Design Porfolio Karthikeyan

Portfolio

Karthikeyan Thiagarajan

About me

Hello!

I am karthik, an architect, Art director and a musician based in germany. I have completed my Master’s of arts in architecture degree at DIA, Bauhaus

My professional endeavors manifest my profound fascination with the realms of art, music, and the dynamic process of crafting captivating experiences across diverse disciplines. I derive immense satisfaction from tackling challenges with ingenuity, consistently formulating imaginative solutions.

Karthikeyan Thiagarajan 03. October 1996 // Indian +49 15736789865 (DE) Karthikeyan.meld@gmail.com

Germany

Much Ado About Nothing

Ongoing master thesis Studio 2021/2022

For Dessau International Architecture, Dessau.

Mentored by :

Prof. Ivan Kucina

Ar. Egor Kuzmin

Project type :

Speculative and critical design

Softwares : Autocad, Sketchup, Lumion, Illustrator, Photoshop

In the open letter that has been published in the Domus, architect Jack Herzog has answered the question of another architect David Chipperfield to what architects should do about environmental catastrophe, social inequality, poverty, pandemic:

DearDavid,theansweris NOTHING

The design studio explores the multi disciplinary perspectives of the concept of nothingness and intend not to propose a solution but to navigate through these perspectives. My journey started by identifying a specific group of people who are considered to contribute nothing to the society. In depth research into this user group, reveals a vicious circle of never eneding suffering that these people have been put through. I intend to create an expereince, that would propose not the solution but a cataclyst for a change in the existing social strata.

01 01

“Believe and accept nothing”

This journey towards defining what ‘Nothing’ as a concept is very much self introspective.

The first task was to select the concepts i liked out of a collection of articles about nothingness and represent them graphically. The results were a series of illustrations on how i perceived nothigness. These illustrations would serve as the intital phase of research The articles are as follows.

1. Hinduism And It’s Beautiful Offering: Nothingness!

2. Parviz Tanavoli: Iranian artist who made some

3. Human Nature, Constructive Anarchy, and How Silence Helps Us amplify Each Other’s Goodness

“The Rudimentary conclave” “Embracing nothing” “Alex wilkinson model”

Can someone contribute nothing to the modern society? This question is further explored and the factors to contributing nothing are identified.

In depth research reveals a particular user group who are exposed to all the factors to contributing nothing. They belong to one of the ancient tribes of South India called the Irulars. A detailed analysis shows the constant suffering they’ve been through, unable to rise among the ranks and so on. The complex systems of the state have made it really hard for these people with/without their knowledge. The research board in the next slide illustrates the how this user groupcontributes nothing to society

“Nothing is omnipresent. Nothing is the ultimate”

Research board about a specific user group contributing literally nothing to the society.

A program diagram is devised by analysing the daily lifestyle of the “tribespeople”. It is a setup of many relationships among diverse activities and their attributes that are performed by actors at the place that is planned to be transformed. The info-graphic, visually representing the imaginary scenarios of human behaviors that tend to change the existing living environments in order to fulfill envisioned goals.

The program diagram is breifly divided into two parts -The deliverance cluster and The tribulation cluster

The attributes represent the intensity with which the actions are being performed. Also, the circles on the outer side represent how the actions are being performed.

The final outcome is a visual narrative journey imagined in the metaverse. The narrative clusters are mindfully stitched together to form a strong narrative that would tell the world of the tribal community.The design of spaces and the narrative have been derived from instances that have happened around the user’s life.

The spaces are imagined to exist completely in the metaverse. The narrative is an interactive and immersive expereince. The following graphic storyboards are a representation of the user’s

You can read the graphic here

To convey the idea better the spaces were translated to virtual worlds using a game engine - Unreal engine 5. Making the experience gamified allowed for more immersivity and much bettter user experience.

Excerpts from the comic

“ ...On getting closer, the 12 headed golden snake made itself evident under the shrine. The glinting idol tempted me into reaching out for it. Almost out of habit, as if to receive blessings. Instantly, there appeared a figure before me... ”

Watch the video here

Excerpts from the comic “ ...We approached the large foundation plinth of the structurecompletely clad with what looked like drainage outlets. “The blood of our ancestors!” He exclaimed grandly. Slightlydisturbed but curious to see beyond, I entered the tower... ”

Watch the video here

Spatial exploration using Fractals

Personal project, 2021/22

Software : Project type : Blender, Twinmotion

3D Modelling, Realtime Rendering

This project serves as an exploration of the visual potential of fractals in spatial organization and design. By leveraging Blender’s modeling capabilities and Twinmotion’s real-time rendering, the project creates a repetitive and psychedelic experience that captivates and enthralls the audience. Through its vibrant colors, intricate patterns, and immersive qualities, the project aims to push the boundaries of spatial design and evoke a sense of awe and wonder in viewers.

02

OASIS

Semester design studio, 2021, Summer

For Dessau International Architecture, Dessau.

Mentored by :

Project type : Frederik Skatar

Urban art and architecture

Softwares : Autocad, Sketchup, Lumion, Photoshop

OASIS is a tranformative urban organism which was the result of the revitalisation program of unused corners. This design was proposed to revitalise an unused park in dessau. The design is imagined as an urban organism made of scaffolding tubes, that could extend in any direction and in no time, to urbanise the given place. The tubes provide the necessary matrix for the art installations to be placed in desired places.

The history of this park has been tainted by series of hate crimes and mishaps. The art installations are made in a way to bring in more interaction from the users with empathy as the core concept.

Stadt park, Dessau Rosslau

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Scaffolding Tubes for the structure

Exploded view “Come together”

“Can i see your thoughts”

“The reality around us”

Extended pathways

Existing central node

Bridges

WPC weatherproof planks Exterior elevation view Multi coloured facade glass Tempered Glass for handrails

The reality around us

‘The reality around us’ is a chance for everyone to expereince the life and death happening around you in the form of an art installation. The light installation is a consequence of the data fed into the systems. The Data is based on a pattern created using the number of births and deaths happening in the host city/town of where the installation is being planned.

Keywords : Visual, Introspective

This artistic interpretation of demographic data is intended to engage people’s emphatic understanding of cold statistics.

A pattern of data is created using the number of births and deaths of the host city Processed into a binary data 123 456 789 1/0 Processed data is fed into the control chip module to control the lights The lights react to the data fed , creating an interesting light show

Deaths

Births

Whenever a baby is born, a burst of blue light would appear Whenever someone dies, a burst of red light would appear

Can i see your rhythm?

‘Can i see you rhythm?’ gives the user a glimpse into another person’s mind. The idea was to convert heart rhythm patterns of the user to audio and then to vibrations. These vibrations create visually stunning surfaces with sand/water. Heartmath sensors are implemented to measure the heart rhythm patterns of the user.

Keywords : Auditory, Visual, Introspective

This artistic interpretation the heart rhythm patterns produce similar pattern among us, sending out the message that we are all equals.

Speakers Speakers Springs

your finger here

sensor

Sand/water 2mm wooden board

Place

Heartmath

User interacting with the headset Dichroic film for facade Patterns are created on the sand by the sound from the speakers

Pattern 00

Pattern 01

Pattern 02

Come together

‘Come together’ is an extended expereince of the first installation,”The reality around us”. This installations offers an interactive expereince among the users with Two consoles with two buttons which would trigger the lights . The light patterns are programmed to be triggered when specific button combinations are pressed. The users becomes the performers by taking control of the lights around them.

Keywords : Visual, Introspective, Kinesthetic

This installation gives the user the control of things when they work together. This scenario demands various users to work together to put out a light show, promoting togetherness.

The result is a light show of leds created by the users/audience.

P1... P2... Console Console Patterns of light are triggerd by the combinations obtained from the consoles Dichroic glass film Two consoles with two buttons act as the controller for the installation. The combinations of buttons trigger a series of leds in a programmed pattern.

The Twelve Gates

Master’s elective, 2021, Winter

For Dessau International Architecture, Dessau.

Mentored by : Project type :

Softwares :

Prof. Alfred Jacoby

Art installation

Autocad, Sketchup, Lumion, Photoshop

In order to propagate the immaterial as well as material content of the appointment as world heritage, the Government of Rhineland palatinate has decided to establist an information centre to accompany tourists as well as propagating the issue around the appointment as a heritage site. The twelve gates is an art installation which depicts the twelve tribes of israel . The design is inspired from marc chagall’s, ’Twelve maquettes’ stained glass paintings.

To pay homage to the ancient jewish tradition, the flora inside the site is left undisturbed while executing the design. The installation can house print media exhibits for an outdoor exhibition. The design was imagined with the idea of promoting the jewish culture by not just letting the world know of their suffering but by thier immense contribution to the artistic community.

04

Existing pathway

Newly added pathway Gate

Aluminium frame

LED fixture

4mm stained glass

LED strip

Plain glass

Stained glass

Conceptual section of the window fame

01 Entry to the park Frame, 8ftx11ft 4mm glass Exhibitprint media Base

Bepin Roy residence

Architectural internship, 2017

For Etage Design studio, Chennai, India

Client : Mr. Bepin roy

Residential Interiors Project type :

The client came to us with the requirement of wanting their home to be an art gallery by itself .We decided to make it look contemporary. We used concrete and wooden textures extensively through out the project with a touch of high resolution illustration posters. Every room had one wall dedicated for just illustrations to balance out the wooden and concrete textures. The result was a contemporay apartment which housed a pieces of art spread through the place.

4 5

9 3

1

1 Entry Foyer

2 Living

3 Dining

6 7 8

2

5 Store

6 Balcony

7 Guest bedroom

4 Kitchen 8 Master bedroom

9 Child bedroom

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room

area Master bed room Daughter’s bed room Master bed room Son’s bed room

Living

Dining

Performance lighting course, 2022

For MELD , Chennai, India

Project type :

Software :

Ape Shift Theory

Branding, Art Direction, Performance lighting, Music score

Autodesk sketchbook, Illustrator, Photoshop, Ableton

Ape shift theory was initially imagined for a music album but later evolved into a much more of a design project. The title represents the shift in our perseptions caused by external elements capable of incepting new schools of thought. The album art takes inspiration from one of the theories of evolution, Ape shift theory. The colour scheme was carefully chosen to also be further used in a photoshoot.

06

The illustration draws direct influence from Terrence Mckenna’s, Ape shift theory, Hence the psychedelic colour pallette

By collaborating with my friend and fellow designer, Daksha Suryavamshi, we were able to experiment on black light and it’s effect on different objects. We managed to collect different objects and experiment with them under the black light which reflected our colour scheme.

The knowledge we gained from the Performance lighting course we did together called INFOCUS hosted Tech quartet really healped us put together this little photoshoot in my bedroom. The result was an interesting collection of grainy photographs with altered perceptions of our realities.

Master’s elective subject, 2021, Summer

For Dessau International Architecture, Dessau.

Mentored by :

Project type :

Softwares

Into the wild Mental mapping

Prof. Ivan Kucina

Creative mapping/Publication design

Mental mappping is an experimental methodology which explores subjective pereception and expression of a specific expereince. The methodology demanded us to stay in the site atleast for eight hours and map down our expereince throughout the stay. The final deliverable could be any product translating the expereince in a expressive way. The result was a book of illustrated poems and six posters on my stay there an.

Procreate, Illustrator, Photoshop, Indesign 07

Mockups of the book

You can read the poems here.