Architecture Portfolio

S A G A R I K A S E N G U P TA

A R C H I T E C T U R E P O RT F O L I O 2016-19

Throughout my childhood, travelling has

new home, roads and a new culture. T

relationship with the unbuilt inspired m

Consequently, adapting

naturally . New challenges

innovative designs a

Architecture, I believe, ha

questions, answering them a

Hello.

been a constant factor. Every new city meant a

The diversity of built forms and spaces and its

me to explore the field of architecture further.

g to new surroundings comes

s constantly inspire me to create

and strive to learn further.

as the power of asking powerful

and impacting people in a great way.

Sagarika Sengupta

Education 2012-2016 2016- present

Army Public School, Dhaulakuan, New Delhi ( High school ) School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal

( Bachelors in Architecture | Currently fourth year )

Competitions 2016

Archasm Library Design

2017

120 Hours | Berkeley Writing Prize | Tiny House | Coffee Kiosk Design

2018

120 Hours | French WW1 Memorial | Internation Finsa Award

2019

Skycity 2019 Challenge

Wo r k s h o p s 2018

Film and Architecture

2019

Earthquake resistant design workshop at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur ( Shortlisted in top five designs)

+(91)9560489134 sagarika.s.sengupta@gmail.com School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal

Skills Software

Analog

AutoCad 2D

Photoshop

Sketching

ArchiCad

Indesign

Photography

Rhinoceros

Illustrator

Model-making

Revit

VRay

Language Skills Hindi

( proficient )

Bengali

( proficient )

English

( proficient )

German

( basic conversational level )

Sanskrit

( intermediate )

Interests Urban Sketching

Reading

Photography

Travelling

Badminton

Music

Writing

Film

07-12

Inside out | Mixeduse building for Smart City Bhopal

01-06 Walls are caving in | Interpretation centre for UNESCO world heritage site.

13-16 Art Puzzle | Woodside artist’s pavillion

17-20 Hiding | Design-build

21-24

Contents.

25-28

MÊmorial Français WWI | French war memorial Swerve | Kiosks and public spaces

35-40

29-34

Art

Other works

Walls are caving in.

Studio: Architectural design V Year: Third year, 2018 Project Typology: Interpretation Centre for UNESCO world heritage site Site: Bhimbetka, Madhya Pradesh, India

Bhimbetkan Caves in Madhya Pradesh are one of the oldest surviving examples of cave art in the world. These caves date back to the Paleolithic age and evidences of early settlements can be found today. After being declared a UNESCO world heritage site, the site has witnessed an increased influx of tourists. However, owing to the undulating terrain of Bhimbetkan Caves, the site remains largely inaccessible.

This formed a premise for Design Studio VI in which an interpretation center that encapsulated the rich heritage of Bhimbetka, was to be designed.

01 | 02

Time travel: Initial sketches indicating a section through Bhimbetka during different time periods.These time periods are represented by varying linetypes. A museum that encapsulates this time travel effect using the local sandstone which transforms into vibrant layers with time guiding the process.

The design attempts to explain an intricate history of caves and rock paintings, architecturally, through a gentle transition of spaces which flow chronologically whilst capturing a similar effect of light and shade as experienced in a cave.

Spaces are constantly intercepted by nature and the use of local materials like the porous layered sandstone assists in cooling through evaporation.

Gallery spaces time zone IV

Gallery spaces time zone I

Museum store

Entrance lobby

03 | 04

Open Air Theatre

Gallery spaces time zone III

Gallery spaces time zone II

Cafe

Ground floor plan: The museum consists of various galleries representing different timezones interwoven through means of transition spaces. These spaces offer a material transition as well as a spatial transition. Consequently, evoking a sense of variation in time and an essense of Bhimbetka caves.

Cafe

Gallery spaces time zone II

Open Air Theatre

Gallery spaces time zone III

Gallery spaces time zone IV

05 | 06

Admin area

Entrance lobby

Museum store

Time travel: Isometric view indicating the various spaces.

Inside out.

Studio: Architectural design VI Year: Third year | 2019 Project Typology: Mixed use building for Smart City Bhopal Site: Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India

In the past two years, the Smart City Project has taken off in Bhopal in a prime commercial location. The site, which initially comprised government housing and informal commercial areas served as a prospect for future mixed use developments.

In the midst of a site study, something peculiar struck me - with all its chaos and complexities, the locality had an invisible framework unique to itself. One of the most prominent examples was the diverse public activities and where they took place. Every lane and every street was designated, almost by default, for either children to play cricket, or for the elderly to catch up with each other’s lives. And as the day came to a close, everyone retreated to their homes until next time.

This kind of chaos that imbibes character and an imageability to a place formed the premise for my design. A kind where the inside is brought out whilst maintaining a vertical density and forming a new framework for an old bustle.

07 | 08

Inside out: Preliminary sketches and notes suggesting an ephemeral character of the design that brings into focus the diverse nature of user activities.

commercial block 1

commercial block 2

community blocks connecting commercial with residence

central courtyard space

ephemeral areas made of steel scaffolding

residential block

(Above) Ground floor plan indicating ephemeral areas made of steel scaffoldings through which people can walk and set up temporary commercial areas mimicking the pre-existing chaos.

These are connected to the more formal commercial blocks which merge with the residential block through community areas as transition spaces.

(Adjacent) Typical residential unit of 60 Sqm with two bedrooms.

09 | 10

ephemeral areas made of steel

commercial

scaffolding

block

Steel bolted to commercial wall acting as an interactive facade

Inside out: An illustrative section through the commercial block showing how the ephemeral areas interact with the commercial block. (Blow up) 20mm steel bars; each module 3.0 metre high and 0.5 metre wide with a bracing.

11 | 12

(Above) Corner of the commercial section serves as a direct view point from the mojor transport node and invites users by creating an element of surprise and a direct entrance to both community and commercial areas.

(Below)Community areas with direct access from parking, commercial blocks and residential areas.

Art puzzle // Competition: International FINSA Award 2019 ( team of two) Year: Third year, 2019 Project Typology: Pavillion design Site: Woodside, Birkinhead, England

As part of the design brief, students were asked to design a temporary structure that would house practical art activities for the local community of Woodside in Birkenhead. Coinciding with the Imagine Wirral year of Culture, the pavilion would host between 2 and 3 weeks of programming run by artists from the local community, designed for children, teenagers and adults.

Art puzzle, as the name suggests, attempts to create a space that can be molded, puzzled and unpuzzled by the users. This promotes interaction whilst making the pavilion a dynamic art piece in itself. The project before unfolding mimics the traditional English form of a cabin and stands in rhythm whilst oddly distinct by the shore. Every stage of unfolding leads to a variety of spaces some of which are customized to specific needs and some which can be molded by the user. Over time, the structure which was once bare, becomes unique to Woodside adorned with paintings and sculptures and infinite stories to tell.

Sustainability and interaction were two factors that drove our design process. The project uses CNC for cutting recyclable palette wood into various shapes and sizes customized according to various art and crafts related needs. These can glide across steel guides placed on the ground and can also swivel and slide- making spaces for hosting exhibitions, classes and talks.

13 | 14

The site is located by the Mersyside river and is surrounded by an old community centre. The dimensions of the site are as indicated above.

01.

02.

03.

04.

05.

06.

01. Site-A potential node in the landscape 02. Placing the Folly-Centrally placed interactive folly based on functional considerations 03. Mimesis-House form falling in place with the landscape 05. Structuring the palettes-An even 2.5 x .5 grid for effective resolution of ‘palette’ modules

04. Human Scale-Insetting edge to optimise volume and create points of interest 06. Art Palettes-Distributing art palettes along the folly while taking advantage of CNC through curves

Puzzle- We wanted the pavillion to not only be a place for exhibiting art but be something of a creation in itself.

Something that people could mould and unfold according to their needs. This process of puzzling and unpuzzling created perpetual art.

The Art Folly Defining space around it, the folly in initially a local attraction, peaking curiosity in the public’s mind.

Unfolding Inaugurated with a talk/event, the folly unravels to form a stage setting for the public, soon expanding further as more events take place.

A Space for Everyone Featuring adaptive modules that define flexible spaces.

The folly soon explodes into personalised spaces for everyone; artists and public alike.

The Palette Pavillion A canvas and palette in itself, the folly closes to form an immersive art exhibition for the people, and by the people.

Various iterations of the art pavillion moulded to user needs.

15 | 16

H1

H2

H3

H4

H5

H6

H7

H8 x2

H 2.45M

14.9M 9M

V1

V2

V3

V4

V5

V6 x2

V7

V8

V9

V10

V11

V11

V12

V13

V14

V15

V16 x2

V17

V18

V19

V20

V21

V21

V22

V23

V24

V25

V26 x2

V27

V28

V29

V30

V31

V31

V32

V33

V34

V35

V36

Fabrication and mesh details with a section showing sliding and swivel assembly along steel guides.

Canvas

Seating/Working/ Display

Changing roof and form creates a sense of identity in the unique modules

Storage/ Display

Interactive Workspace

Introspective Workspace

High Seating with flexible mounts for Canvas.

Waffle grid makes for stability and doubles up as spaces for exhibition and storage.

Customised activites in the various art palettes.

Hiding.

Studio: Architectural design IV (team of six) Year: Second year, 2018 Project Typology: Design-built Site: School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal

The design-built workshop was aimed at understanding hands-on building whilst creating a space for interaction. The class was divided into teams of six which resulted in various interventions in the campus.

The Hiding was based on an idea of creating a space for various poetry events that are conducted often. Spoken word poetry is essentially a very closed and secluded event which ideally prefers an environment that is not within the confines of a room. The Hiding, as the name suggests, creates a space that is embedded below the road and enveloped by a lake and greenscape. It is an organic form that merges into the context built completely in bamboo.

The Hiding is covered in parts by bamboo matt and weaved jute. This assists in shading during the day and a clear view of the stars at night.

This was our first design-built workshop and took about four weeks to construct.

17 | 18

Hiding- Images of the site beside the canteen and enveloped by lush greenscape. Sketches are preliminary drawings that guided on site construction .

The Base A plinth with three layers of brickwork and intermediate spaces filled with concrete and two cut pipes in which bamboo was to be inserted.

Preparing the bamboo Bamboos were split and tied up to be soaked in a nearby lake overnight. This increased the flexibility of bamboo and made it easier to bend it.

The Framework The Hiding is composed of six semicircular rings. Each of these are strengthened by two split bamboos tied close to each other. Transverse and diagonal members are later added to to increase stability and shear strength.

The construction process.

19 | 20

The Hiding: Images post construction

Mémorial Français ww1 Competition: French WW1 Memorial (team of three) Year: Third year | 2018 Project Typology: Memorial design Site: Pas de Calais, France

In view of commemorating the centenary of the Armistice of WW1, the competition brief comprised of designing a memorial using modern day technology in the region of Atemax Nord Est, Bapaume, Pas de Calais, France. Pas de Calais is a site that witnessed numerous battles including the famous Battle of Bapaume which lasted from August through September 1918.

Our design process began by taking a map and plotting points on the geographical locations of the major events and attacks that took place from 1914 to 1918. To narrate the story of WW1 we then joined the points in chronological order. As the complexity increased, the integrity of each line diminished to an extent to which it almost converged into one line.

Just as the single line was a result of multiple lines converging, so was our design – it’s a wall interlaced with a million stories and the simplicity is the outcome of a complex and emotional history.

21 | 22

Joining the dots- In an attempt to narrate the story of the war, we identified the locations of major events that progressed through the four years of war and joined the points in chronological order.

To commemorate the lives lost, the wall has punctures resembling bullet shots.

The density of the bullet holes gradually increases as the war takes more lives, thus puncturing the wall entirely. In order to mend this punctured wall, it is continued using a hundred strings which vibrate harmoniously. This marks the hundred years of peace since the Armistice of WW1.

23 | 24

Our design has been realized through the 3D printing technology of Dual extrusion, where one print head prints the transparent glass wall while the other nozzle embeds the steel cracks in it.

Consecutively, 3D printed cylindrical metallic rings are fixed onto the pre-existing punctures of the wall, imitating bullet shots, the effect of which is further enhanced by the already printed steel cracks. Further, the bullet shots are engraved with the names of the martyrs.

Swerve.

Studio/Competition: Architectural design II / Entry for The Architectural Drawing Prize Year: First year, 2016 Project Typology: Kiosks and public spaces Site: Van Vihar National Park, Bhopal

The Studio II design brief introduced students to small scale design interventions with an underlined aim of environment sensitive and coherent design. The site - Van Vihar national park in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, along Upper Lake, is a well-known tourist spot in the city with diverse flora and fauna.

Our studio began with a bike ride through the site in November. This familiarized us with the site and the user group that frequented Van Vihar. Sitting on a rock by the shore, an interesting piece of hollow wood caught my eye. The depressions and rings in the wood almost resembled the topographical map of the site. It captured the essence of Van Vihar in a way that underpinned the subsequent design process.

The Swerve comprises of a structure continuous through the site, swerving through the hills and by the lake; interspersed by neem trees and rocks, opening up to occasional kiosks, sitting areas and unexpected views.

Just like the wood piece I discovered on the first site visit, the Swerve changed angles constantly; sinking and ever so often, rising.

A hand-drawn view of the site post-design, was my entry for the Architectural Drawing Prize 2018.

25 | 26

Swerve- Image of the wooden block mimicking the topography of Van Vihar; A preliminary sketch of the Swerve.

Swerve- Sometimes, sinking and ever so often; rising.

27 | 28

The adjacent drawing is a depiction of how the Swerve would look spread across Van Vihar. Rather than having segregated structures, the Swerve incorporates a level of continuity and coherence that merges with the context.

Constructed of wooden panels with intermediate steel I-sections, kiosks and similar typologies intersperse the form. An interesting interplay of light and shade owing to the undulating form over an undulating landscape forms an integral component.

Swerve- A schematic sketch of a section of the structure consists of wood panels and steel I-sections with a place for kiosks, walking and cycling.

Other works.

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吀䔀䄀䴀 㤀㈀㠀㠀

29 | 30

A team of three, we proposed an idea for the 120 Hours competition 2019. The brief called for ideas and concepts regarding the future of the north-most town - Svalbard.

( Top left ) A utopian architect best known for Walking Cities, Ron Herron reappears in the twenty first century from the 1960s. Walking Cities, designed for war could bring resources wherever necessary. It was radical and utopian at the time, but maybe radical ideas can fight Svalbard’s apocalyptic war.

Driven by a strong passion to save a deteriorating settlement, Ron set off for the North Pole. ( Bottom left )With a population of polar bears exceeding that of humans, and permafrost that is melting at a life-threatening pace, Svalbard proves to be the best place to begin designing and testing the first “Walking City” prototype of Ron Herron. During the course of the apocalyptic war that Svalbard fights, the prototype, which began with Ron’s personal requirements expands to a larger and a more complex user base. These evolve according to the inhabitant’s immediate needs. Eventually, the Walking City incorporates Svalbard’s painted cottages, the research base, the seed vault, the un-used air trams and finally an entire ecosystem that preserves the arctic fauna. After a hundred years, Svalbard floats on torrid water that was once an endless icescape but a radical mind fought its fight and retained its original identity.

The dire situation that Svalbard finds itself in was unimaginable in 1964. But so was Herron’s idea of “Walking Cities”. Perhaps, unimaginable problems need unimaginable solutions.

Residence Design : The design brief consisted of designing a residence that merged vernacular with contemporary.

The design consists of using a North-Eastern vernacular material i.e. bamboo in a contemporary way specific to the Delhi climate. The primary concept was to use bamboo in such a way that it increased the themal lag of the walls in Delhi. To facilitate the same, bamboo hollows were inserted in the walls in a manner which made the wall seem dynamic when viewed at an angle. These hollows increased the thickness of the walls and also created a pollution barrier through the plantations in each hollow. The long corridors are cooler due to minute penetrations in the wall.

31 | 32

The adjacent drawings are works of documentation of the Tharu tribe belonging to Uttrakhand region. The Tharu tribe is found in dense forests of southern regions of Uttrakhand. This is also known as the Terai region. It has predominantly composite climatic conditions. They refer to extreme weather conditions; hot summers, cool winters and rough monsoons are prevalent.

The Tharu houses are arranged around a courtyard that is open to one side for wind flow. The houses have a compact rectangular floor plan and are north-south oriented.

The front facade faces East allowing only morning sun in. There are no openings on the western face due to which heat gain is reduced and the sunlight that enters is diffused.

33 | 34

The walls are made using wattle and daub technique. Timber posts are erected to support horizontal beams, roof and walls to make walls more stable. They are fastened with dry grass of fibre grass or sometimes nail. Vertical split bamboos are erected at close distances and woven together with reeds or grass. This is plastered with two or three coats of Khudwa Mitti mixed with Equal proportions of cow dung and rice husk. Columns are made of single timber post that are plastered.

An exploded view of the main house.

Art.

Kolsai, Kazakhstan, 2018

IIT Kanpur, 2019

35 | 36

Chittorgarh fort, 2017

Compositions, 2016

Old Bhopal, 2018

2018 | On the way to Kolsai, Kazakhstan; These pastel blue vans are typical of the region and the color always reminds me of this trip.

2018 | Whilst making a structures model with plaster of paris.

2018 | Early morning in Old Bhopal.

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2019 | Sneaking into the pottery workshop in Bharat Bhawan, Bhopal.

2019 | A spontaneous trip to the waterfalls in Panchmarhi, Madhya Pradesh (or perhaps an interstellar trip).

Architecture: An Important Catalyst in the Rehabilitation of Prisoners.

ABSTRACT | “With my hand on my heart I can say that the world’s most humane prison, decorated by artists and architects crushed me more than I had thought possible. It is only now, here in the old, worn-out, obsolete prison that I begin to feel dignity again…. Things mean nothing, relationships mean everything.”- John K. (Prisoner in Halden Prison)

Prisons, prisoners and the penitentiary regimes revolving around the same is a topic that is not adequately addressed by the general public. More often than not, they are surrounded by ideas surrounding punishment and social through urban isolation. Seldom are they viewed in the context of their original underlying concept – rehabilitation. While penitentiary regimes and laws have evolved to reinforce the concept of rehabilitation further, there lies a gap between evolving ideologies of penitentiary regimes and their execution. This paper seeks to investigate a vital means of execution of the same- architecture and design of prisons. The investigation is carried out through various research questions ranging from the urban context to the spatial qualities of a prison via case studies and how these can affect the prisoner’s social and societal recuperation. Finally, this investigation underpins the importance of architecture as an important catalyst in the process of rehabilitation.

Seminar paper | 2019

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(Top) San Vittore prison, Milan, Italy.

(Below) Halden prison, Halden, Norway

Sagarika Sengupta +(91) 9560489134 sagarika.s.sengupta@gmail.com