portfolio
Jasmine Akerkar
Jasmine Akerkar
30 April 1997
Leuven, Belgium
jasmineakerkar@gmail.com +32456671339
Hello, I am a conservation architect driven by a deep interest in the dialogue between history and modern life. I aim to create meaningful spaces that preserve cultural memory while supporting present-day use.
Education
09.2023- 09.2025
Advanced Masters in Conservation of Monuments and Sites
RLICC- Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
Magna cum laude
2015-2020
Bachelor of Architecture
Mumbai University
CGPI: 7.8
Experience
09.2023- 09.2025
Internship
Stichting Monumentenbezit, Doetinchem, Netherlands
Building archaelogy
06.2022-07.2023
Project Architect
HCP Design Planning & Management, Ahmedabad, India
Architectural designer, services and structural coordinator in healthcare design
12.2021-04.2022
Design Architect
Compartment S4, Mumbai, India
Design development, working drawings, and crowdfunding support for repurposing projects
2021
Junior Architect
DIG Architects, Mumbai, India
Interior designing
2019
Internship
Tarang Studio, Mumbai, India
Restoration
Skills
Autocad, Revit, Sketchup, Rhino
Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Premier Pro
MS Office: Powerpoint, Word, Excel
Reality capture, Lumion, Twinmotion
Physical modelling, sketching
Language
English Nederlands (A2)
Hindi, Marathi
Other
International Workshop with Thomas Coomans, Beijing, China, 2024
Reuse the tower, by Reuse Italy, 2023
The Sacred space, International architecture competition, Archdias.
Top 50 Mention, 2020
A Railport , Architecture competiton, Saint Gobain Ethos transparence, 2019
Plug and play living, Architecture competition, Sqrfactor.
Top 30 Mention, 2019
Summer school on Sustainable design by Laurie Baker Centre Habitat Studies, 2019
Architectural communication Workshop by Ar. Sarita, 2018
Contents Conservation
Wells beyond walls: Conserving historical water Systems balancing architectural and Community values in the Fort city of Vasai
Kasteel Slangenburg
Donjon Ter Heyden
Architecture
Predikherenkerk
Sint Jacobskerk
An Alterntive learning School, the Tagore way
Wells beyond walls: Conserving Historical
Water Systems Balancing Architectural and Community Values in the Fort City of Vasai
Advanced Master’s thesis, 2025
Promotor: Gisele Gantois
This thesis reframes Vasai Fort city as a living socio-ecological landscape, showing how its historic Portuguese-era wells are vital to the Koli fishing community and local ecosystems; by examining fieldwork, interviews, and spatial mapping, the research highlights that the wells sustain daily life, recharge biodiversity, and reveal the urgent need for integrated conservation solutions that blend heritage protection with practical community stewardship, ultimately arguing that safeguarding Vasai’s water systems is essential for regional sustainability, social equity, ecological resilience and for supporting the broader conservation goals of the fort city’s architectural heritage.
Water system
Ecology
Community
The connection between the koliwada and the fort highlighting water points and other actors of the site
How was the urban morphology of the fort city, did it revolve around water?
The northern rampart of Vasai was built thicker to withstand attacks from the landward side, whereas the southern sea facing bastion wall is thinner, reflecting the Portuguese as experts in naval defence and lesser concern about attacks from the water. Most convents and churches in Vasai were located just inside the southern, sea facing wall, the sector considered safest from
attack. An exception is the pair on the northern edge: the Dominican complex and the Hospitaller church of St. John of God. These were established only after the northern line of fortifications had been completed, and were therefore set against the newer landward wall rather than the seaside on the south.
Street network with the square as the nuclei
Landuse zones of the fort city before
The surviving convents & churches rise above the ramparts, underscoring the prominence of the religious institutions within the city’s skyline.
The sections are extracted from
Panorama of the Vasai fort city, photograph taken from the south west side near the sea. Distant view of the Fort of Bassein, Bombay ©Getty.edu
View of the North Face of Basseen at Surrender. December 11, 1780. ©British Library, London
Prof. Walter Rossa’s survey plan, conducted in 1998.
Water sources have survived best inside the cloisters of the Franciscan and Dominican convents, where intact wells and cisterns are still visible. The heavily ruined Augustinian convent likely contained a similar facility, because it also housed resident friars. In contrast, the Jesuit complex, primarily a college, has no well in its cloister; instead, a separate well stands on the western side of the compound, close to the residential quarters.
Additional water bodies are located in other parts of the fort city:
• the northwestern and southeastern residential sectors,
• the former central square,
• the area at the Hospital of the Poor, and
• the citadel itself, where a circular well of pre-Portuguese origin still exists.
These features outline a hydrological grid that served both daily consumption and siege resilience.
Typology of wells:
1. Rectangular well: Low level, accessible and an be used for community purpose, since some are deep enough to store larger quantity of water.
2. Larger cistern: Low level, accessible, farther from koliwada, can act as a reserve well for community use.
3. Rectangular elevated tank: Abover ground, with a series of steps to reach, can be difficult to draw water on a daily basis.
4. Circular well: Pre-portuguese era, functional well.
What did the stakeholder analysis reveal?
Origins of the Koliwada
Evening water route
“Earlier there were only a few families, and houses were made of brick and manglore tiles. Even earlier, this place used to be a temporary settlement for the kolis while they were out fishing and the permanent settlement was the Koliwada”
Near the Monastery of the Jesuits, is a postern in the Fort wall giving access to the river. It has a somewhat ornamental gateway, and over the gateway is a slab of stone bearing crossed key surmounted by Papal triple crown. Below is an inscription of five lines. Slab size, 4’1 1/2” X 2’7”. The inscription is incised and the keys and crowns are in relief.
Transription:
ESTE POSTIGO DE S. PEDRO SE FESE 1 SETEMBRO DE 1599 SENDO DOM FRANCISCO DE NORONHA CAPITAO DESTA FORTALEZA
Translation: This postern of S. Peter was constructed in 1599 when Dom Francisco de Noronha was captain of this Fortress.
“We were friends with the security guard at the Gonçalo Garcia orphanage and school. Even after 6 pm, he’d unlock the entrance at the St. Joseph’s Church gate and let us in. There was a gate there back then; today it’s shut.”
Value mapping of the site
Preliminary conservation plan for the water system in the fort city
Memory maps and sketches from the observational walks
Broader historical analysis exposes an ethical dimension: much of the fort city was financed through taxes from local agrarian communities around in Vasai. Rehabilitating the water system now reinvests those historical “profits” in the well being of the same landscape. Rather than glorifying colonial architecture for its own sake, this project redirects heritage funding toward a resource that addresses contemporary basic needs deficits, water security, biodiversity health, and climate adaptation functions.
Despite the study’s limits, both the evidence and the ethics point to one conclusion: Conserving Vasai’s historic water network is the most effective way identified here to safeguard community needs, ecological health, and the fort’s architectural heritage at the same time. This approach links basic services with heritage duties, showing they don’t have to compete for funds. In a rapidly urbanising region where development often erodes both nature and memory, Vasai fort city’s wells show how heritage can help build a more resilient future, literally and figuratively.
Kasteel Slangenburg
Internship, 2024
The primary objective of the seven-week internship was to gain a comprehensive understanding of the structure of Slangenburg Castle by creating a 3D model of it, which would provide deeper insights into its design. Additionally, the task involved conducting a detailed study of the cellar floor, creating an inventory of the vaults, and analyzing the staircase to understand its load distribution, all aimed at identifying and understanding the castle’s construction phases.
The barrel vault in the rooms have a lower height as compared to the height of the barrel vault in the corridors. The Jack arched vault has a higher height as compared to all the other vaults, with the highest being in the kicthen. The cross vaults exist in the towers, and the other spaces as marked, their heights vary and are not uniform.
Geometry of the vault
Basement vaults model
Cellar floor plan
Inclined anchors are used to secure the circular tower, positioned to account for the presence of openings.
Modification to accomodate fireplace above
Additional support for fireplace above
I sections possibly to support the vault
Filled up window
Original arched openings
Section
01.17 Stookhok berging
01.14 Keuken
01.15 BijKeuken
The vault, which was interrupted and had supports added as illustrated in the detail below, might have continued as shown here.
As shown in Detail A, a portion of the kitchen vault appears interrupted, supported by brick masonry and an I-section beam, which also provides reinforcement for the newer, higher jack arch. The vault height in the tower, however, stands apart and cannot be directly compared to the other vaults depicted in the section below. I section
The section cuts through the Stookhok and the Wijnkelder Berging, where the vault height is noticeably lower compared to the other vaults in the cellar. Above this, the original height of the ground floor is visible. In contrast, the kitchen vault was modified, as indicated by a change in the ground floor level above it.
Wooden panelling
Brick masonry
The interrupted vault
The interrupted vault
Detail A
01.18 Wijnkelder berging
01.14 Keuken
01.15 BijKeuken
01.18 Wijnkelder berging
Staircase structure
The graphic depicts the structural design of the staircase from the cellar to the attic, illustrating how each section is supported. In the cellar, the staircase is housed within a smaller staircase cabinet, which expands towards the kitchen on the upper floors, as indicated by the dashed lines on the floor plan and the exploded view on the right.
The wall thickness decreases on the upper floors, aiding in better load distribution. The central wider wall, extending from the ground floor to the first floor, plays a crucial role in supporting the attic’s smaller staircase.
It’s possible that the entire opening originally existed without a door up to the vault. When the door was added, the upper portion might have been filled in, leaving the niche to allow light to pass through?
2nd floor staircase door openings
Cellar
Ground
First
Attic
1st floor staircase door openings
Cellar
Attic
Donjon Ter Heyden
Integrated project work, RLICC, KU Leuven, Group work (Team of 4)
The Donjon Ter Heyden, a ZEN monument and a landmark in Rotselaar, has intrigued researchers with its unique Greek cross design. Long inaccessible to the public, efforts to revitalize the domain began, including converting old stables into tourist accommodations, restoring the brewery’s ground floor into a beer café, and establishing a non-profit to enhance public access. The IPW explores the tower’s construction timeline, original function, and modifications, crucial for its future planning. Key challenges include balancing private ownership with public access, navigating ZEN monument restrictions, and ensuring economic sustainability. A long-term conservation strategy is vital to preserving its heritage while making it publicly accessible.
In the Ter Heyden Tower, there are two arms that were designed for a specific purpose – the northeast arm and the southeast arm. The northeast arm houses the latrines, and the southeast arm has the staircase. The positioning of these functions and the fireplaces could also have to do with preventing odors from coming into the tower. The two are the only two arms that were designed with a purpose in mind, which opens the possibility that the other arms were built as means to keep the overall symmetry of the building, but also as a means of giving more stability to the tower by having the loads of the structure equally distributed on all four sides and not just two of them.
Documentation and structural analysis of the tower house
Load of roof structure
roof structure load
Relieving arch
Relieving arch
relieving arch
Arches the machicolations of
machicolation arches
Arches of the machicolations
Visible on
visible on the interior wall
Visible on the interior wall
embedded the wall
stones embedded in the wall Stones embedded in the wall
The site’s shared use can be balanced by creating accessible viewpoints outside and improving access within through organized activities and structural reinforcement. The narrow cobblestone road can be converted into a pedestrian path, allowing free movement and clear views of the tower. Key vistas from the southern and western roads can be framed using native vegetation, retaining existing trees, removing hedges, and adding new plants to enhance the tower’s visibility. To ensure safety with only one entry and exit, visitor numbers should be limited based on the site’s and tower’s capacity.
Very badly damaged
Badly damaged
Slightly damaged
Very badly damaged (Gobertange) limestone
Badly damaged
Slightly damaged
Cracks
Crumbling bricks
Loss of mortar
Diestian ferruginous sandstone
Predikherenkerk
ArchDoc, RLICC, KU Leuven, Group work (Team of 4)
Digital documentation of the Onze-LieveVrouwe-ten-predikheren church, Leuven, a part of the first semester of RLICC, focusing on analyzing the staircase within the structure. Utilizing a Leica scanner, total station, digitally capturing the staircase and employing photogrammetry techniques to delve into the intricate details of both the staircase and the facade it was situated on. This approach examined the building’s various phases, delving into architectural history, and analysing the construction methods employed in crafting the staircase. Additionally, conducted studies on the materials used and observed the degradation of elements within the staircase.
Chronology of the building phases of the church
Longitudinal and lateral sections and plan of
Point cloud visualization of the staircase hall and the details
20th c. restorations
18th c. restorations
late 18th c. or early 19th c. modifications
17th c. church renovations
13th c. church construction
13th c. sacristy construction
Elevation drawing of different building periods
Traces of original windows
Diagonal window composition
Vertical joint between the buttress and the dormitory facade
Removed buttress
Orthophoto of the eastern facade with the significant changes highlighted
In the original 13th century design, the staircase connecting the church, sacristy and the dormitory was located in the first bay next to the church, which is now the hallway.
As the dormitory was constructed after the buttresses of the church were finished, it seems like the the second buttress in the corridor obstructed the circulation, so an arched opening was made (it seems unlikely that they would build a buttress with an
opening already in it, as the buttress has to carry the loads of the structure). The original staircase would then also start right after this opening. The steps would have been in stone, ending at a landing with the first pointed-arched window on the eastern wall. It would then have turned right, hugging the wall and ending in the dormitory. The rest of the pointed arched windows follow the trace of the original staircase.
Sint Jacobskerk
Manual recording, RLICC, KU Leuven, Group work (Team of 3)
The subject of the exercise was a complex corner fasciculate pilaster, it is on the corner of the side aisle and the north transept of the church, wrapping around the corner. The task involved using manual methods to measure the pilaster. The triangulation method was employed with the aid of a spirit level to ensure accuracy. A plumb line was set up to establish a precise vertical reference for the section, and detailed measurements were verified using a profile comb. Stationary points were established using tripods to facilitate triangulation throughout the process.
Sectional plans and elevations of the pilaster at different levels
An Alternative Learning School, The Tagore Way
Undergraduate dissertation, Bachelor of Architecture, Mumbai University
The school, inspired by Rabindranath Tagore’s philosophy, employs sustainable building methods and emphasizes hands-on learning. Its design facilitates seamless integration between classrooms of different grades, granting students the freedom to explore and learn at their own rhythm without architectural constraints. Additionally, each classroom is linked to natural surroundings within the courtyard, promoting outdoor learning and physical engagement.
The classrooms open into interactive spaces that invite students to pause and reflect. On the ground floor, they extend into green landscapes and engaging installations that enhance experiential learning and encourage interaction with the outdoors. Each grade’s classrooms flow seamlessly into one another, promoting freedom of movement and cross-learning rather than rigid segregation. This open design nurtures curiosity, allowing children to explore their interests, discover their purpose, and learn beyond conventional boundaries.
