilion should be designed to be easily relocated and adapted to a variety of scales and purposes.

Brief requirements:

Wood to be used as primary material

Pavillion size given - 8m x 8m

Adaptive to multiple purposes and scale of use

Objectives

• Simple and minimal design for convenience of users

• To design adaptable furniture for versatile purposes

• To create an attractive aesthetic appearance especially for its relevance during Lent festival.

Position 1

Seats collapsed on the floor

Position 2

Seats cropped up when required

Lent Festival

Maribor’s raft legacy

On-board assemblies

All seats cropped up for on-board assemblies like seminars, talk shows, wine tasting, etc.

Regular use

Seats can be pulled up as required for public use like leisure, relaxation, etc.

Performances

All seats collapsed to clear space for performances to be viewed by people from banks

AXONOMETRIC EXPLODED DIAGRAM

The Martian Agrohabitat

Location: Candor Chisma site, Mars

Type: Winterschool design studio // Group of 3

Affiliation: AAKA Space studio, Canada + NASA India

Duration: 2 months // Feb-Mar’22

Contribution: Concept design, Research, Modelling

The ‘Martian Agrohabitat’ is a Martian human space settlement coupled with the functions of Research. Any prospective space settlement would first need to answer the question of ‘How to grow a viable source of food’ in a drastically different enviornment. The ‘agrohabitat’ would serve as the stepping stone and primarily focus on permutation, hybridization and experimenation of vegetation on Mars. The habitat is designed for a crew size of five humans.

Approach

The zoning has been developed to create a closely earth like environment for cosonauts. A vertical zoning over a horizontal is preferred for better volumetric efficiency. Vertical circulation will not be a problem due to low gravity on Mars.

The proposed structure is a free standing catenary lean-on type of a structure built in the sheltered environment of crater, as a host, for better radiation protection

The double shell structure has been adopted for easy pressurization and enhanced radiation protection. The outer shell is made up of fibres created by mycelia and acts as a reinforcement addition to Martian regolith

Materials used:

CO-ORDINATE POINTS

Source points defining levels and functions

Creation of metaballic planes defining floor plates

Metaballs defined as per volumetric calculation based on anthropometry in Mars

Regolith: Abundantly available in Mars, and provides radiation shield

Lightweight, durable and easy to produce in-situ

Martian

Myco Fribre:

FLOOR DERIVATION

METABALLS

Affordable housing

Location: Pune, India

Type: Semester 7 studio// Individual

Site area: 23,000 sq.m

Duration: Jun’22 - Oct’22

Pune, often dubbed the ‘Silicon Valley of India,’ is among the country’s most densely populated cities. The city’s flourishing IT sector has spurred a rising demand for affordable housing, particularly among middle-class families. The project aims at accommodating residents from different economic stratas forming an urban society.

• Include 1 BHK, 2BHK and 3 BHK housing units catering all economic groups

• Design as per building codes/bye-laws of the city

• Keeping in mind the constructability

PIXELS - INITIAL IDEA

The initial concept revolved around the generation of architectural form through a pixel-based approach inspired by the city’s density. This involved the initial division of the site into pixels and subsequent extrusion of these divisions. The next phase entailed further subdivision of these extrusions into pixels, ultimately influencing the treatment of the building facade.

ATRIUM

Designed to build a vibrant social community through multilevel visual connection and interaction

DECONSTRUCTIVIST BALCONIES

Strategically positioned balconies create open, airy spaces above, allowing a direct connection to the sky and avoiding the confined feeling of a slab overhead.

RADIAL SYMMETRY

Rotating the typical mass block radially to create four typical wings(blocks) of building

FENESTRATIONS

Creating French windows in all rooms for a larger view , while also defining the facade look

STACKING OF UNITS

The stacking of unit is done one above the other keeping in mind the economic value of each unit

3BHK units at top for best view, followed by 2BHK and 1 BHK below it

CONNECTING THE WINGS

Creating a circular passage within an atrium connecting all four wings to link people together creating a social interaction within the community

TERRACE FOR EACH ROOM

The concept involves equipping each apartment with a small terrace that is open to the sky or a lofty overhead space. This arrangement will be designed in a random pattern.

1ST- 7TH FLOOR PLAN (1 BHK UNITS)

17TH- 20TH FLOOR PLAN (3 BHK UNITS)

8TH- 16TH FLOOR PLAN (2 BHK UNITS)

3 BHK BLOCK- TYPICAL

Internship work

Firm name: RAW-NYC Architects, Dubai

Duration: 6 month // Nov’22-Apr’23

Contribution: Concept design, CAD planning, rendering and animation

3D modelling, research

Projects: 1)The Desert Oasis, Saudi Arabia

2)The Boutique Hotel, Saudi Arabia

3)The Great Park Pavilions, Qatar

4)The Baghdad Bridge, Iraq

*In picture: The Desert Oasis

The Green bridge of Baghdad

Location: Baghdad, Iraq (In design stage)

Contribution: Concept design, 3D Modelling, research

Concept About

The Green bridge of Baghdad is the newest addition to the existing array of old bridges on the legendary river Tigris in Baghdad. The bridge will connect the eastern and western part of the city.

The design of the bridge is inspired by legacy of ancient arches of Iraqi architecture, paying homage to Mesopotamian civilization. Additionally, it seeks to honor the architectural style of Iraq-born architect Zaha Hadid, especially in connection to the nearby Central Bank of Iraq, designed by her. The bridge aims to symbolize Iraq’s forward-looking perspective while being firmly rooted in its rich historical legacy.

“Can a bridge be more than just a crossing lane? Can it also serve as a public realm?”

The central idea of the project was to design an engaging pedestrian bridge atop the vehicular bridge with arch like architectural expressions also acting as a bridge support.

Design variations

Khan Murjum, Baghdad Taq Kasra arches, Baghdad

Central Bank of Iraq by Zaha Hadid, on the edge of proposed bridge

Final design draft

Boutique hotel project

Location: Saudi Arabia (Design stage completed)

Contribution: Concept design, 3D Modelling, Interior design, CAD work, Rendering

About

A project envisioned to be a luxurious hospitality centre in the deserts of Arabia. It comprises of 4 blocks:-

A) The hotel

B) Retail block

C) Wellness centre

D) Entertainment centre

Role

My role as intern was to collaborate with seniors and design director to produce concept designs as per the guidelines given, along with animations and renderings for final presentation.

Initial concept sketch

Hotel complex elevation

About:

The hotel features an open area at podium level designed to house a swimming pool, a poolside lounge, and a bar. This elevated space offers a panoramic view, enhancing the overall experience for guests.

My Role:

• Designing the pool, bar opening facade, poolside lounge

• 3D modelling, visualisation and animation

About:

The hotel suites consist of two levels, including a mezzanine. They offer a lavish experience, with interiors blending fluidity and Arabic architectural elements, surrounded by lush greenery for a serene ambiance.

My Role:

• Designing the window wall unit and bed space

• 3D modelling, visualisation and animation

3D Model of lower levelBedroom

Sauna & shower

Pool & bar at podium

Sky meditation space - Wellness centre

At the terrace level of the Wellness block, an open to sky meditation space is designed. It houses smaller pods that have lounges for meditation in solitude as well as in groups

Desert Oasis pavillion

The Desert Pavilion is a distinct project featuring dynamically designed pavilions set in the desert. The architecture draws inspiration from an oasis style, complemented by landscaped ponds, enhancing the overall aesthetic and experience of the space.