Architectural Portfolio( Masters+Professional work) 2024

MANYA SINGHAL

Architectural & Computational Designer @Populous Ltd. London

Graduate Visa Holder

Contact Details: manyasinghal@gmail.com

+447796796063

“I am a Biophiliac, as I possess an innate tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life with architecture.

I yearn to create responsive design strategies informed by emerging social and environmental patterns.

I am always passionate about learning new digital tools and biomaterial formulation to achieve the confluence point between nature and technology,to be able to deliver architecture in its best capacity.”

[WORK EXPERIENCE]

3 years

Alfara Infra Projects 2017(Intern for a period of six months)

civil work, tendering, site visits,costing and sepcification

Paraline Design Studio 2019, https://paraline-design-studio.business.site/#details

(Intern for a period of six months)

Collaborative planning,parametric furniture design andfabrication drawings, site visits,tender drawings for Duplex bungalows, midrise apartments pan India and commercial office architectural/interior design for Tata Consultancy, Sterlite, Asian Paints.

Rajesh Patel Architects 2020, studio@arpcpl.in (Assistant Architect for a period of six months)

Architectural design for corporate offices, sports complex, parametric furniture design and tender drawings.

Populous London 2023 April-2024(ongoing)

Computational and architectural designer for parametric design of stadium facade, including production of technical drawings, coordination with consultants.

[SOFTWARE SKILLS]

Advanced

Autodesk Autocad

Revit

Revit Inside Rhino

Rhinoceros 3D

Grasshopper

WallaceiX, Karamba3D, Kangaroo, Ladybug, Pufferfish, Topos, Monolith, Culebra, Anemone, Wasp, PlanBee, Decoding Spaces, Lunchbox, Urbano

Adobe Suite

Photoshop,Illustrator,Indesign, AfterEffects

Affinity Suite

Microsoft Office

Twinmotion

Lumion

Sketchup

Keyshot

Intermediate

Unity

[SPECIALLISED SKILLS]

Advanced Computation

Environmental Optimisation

Structural Optimisation

Evolutionary OptImisation

Wood Modelling

Parametric Design Fabrication

Wood Fabrication

Biomaterial Research and Experimentaion

CNC Milling

Robotic Fabrication and Extrusions

3D Printing

Architectural Design

Generative Design

AI and Ml in Design

Adatpive And Responsive Architecture

Sustainable Architecture

Z Brush

T Splines

Unity

Unreal Engine

Autodesk Maya 3D

Autodesk CFD

Cinema 4D

Enscape

Vectorworks

QGIS

[CODING SKILLS]

C#

Grasshopper, Unity, AR

[LANGUAGES]

Hindi/ Native

English/ Fluent (TOEFL : 7.5)

[EDUCATION]

2015

Delhi Public School Noida Hr. Sec School, India Science Scholar, CGPA : 9.1/10

2015-2020

L.S. Raheja School Of Architecture

Mumbai University, India

Bachelors of Architecture

Distinction, CGPA- 8.34/10

2021-2023

Architectural Association Of Architecture, London Masters of Architecture in Emergent Technologies and Design

Distinction

[ACHIEVEMENTS]

2016 - Citation 1 in Nari Gandhi Analysis trophy in Annual NASA Convention.

Published a handbook -research on Climate Responsive Design on SECMOL, Phey, Ladakh,India

2017 - Special mention in Unknown Crafts Person Trophy for research and innovation in construction techniques using pineapple fibres and indegenuos techniques of Bamboo Porcupine in Annual NASA Convention.

2017-2018 Unit Secretary, Team Mentor at National Association Of Students Of Architecture, India

2018 -Citation 1 in Unknown Crafts Person Trophy for research and innovation in construction techniques using wood in Kashmir - ‘Khatamband’ Citation 1 in Mohammmad Shaheer Landscape Trophy for a site renewal proposal at the site of Bhopal Gas Tragedy, Bhopal in Annual NASA Convention,India.

2020-Special Mention in HUDCO Trophy, Housing And Urban Development Corporation, India

2021- A+ Architizer Award for Re-Emerge Pavilion in Collaboration with AA[Emtech] and Hassel Studio, London

BISC

Populous London

Parametric Stadium Design Rationalisation Fabrication

Bahrain International Sports City by Populous London is a large scale development located in Sakhir, City adjacent to Bahrain International Circuit covering an area of approximately 745,000 sqm. Comprised of a Stadium/Arena, Indoor Sports Complex, Velodrome, Training Pitches, Public Parks, Hotels and Mall.

My current role includes grasshopper scripting for the stadium arena facade design as I am one of the two key members of the parametric design team. I contribute to techincal detail drawings production on Revit as well. While over looking coordination with structural and facade consultants for fabrication and rationalisation of the parametric facade.

Working on Rhino Inside Revit have been the key learnings in this project in order to translate complicated geometries from Grasshopper to Revit for production of fabrication drawings.

Please note that further details and drawings of the project are confidential.

BIO_BOT

Urban Anthropogenic activites have led to fragmentation of green ecological networks in the London Green Belt even further, leading to inadequacyin carbon capture and thermoregulation. Furthermore, augmentaion of synthetically built urban fabric contribute to the heat island effect leading to vexatious environment for the living species. Energy wastage in the form of Active cooling and heating contribute to heat generation as well. Untreated interstitial spaces and road networks contribute to 80 % of city’s noise and heat. These nuances lead to only one solution of generating a new technological green network that ties built fabric to the unbuilt fabric creating green tissue continuity with the green belt.

BIO_BOT

Biomaterial Formulation

Ecological Machine Design

Diffusion Limited Aggregation and Green Networks

The most deteriorated urban node for intervention was identified as Soho from voxel weighting method.The new green network is proposed to be built of ecological machines termed as bio_bots. The biobots are deployable, made of timber structure and biomaterial, inbuilt with arduino to generate environmental adaptive response, catering to four functions that is Production of biofuel, Collection of heat, Protection of species, Filtration of Carbon and soot.With the help of Diffusion Limited Aggregation, a spatial morphological network of biobots is generated implemented as Filtration facades,Biofuel Production Pods, Horticultural Pods,in interstitial spaces and Habitation Pods in the Green Belt.

URBAN NODE VOXEL WEIGHTING

3 Point Bending Test conducted to check structural strength for varying thickness of biomaterial brick

Arduino modelling: Kinetic Response to Light/Shadow

Exploded diagram of Biobot/ Material Implementation

ALGA TERRA BOT -Surface Area to Volume ration Of Pipes for Algal fluid were maximised for maximum sun exposure.

HYDRA TERRA BOT -Rain water simulation was utilised to direct maximum flow of rain water inside the water colection morphology.

TERRA BOT- Differential Growth Algorithm is utilised to generate a morphology with high volume to surface area ratio, for moss growth

FLORA BOT -Differential Growth Algorithm was utilised to generate manifold morphology for facilitation of plant and species growth

Architectural sectional detail through Hydra Terra Bot, displaying Arduino Core, and materiality

OSMO TERRA BOT- Particle simulation and Autodesk CFD is utilised to create morphology for pollen and soot capture.

Left: Diffusion Limited Aggregation for form finding

Right: Sectional Detail through building facade

DIFFUSION

LIMITED AGGREGATION

In order to run the Diffusion Limited Aggregation for the generation biobot network environmental design goals were setup that is creating more shaded region(yellow), creating green tissue continuity(green), creating wind regulation(blue) and creating ground and facade attachments. (pink). Design goals were run simultaneously to recieve most environmentally optimised spatial morphology.

Mechanical biofuel production from algae

Electricity production for urban grid Alga Bots signal after every 2 hour for mechanical circulation to facilitate photosynthesis Alga Bots signal after every 15 days for mass cycling for biofuel production Bibots signal for kinetic morphosis in winters to recieve more sunhour radiation Bibots signal for kinetic morphosis in summers to create more shade

Emergence and Evolutionary Computation

High Rise Tower Design, London

The aim of the project was to generate a climatically responsive skyscraper using evolutionary algorithm informed by respective design goals. The case study selected for design implementation was The Shard in London. As a part of studio research and experimentation, Wallacei X-Grasshopper engine was utilized to enable multi objective optimization.

The Shard is a mixed use tower located in an urban context, next to the Tower Bridge Station. The region experiences large footfalls. Hence, creating public corid became crucial for this experiment in order to respond to the urban context. London experiences extreme heat in months of summer and extreme cold in the months of winter. Volumetric massing was doubled to increase heat dissipation in summer months. An insulating facade system was generated to capture low sunlight angle in winterseason and vice versa.A corrugated shading system was developed to chanel wind, optimised through sunlight angle.

Best/Worse Design Output Comparison spanning through design goals

Simulation 1 Design Goals

Re-Emerge Pavilion

“We have 20 years until [2026] to reduce carbon emissions or climate change will become irreversible”

-Hans Joachim Schellnhuber

The Re-Emerge Pavilion was built as a collaborative effort by Architectural Association (AA) Emergent Technologies & Design (EmTech) Postgraduate Programme and Hassell Studio in Bedford Square, London. The Re-Emerge pavilion explores new design methods that repurpose materials which have completed their first life cycle towards innovative structural formations. The project addresses generative design, material computation, and large-scale fabrication, emphasising ecological impact from the early phases of the design process onwards. Incorporation of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in computational workflows from the beginning of the design process has been a unique characteristic of the project. Analysis of most plywood types used for external construction versus solid timber planks demonstrates that CO2 emissions of plywood is significantly higher than solid planks.

Timber Wood Curfing London

The aim of the project was to construct a revolutionary global surface model from veneer wood by utilising the bending property of veneer wood. The key methods used to construct the model were Surface Differentiation, curvature analysis executed through Kangaroo Physics/ grasshopper and additive prototyping.

A 3D component was designed using Kangaroo Physics informed by the uni-directional tensile property of veneer wood. After physical experimentation it could be concluded that, varying the component scale imparted varying curvature and slopes that were recorded and informed in computational workflow to achieve final morphology. When components were conjugated together, they formed arched branches whose structural strength was tested using Karamba 3d for reduction of material stress lines..

Surface Differentiation

Curvature Analysis

Wood Fabrication

The structure developed from this material system was constructable and demountable integration of active bending with a kit-of-parts approach. Active bending is characterized as a formation process where the potential of timber wood’s material behaviour was taken as a starting point, to understand stiffness as structural behaviour to generate arched structure.

Active Bending

A timber plate of thickness 2mm length 20 cm and width 10 cm was utilised. Two slits at 1/8th distance from outer edges were created. The laterally outward parts were pinched and screwed leading to formation of curvature in two directions. The bottom curvature held the upper longer curvature in place and increased the stiffness of the component The component was further built in computational medium. Six components were aggregated together to form a self standing arch structure.

Computational Design in Extreme

Environments

High Rise Tower And Facade Design in Kuwait

The aim of the project was to generate a climatically responsive tall building morphology located in Hot and Arid Biome mainly composed of timber components. Autodesk CFD, Ladybug/Grasshopper were utilised for environmental optimisation. The building form was emerged through the gene evolutionary process. A kinetic double skin facade system was proposed to reduce the rate of heat transfer to the building morphology, informed by daily and annual sun angle .

Contriving A New Third Place

Public Markets in Digital Era, Bangalore, India

Area : 30,000 sm

The aim of this project was to revive the dead state of public markets in the future digital era. A dysfunctional municipality market of Bangalore city was identified as the site for design prototyping and retrofitting proposal

The principles of space syntax theory have been utilised for efficient engagement of pedestrians in the public market. An axial thoroughfare has been created to enhance the visiblity of retail spaces, the “journey of the user”through experiental ramps has been the key aspect of design, interstitial corridoors in the public market have been re designed as third spaces for unique experience, user and seller engagement by proposition of urban farms open air theatres, and seasonal exhibition spaces Dynamic roof design creates seasonal enclosures to obtain versatality in spatial functionality

Seasonal use of space as market stalls and incubators for groundnut festival in winter season

Seasonal use of space for Hubba Art Festival Exhibition conducted every year in summer season in Bangalore

“Rebuilding local economies and keeping human connections flourishing”

Sectional Detail of green wall with vertical farming Sectional Detail of weekly vegetable stall for local farmers

Sectional Detail of organic farms

Sectional Detail of green roof for farmers’ stalls

Self -Sustainable Network Design in Arctic

Fractal Algorithms

Environmental Optimisation Settlement Design

The project aimed to propose a network of housing settlements and infrastructural facilities for necessary resource management in Ilulissat, Greenland. Given the extreme climatic conditions of the region,wayfinding, scarcity of food, and accessibility are major threats. A comparative study of physical, survival and social needs of existing user typology informed the hierarchical organisation of architectural functions creating a self-sustainable nodal network, whose locations were informed by the fractal algorithmic distribution

The architectural and structural design was informed by the solar and wind analysis. The obtained form was topographically optimised Foundations were designed to avoid thawing of permafrost Multi storey dwellings were designed for dynamic use across summer and winter months.

Structural optmisation wasperfomed using Karamba 3D, which informed the number and thickness of timber elements

“What does sustainable architecture look like in the Arctic?”

“The conventional thinking around building design in the Arctic is changing to reflect the region’s geographic and cultural diversity and give northerners more agency.”

-Madigan Cotirell

manyasinghal@gmail.com

manya.singhal@aaschool.ac.uk

+44-7796796063