Portfolio - Material vs. Theory

selected works Mohammed Dadabai Bachelor of Arts in Architecture | University of San Diego Master of Building Science | University of Southern California

MATERIAL

frp+steel

PLUG N’ CARE Los Angeles, California

concrete+wood

LOCA Los Angeles, California

wood+silicon

MULTI-FOLD Los Angeles, California

glass fiber reinforced concrete + foam plastic vinyl+wood

OCULUS Riyadh, Saudi Arabia THE WAVE San Diego, California THEORY

redevelopment unfolding

ECHOLOGICAL SHORELINE: Busan, South Korea TEMPORAL CITY Al-Hidd, Bahrain EXPLO[R/D]ING STRUCTURES Medellin, Colombia.

expression

ABSTRACTING THE TECHNICAL Boston, MA.

movement

TURBULENCE VS. STILLNESS Boston, MA.

deployability

AFFO[R/L]DABLE HOUSING Downtown Los Angeles, California

kinetic regeneration

PARAMETRIC FACADE Downtown Los Angeles, California FACYCLE Delft, Netherlands

LOS ANGELES, CA

plug n’ care Competition winner for Equity & Social Justice Our entry proposed modular housing constructed from fiber reinforced polymer (frp).

This solution aims to involve the underserved community in the construction and development of the site. We visited and spoke to community members in Skid Row, Little Tokyo and West Adams and used their input in the design. The design responds to issues such as lack of healthcare facilities for the underserved, poor sanitary stations and a shortage of job opportunities for the homeless.

Date: February 2022 Mentor: Robert Lahm Team member: Aditya Bahl

MATERIALS | frp + steel | 1

COMMUNITY INTERVIEWS We need more psychiaric and mental health therapists. The community needs basic first aid kits for animal bites.

We need hygiene, laundry, showers and proper shelter. People are overworked and burnt. When poeple dont have jobs, they do drugs.

Designers need to involve the community in the work and provide them with jobs. I dont like used clothes given to me.

Jamal, 29

Mariana, 36

Jose, 38

African American working in Skidrow as a community worker.

African American woman who worked at a bar and now lives in Skidrow.

Latin American living in Skidrow after losing a job as a construciton worker in 2019.

There is a lack of safety, people killing straight out of prisons. We need to give job oppurtunity to the homeless.

We need more doctors and jobs for the homeless. We need to educate the community about healthcare. Perhaps more community and religious centers.

I lost a $39/hr job, and had my tent stolen. There are long lines for healthcare centers. We need sweaters, socks and rain ponchos.

Aponi, 55

Jimmy, 32

Leanne, 42

Native American living in Little Tokyo for 3 years.

Latin American homeless shelter volunteer in Skidrow.

African American who used to be a bus driver, and now lives in West Adams.

MATERIALS | frp + steel | 2

LITTLE TOKYO

MATERIALS | frp + steel | 3

UNIT VARIATION

Shelter

Basic Unit

Sanitation + Hygiene

Food + Storage

Pop-testing Centre + Healthcare Facilities

16”

192 sqft.

8”

24”

MATERIALS | frp + steel | 4

MODULE STRUCTURE Roof Garden

24 Volts Solar Panel

6” FRP Roof

Double Bed & Bedside table

Washing and Drying unit with Sink Desk with Chair

Double Hung Windows with Low-E Coating

1/2” FRP Wallboard

1/2” FRP Wallboard Steel Frame with Rigid Wool Insulation

Steel Frame with Rigid Wool Insulation.

1/2” FRP Wallboard

1/2” FRP Wallboard

Foldable Staircase

Hospital Beds

Standing Shower Unit

4” FRP Floor Plate

MATERIALS | frp + steel | 5

MATERIALS | frp + steel | 6

24V 320W PV Panels 22,400 watts on-site renewable energy Construction Site for Newer Units 8000 sqft Recreational Space 4000 sqft

Storage of Units & Existing Shelter 13000 sqft

Total Area of Restroom 960 sqft Waiting Area for Pop Testing 9200 sqft Secure Medical Storage 200 sqft Pop Testing Offices 600 sqft

Out Reach Office 120 sqft Pop-Test Centre + Healthcare Facility Shelter Sanitation + Hygiene Food + Storage

Total Site Area 52,100 sqft

MATERIALS | frp + steel | 7

LOS ANGELES, CA

loca Low Carbon Concrete Master’s Thesis As part of a 100 page thesis research, I explored parametric methods to reduce the quantity of concrete in a precast panel, hence proving one method in reducing the embodied carbon in concrete.

I parametricized the conventional bubble deck slab on grasshopper, and used a combination of Python, sin formulas and Galapagos, to find the optimal reduction in cement while still maintaining structural strength.

Date: September 2021 Professor: Douglas Noble Course: Building Science Thesis (ARCH 692) PYTHON SCRIPT USING SIN FORMULA FOR SPHERE DISTRIBUTION

SIN DISTRIBUTION

STRUCTURAL DENSITIES

GALAPAGOS TOOL

MATERIALS | concrete + wood | 8

12’x4’ PANEL TOP VIEW ARRANGEMENT

12’x4’ PANEL WITH UNIFORM SPHERES

“Translucent Concrete” Chinmai Shimpi

12’x4’ PANEL INTERIOR VOIDS

“Post-Tensioning GFRC” Mohamad Al-Wataid

“Semiautomated Backframe Design” Vicky Dam

“Net Zero Concrete” Mohammed Dadabai

UNIFORM DISTRIBUTION

Similar to conventional bubble deck slabs, the spheres inside the panel are arranged in a uniform fashion, with a control spacing between each sphere, and a 5mm distance from the bottom and top. Next year, the student panels will be attached to a shipping container to display the different types of concretes.

MATERIALS | concrete + wood | 9

#Mohammed Dadabai #Non-Uniform Bubble Slab #sphere_volume.txt 80 mm

30 mm

<10 mm

BALL SIZE

SLAB STRESS

5.62% CEMENT REDUCTION

5.17% CEMENT REDUCTION

4.91% CEMENT REDUCTION

4.71% CEMENT REDUCTION

3.76% CEMENT REDUCTION

2.49% CEMENT REDUCTION

NON UNIFORM DISTRIBUTION

Galapagos for Grasshopper was used to optimize the sphere sizes and the cement reduction. I added attractor points using the Pop2D node on GH, and then connected columns to them to simulate real-life stress points. Next, I remapped the circle values based on where the stress points are and lastly colorized them based on a stress gradient.

MATERIALS | concrete + wood | 10

CONSTRUCTION PROCESS (1/8 OF FULL SIZE)

MATERIALS | concrete + wood | 11

LOS ANGELES, CA

multifold Parametric Bench Design & Construction After studying informal settlements around the world, my thesis implements the knowledge of temporary spaces, along with sustainable technologies to improve circulation and shade. The project redevelops an existing site in Bahrain, while preserving local traditions by design.

Date: April 2020 Professor: Robert Ley Course: Digital Fabrication (ARCH 619)

MATERIALS | wood + silicon | 12

DESIGN PROCESS

FINAL MODEL Since the overall form was beginning to look like an origami installation that folds, I removed the concrete base and continued the folds all the way to the bottom. I decided to design the project parametrically so that I could have control over the length, width, height and thickness of the bench via the program menu. I then created a model using brass, where I added brakes in the metal to replicate the folds in the design. Brass was used because it is more flexible then steel and less brittle then aluminum.

After releasing the clamps, I realized I would need to further reinforce the corners using triangles on the corner, which would support the lateral loads. With the second reinforcement in place, I was comfortable to remove the clamps and see if the form holds up. With the second reinforcement in place, I was comfortable to remove the clamps and see if the form holds up. In order to transport the bench to the studio space two 2x4’s were placed at the bottom to lift the form.

MATERIALS | wood + silicon | 13

FABRICATION PROCESS

MATERIALS | wood + silicon | 14

JOINT DETAIL

FINGER JOINTS To give the corners both structural and aesthetic qualities, I decided to use finger joints to join the edge. I began by testing my joints on a small piece of wood. Then I sanded the edges to get a curved corner. After testing the idea, I began to make the joints on my main panels, with 2 inch teeth instead of the 1 inch used in the proof of concept.

FULL SCALE MODEL IN USE

Since my joints were done by hand, I realized that not all the edges lined up perfectly, therefore I had to improvise and use small wooden pieces in the gaps, with wood glue and epoxy to deal off all the holes and structural weaknesses in the corner.

MATERIALS | wood + silicon | 15

RIYADH, KSA

oculus A GFRC Study using Revit and Dynamo To get a better understanding of GFRC as a material, I studied the KAFD Metro Station by Zaha Hadid in Riyadh. I translated the geometry in Revit by using RhinoInside. I was able to control the shape, structural connections and dimension of the geometry through Dynamo. Last, I casted a sample of the project using CNC foam milling and GFRC. Date: April 2021 Professor: Karen Kensak Course: Theories of Computer Technology (ARCH 507)

MOLD DETAIL

GFRC FINAL CAST

CNC FOAM MOLD

5

6

MATERIALS | glass fiber reinforced concrete + foam | 16

SAN DIEGO, CA

the wave Design-build project for Wonderfront Music Festival Five architecture students, including myself, were asked to design an installation that highlighted the events waterfront theme. The design we chose is based on the idea of a crashing wave. We proposed a series of six triangles to represent the abstracted form of a wave.

Date: November 2019 Team members: Jordan Lavine, Elizabeth Rickey, Nick Estona, John Morrow

MATERIALS | plastic vinyl + wood | 17

CUTTING

WELDING

FINISHING

DETAIL

EXPERIENCE

OCCUPATION

32

33

MATERIALS | plastic vinyl + wood | 18

BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA

echological landscape Redeveloping a Waterfront in Busan For an international student competition, my team members and I decided to remove the existing warehouses and propose a landscape to encourage circulation and public gathering in the densely-populated area. The project invites a new dimension of color to a site that lacks any light. It uses a variety of textures in the landscape and artificial lighting around the curves, resulting in a valley that emits color during the day and night. Each group member was assigned a different task to complete. I was in charge of the site plan and diagrams, while Jun-sin made the render and Bae-Dahye put together the competition board.

Date: July 2019 Mentor: Daniel Lopez Perez Team members: Bae-Dahye & Jun-sin

THEORY | urban ecology | 19

WEST VIEW OF THE CITY

VIEW OF THE MALL AND SKYLINE

SHADED GATHERING UNDER PAVILION

VIEW OF BRIDGE

This part of the landscape features an artificial shore and a seating area, allowing visitors to relax and enjoy the water

The largest area of the site is also the highest in terms of elevation. The space is open to host musical performances and installations

The main attraction of the site is the pavilion that features a number of wind-chimes hanging from the rim. The pavilion provides visitors with an interactive art piece, and a shaded area to escape the heat of the sun.

The bridge is an important channel, used by people to walk across the city center to the main train station in the mall.

THEORY | urban ecology | 20

temporal city

PERMANENT ELEMENTS

Undergraduate thesis After studying informal settlements around the world, my thesis implements the knowledge of temporary spaces, along with sustainable technologies to improve circulation and shade. The project introduces temporary spaces to an existing labor encampment in Bahrain, while preserving local traditions by design.

SCENARIO 3: LEISURE & ENTERTAINMENT

www.autodesk.com/revit

SPORTS GROUND

Consultant Address Address Address Phone

MARKET PLACE

www.autodesk.com/revit

Consultant Address Address Address Phone

Consultant Address Address Address Phone

Consultant Address Address Address Phone

Date: April 2020 Professor: Adriana Cuellar 15’Thesis (ARCH 496) Course: Architecture

IC HINGE SYSTEM

SCENARIO 2: PANDEMIC EMERGENCY

EAST SECTION SCALE: 1’=1/8”

ADJUSTABLE LOCK

e magnetic hinge system introduchinge device designed for use ts that are not attached and yet g movement between them, thus flexibility in placing them with tion and efficiency.

SCENARIO 1: EVERDAY USE

KITCHEN HALL

Consultant Address Address Address Phone

Consultant Address Address Address Phone

Two screwable washers secure the fabric in place. The rings can be adjusted in order to accomodate for specific occasions, with certain scenarios like market-stands requiring additional height. The lock system aims to be user friendly, allowing inhabitants to adjust the roof structures in accordance to their needs. The wooden poles are easily manufactured in nearby factories, and can be assembled on site.

Consultant Address Address Address Phone

WIND TOWER SECTION

No.

MULTI-SPORT GROUND

Consultant Address Address Address Phone

Consultant Address Address Address Phone

Consultant Address Address Address Phone

Description

Date

No.

Description

Date

Owner Project Name Unnamed Project Number Date Drawn By Checked By

Scale

Project Number Issue Date Author Checker

A101

AUDITORIUM

www.autodesk.com/revit

Owner Consultant Address Address Address Phone

Project Name

Project Number Date Drawn By Checked By

Scale

SHADING CANOPY

Project Number Issue Date Author Checker

A101

AUDITORIUM

Consultant Address Address Address Phone

Unnamed

Consultant Address Address Address Phone

Consultant Address Address Address Phone

5/8/2020 7:31:39 PM

Consultant Address Address Address Phone

No.

Description

Date

10’ Owner Project Name Unnamed Project Number

MAGNETIC HINGE SYSTEM

ATTACHING ROOF TO ROOF

The detachable magnetic hinge system introduces a magnetic hinge device designed for use with two objects that are not attached and yet need a turning movement between them, thus providing full flexibility in placing them with increased function and efficiency.

Date Drawn By Checked By

As the detachable magnetic hinge system always works as a body with any objects that require hinges, it is almost invisible and, therefore, is attractive looking. It is also efficient because it has temporarily detachable benefits at any time for convenience. The more efficient and economical benefits of magnetic hinges applied to various equipment used in industry and our daily lives are twofold: We can have more practical and attractivelooking daily goods with this new invention. Therefore, it is an invention that is economically rewarding.

Scale

Project Number Issue Date Author Checker

A101

SHADE CANOPY 5/8/2020 7:22:54 PM

the sites. cess ents. compropbalTheir nced oven

AL-HIDD, BAHRAIN

5/8/2020 7:24:36 PM

TE

be adjusted in order to accomodate for specific occasions, with certain scenarios like market-stands requiring additional height. The lock system aims to be user friendly, allowing inhabitants to adjust the roof structures in accordance to their needs. The wooden poles are easily manufactured in nearby factories, and can be assembled on site.

They exhibit good mechanical characteristics, easy process ability, and conformability for use in structural components.

Woven textiles allow easy production processes, even for complicated shapes, and they carry the possibility to design properties with different orientations. Their properties are more balanced compared to unidirectional fiber reinforcements. Their ease of handling, low fabrication cost, good stability, balanced properties, and excellent formability make the use of woven fabrics very attractive for structural applications

WIND TOWER

10’

ROOF ASSEMBLY The hinges on each end of the roof allow the structure to fold in for storage when not in use. When needed, the roof opens up similar to a briefcase, and locks when in complete rotation. The magentic ends of the hinges allow for additional roofs to be attached when needed.

ATTACHING ROOF TO ROOF As the detachable magnetic hinge system always works as a body with any objects that require hinges, it is almost invisible and, therefore, is attractive looking. It is also efficient because it has temporarily detachable benefits at any time for convenience. The more efficient and economical benefits of magnetic hinges applied to various equipment used in industry and our daily lives are twofold: We can have more practical and attractivelooking daily goods with this new invention. Therefore, it is an invention that is economically rewarding.

LIVING QUARTERS

BATHROOMS DINING HALLFLOOR PLAN SCALE: 1’=1/8”

LIVING UNITSFLOOR PLAN SCALE: 1’=1/8”

SITE EXPERIENCE

THEORY | redevelopment | 21

MEDELIN, COLOMBIA

explo(r/d)ing structures Structure study on Parque Biblioteca Library A case study I produced as part of my thesis research shows the Parque Biblioteca, a redevelopment project located in Medellin. The library is made up of a complex geometrical tessellation. The model highlights the library’s complex geometries in addition to the steep topography it sits on.

Date: November 2019 Professor: Adriana Cuellar Course: Architecture Thesis (ARCH 495)

PHYSICAL MODEL

THEORY | unfolding | 22

BOSTON, MA

abstracting the technical Competition winner for Equity & Social Justice As part of Harvard Design Discovery, we were asked to draw sections elevations and plans of one handheld object, one piece of furniture and one room of our choice. Starting in this hierarchal order of small to big allowed us to pay attention to more details as we drew. We combined all 9 drawings into two abstract composites that challenged the idea of scale, space and orientation. The technical drawings of these objects taught us to study each & every dimension in the design. Between all nine sets of drawings, it was important to allow each one to speak to the other by maintaining similar line weights, and hatching patterns.

Date: June 2019 Instructor: Sampath Pediredla

FURNITURE STUDY

THEORY | expression | 23

BOSTON, MA

turbulence vs. stillness

FINAL MODEL

Reinterpreting two artworks in a spacial form The room is influenced by two themes in two artworks: “stillness” in the Persistence of Memory by Salvatore Dali and “turbulence” in The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh. By manipulating the curves, I was able to evoke a sense of turbulence in the bottom floor with the undulating walls and a spiral staircase.

In the upper floor, the lines on the walls straighten out and point the occupier towards the main view.

Date: July 2019 Instructor: Sampath Pediredla

PROCESS MODELS

THEORY | movement | 24

SAN DIEGO, CA

FINAL MODEL

UNFOLDING PROCESS

affo(r/l)dable housing Foldable Homeless Housing Proposal in Downtown San Diego To tackle the crisis of homelessness in San Diego, our deliverables were to design a portable, self-sustainable, and cost-efficient dwelling that targeted either a single user or a four-person family. We began with paper folding techniques as an exercise to understand how the shelter can be made and deployed in any given site.

FOLDED

Date: December 2018 Professor: Aaryn Jones Course: Homeless Housing (ARCH 201)

ELEVATION + SECTION

AXONOMETRIC UNFOLDING

PRESSED

UPRIGHT

THEORY | deployability | 25

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES, CA

parametric facade Sun-responsive Facade System using Ladybug for Grasshopper Facade design is a crucial part of building sustainability. For this studio, the building skin opens and closes depending on sun orientation. To achieve the results, I used Ladybug, Honeybee, Energy Plus, Rhino and Grasshopper.

Multiple tests at different times of the day are conducted.

Date: April 2021 Professor: Kyle Konis Course: Environmental Systems (ARCH 501)

THEORY | kinetic | 26

7 P.M. APRIL 12

10 A.M. APRIL 12

THEORY | kinetic | 27

DELFT, NA

facycle International Facade’s Workshop Design Entry The facade promotes on site renewable energy and sustainability by regenerating its own power via the use of peltier junctions. The junctions embedded within the facade and are gridded across face of the dwelling.

The peltier junction facade powers a recycling machine aimed to recycle and reuse plastic water bottles.

Date: November 2021 Professor: Mic Patterson

THEORY | regeneration | 28

THEORY | regeneration | 29

EXTERNAL CLADDING Layer of porcelain stoneware with open joints

STEP 1 Connect the negative and positive wires to one another, forming one unified grid of junctions.

CONCRETE Fine aggregate and fluid concrete would be required, with strengthening Admixtures ADAPTER A universal wall adapter (120v-240v) on the outside, for the recycling machine to plug in.

REBAR Galvanized 5mm steel rebar NEGATIVE POSITIVE

STEP 2 Route the unified grid to a standard ACDC adapter, enabling the plugs to use energy from the grid.

PELTIER JUNCTION 40x40x5 mm heat pump, gridded to work as one unified device.

SECTION DETAIL

THEORY | regeneration | 30

thank you!

University of Southern California Master in Building Science University of San Diego Bachelor of Arts in Architecture (213) 304-2423 +973 66667767