Ruqaiyah Bandukwala - Architecture Portfolio 2023

Ruqaiyah Bandukwala

Syracuse School of Architecture

Hello! My name is Ruqaiyah Bandukwala. As a curious and ambitious designer, the challenge of creating spaces that are not only beautiful, but joyful & conscious of its context is one that drives my focus. With this, I am excited by the potential of sustainable technology in architecture and its applications to diverse contexts. Core Attributes: Resilient

Architecture

The Citys’ Bathhouse 36

Urban Cohabitation Vessel Rwandan Housing Survey

Musical Ecosystems

06 14 22 44

Texas Aquifer 30

O N T E N T S

The Citys’ Bathhouse

Syracuse, New York

This design proposes a thermal bath + restorative justice center in downtown Syracuse that collects and filters snow water, road salt, and rainwater from the site. Originally a parking lot with snow plow routes near by, the project proposes to become a snow dump site for the sustainable use of its program. Studies in earth materials inform the combined use of a structural clay mixture and wood framing (wattle & daub construction), upon a stone foundation. Stone aggregates, plants and other natural materials, along with gravity, are used for exposed filtration, while hidden filtration and water testing facilities are placed within gabion walls that run through the project.

First Floor Plan

Phase 1

Phase 2

Material Experiments

Observations:

-Thicknesses of slabs and the amount of salt intake can be manipulated for different cracks (surface level cracks, deep cracks, and completely pentrating cracks)

-Color changes from brown to white/light brown

-Texture becomes flaky and brittle on surface

Observations:

-Experimented with porosity and 3D-ness of the cracks

-Simulating the ground directionality of salt water that I imagine could be the environmental conditions created by the site

Material Studies Material Drawings

Urban Cohabitation

In Collaboration with Olivia Porrill

This retrofit proposal asks the question of whether it is possible for humans and condition, has a harsh materiality, lack of pedestrian access, and remains only within a new facade system in which natural environments for bees and pollinators are single-housing apartment units, in order to repurpose heat from the existing data riverside location.

and insects to cohabit space in an urban context. Baynard house, in its current within private use, blatantly rejecting its surroundings. So this intervention proposes are encouraged to nest in, within the proximity of a new proposed program of 65 data center and promote social engagements among humans and animals by this

AI REFERENCES / EARLY STUDIES

REFERENCES / EARLY STUDIES AI REFERENCES

BLENDER

BLENDER Grid

EXPERIMENTATION

Old

CONCEPTUAL SKETCHES

CONCEPTUAL

EXPERIMENTATION EARLY CONCEPTUAL REFERENCES / EARLY STUDIES AI REFERENCES

Baynard

Exploded Axon

Baynard Facade Addition

Data Energy Requirements

Heat Computers

Average heating required per apartment in UK = 66.5 kwh/ m^2

(On Average) Energy needed per apartment = 3000 kwh

Typical mid-sized data center can generate 500-1000 MW of heat

Typical mid-large data center contains 500,000 computer servers

Total Energy Required for 65 Apartments = 195,000 kwh

Baynard must host approx. 75,000 computer servers

DATA ENERGY

Average heating required in UK = 66.5

(On Average) Energy apartment Total Energy Apartments

Temporal Animation

Balcony Render : Looking Into Courtyard Space

Interior Render : Inside Prefabricated Housing Unit

AR EXPERIENCE

Roof-Top Render : Extended Housing Units

Oil Drilling Ground Conditions Seed Distribution Map

Material Experiments

Cement Casting

Process

Conceptual ideas and project themes are largely derived from the regional and local environmental conditions of central Texas. Through a thorough analysis of the site, complex issues of erosion and flooding were found to be resultants of various poorly identified land, vegetation, and soil conditions. With this, native limestone aquifer’s in Austin, Texas, which are largely responsible for maintaining water sources and harsh climates in the region, were dried up and unsuable. This project strives to reactivate the existing aquifers to address the cycle of deteriorating environmental conditions.

Material explorations and studies were conducted for design and idea generation strategy.

Concept Section

Exterior Render

Interior Render

Musical Ecosystems

“Thereisadangerincircumbscribingthesitetoomodestly,and

The modular and adaptable theater enables a human scale connection and user-friendly local community. However, the theater’s transportability also breaks the boundary of

user-friendly approach that re-engaes the sense of ownership and belonging needed by the of the site and activates the role of architecture on a much larger urban scale.

Vessel North Jakarta, Indonesia

This project is a response to anthropogenic effects on the environmental conditions of coral reefs at increased risk. Through it’s program it takes on two narratives, one of cleaning and reclaiming The Vessel would provide coral reefs the initial support needed for them to begin the long process magnificence they once did..

In Collaboration with Alex Gordon

reefs in the North Jakarta region, where plastics and garbage pollution in the water is placing coral reclaiming (pollution collection), and the other of growth and replanting of coral in safe environments. process of regrowth in the hopes that these once flourishing sites would once again host the

Coral Projection Jakarta Flood Map Shore-Line Section

CNC Milling

The Rwandan Housing Survey is a design research project that draws and documents a series of scattered earth homes, curated and built by residents themselves. As an addition to the plans, sections, and other documents created, this project theorizes and implements the help of 3D scanning tools and photogrammetry to reconstruct precision in certain representations of the materiality of these houses. This process involves constant communication with onthe-ground locals in order to provide photographs and images of the sites that are investigated. The generated meshes show potential for different means of sharing an immersive and experiential form of documentation, specifically to funderaisers and for awareness purposes.

Ruqaiyah Bandukwala rybanduk@syr.edu