Architecture + Design Portfolio

SANJANA MASURKAR

Rhode Island School of Design M.Arch 2021

ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN PORTFOLIO

SANJANA MASURKAR 84 South Angell St, Providence, RI 02906, USA

sanjana.gm7@gmail.com issuu.com/sanjanamasurkar +1 (732) 875 8406

I am Sanjana Masurkar, a Providence-based architecture graduate originally from the city of Mumbai.

I believe that the world is not still and architecture adapts to the society. My objective is to use my skills in a design organization and thereby grow and become a competent professional. This portfolio is a culmination of selected projects from my most recent studio and professional experience.

EDUCATION 2019-2021

Rhode Island School of Design Master of Architecture Providence, United States

2011-2016

L.S.Raheja School of Architecture Bachelor of Architecture Mumbai, India

WORK EXPERIENCE 2021-Present

Chelsea West Architects, NYC Designer Key involvement in schematic and concept design and 3D SketchUp modelling.

2020-2021

Rhode Island School of Design Graduate Assistant Lecture Series Assisted Prof. Jessica Myers in managing and co-ordinating lectures for the series Systems of Architecture.

2020-2021

Graduate Assistant Exhibition Collaboration with The Canadian Centre for Architecture Assisted Surplus+ a multidisciplinary team of designers in developing and producing the website that visually indexes student audio reports. (https://www.studentvisa.review)

2018-2019

Self Employed, Mumbai Freelance Designer Designed and executed residential interiors by developing conceptual design layouts, construction drawings, furniture details and interior renders. Prepared bill of quantities, material selection, site visits and coordination with clients and consultants.

2017-2018

Archilogics Design Pvt Ltd (Now Saket Sethi Design), Mumbai Junior Architect Involvement in projects ranging from architecture, interior design and furniture design, art and production design for television show - Design HQ (Fox Life India). Developed conceptual plans and project layouts and drafted comprehensive construction and service drawings.

2015-2016

Studio Essemble, Mumbai Architecture Intern Designed layouts and drafted construction drawings for landscape, residential and hospitality projects.

WORKSHOPS AND AWARDS 2019-2021

RISD Fellowship

2016

Raipur City Gate Competition Team led participation to design a sustainable and culturally responsive city gate for Raipur, India.

2015

Mounds in landscape Workshop Study and analysis of urban filling and landscape mounds in design.

2014

ZONASA Earth Architecture Workshop Development and designing using adobe block building techniques.

2014

Nari Gandhi Trophy, N.A.S.A Competition, First Place Team led design analysis of Druk White Lotus School. Involvement in research, sketchup modelling, photoshop and hand sketching.

SKILLS Softwares

Drafting + 3D modelling AutoCAD, Rhinoceroes, Revit, Google SketchUp, V-Ray, Lumion Adobe Suite Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign MS Office Word, PowerPoint, Excel

Fabrication

Laser-cutting, 3D Printing, CNC, Hand modelling/ drafting

Languages

English, Hindi, Marathi

ARCHITECTURE LICENSE Council of Architecture India Registered Architect Credential ID : CA/2018/95338

[CV]

REFERENCES Jacqueline Shaw Graduate Program Director, Rhode Island School of Design jacqueline@studioeuonym.com Hansy Better Barraza Thesis Advisor, Rhode Island School of Design hbetter@risd.edu Saket Sethi Ex-employer, Archilogics Design Pvt. Ltd

[3]

[Contents]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Giant RISD Unifying in mass timber Educational Institute

an Interplay Biomimetic explorations in architecture Systems in architecture

Nivaas Rethinking care for the terminally ill Healthcare Design

The Runner Community Library Institutional Design

An Urban Nucleus Redesigning churchgate Railway Station Transport, Commercial, Hospitality

Sunoo Chateau Tranquille Residential Design

Villa Jain One with nature Residential Design

AL Series Truss chair & Petaloid table Furniture Design

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

GIANT RISD

UNIFYING IN MASS TIMBER Advanced Design Studio Rhode Island School of Design Advisor Aaron Forrest Team Sanjana Masurkar Sofie Kusaba

[6]

[Giant RISD]

Every building proposes a particular way of shaping the world. That is to say, it contains within its built form an abstract proposition for how the material can form the social. From Existenzminimum to Universal Space to Diagram Architecture and beyond, architects have attempted to formulate, explicitly or implicitly, how architecture operates as both a social and material catalyst.

The aim of this project was to posit new organizational and constructive types for a new mass timber building to house all of RISD’s academic programs. The hybrid nature of mass timber massive elements built up out of cheap material traditionally used in stick-frame construction - frees us to see the absolutes of adder versus divider, frame versus wall, authentic versus fake, as false oppositions that must necessarily be rethought to address critical architectural issues within contemporary social and ecological contexts.

[7]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio] Map of existing RISD buildings in Providence, Rhode Island

College Hill

Downton Providence

Fox Point

N

[8]

[Giant RISD]

Design - large scale 3D Art Art Foundations 2D Art Digital Design and Art

Institution - faculty Student world planning and engagement

Currently RISD is scattered throughout Providence with several buildings catering to over 22 art and design departments. One of the main issues realised over the course of this study indicates that circulation is one of the key issues for students requiring access to various departments. The analyis led to calculating the existing areas to determine the number of floors to be provided by congregating these programs into a cluster.

Community Engmt.

Art and Design Tower Knowledge Tower Institutional Tower Student Support

The categorised RISD departments and programs are clustered into 4 buildings - The student support, Knowledge resources, art and design and institutional resources - which sit on top of the podium that houses the community engagement programs.

1163.75 ft

Design - small scale

Student Life- Student Health Student Life- Student Actions Support

1 Floor 14,543 sq.ft

581.87 ft

Student life - Facilities Student life - Housing and Dining

Knowledge Resources Technology

8 Floors 168,290 sq.ft

12 Floors 84,645 sq.ft Community Engagement Providence Community Community engagement RISD Providence

16 Floors 67,716 sq.ft

335.95 ft

Knowledge Resources Visual Arts

475.10 ft

Knowledge Resources Liberal Arts

411.45 ft

4 Floors 338,580 sq.ft

[9]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

[10]

[Giant RISD]

Top | Ground floor plan N

Bottom | Block evoultion of refined and provisional spaces

Refined Spaces - Offices, classrooms, crit spaces Provisional Spaces - Studio, storage, event spaces

[11]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

[12]

[Giant RISD]

[13]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

P 14. Podium (Level 3) Plan P 15 . Top | Wall types for provisonal and refined spaces.

Bottom right | Structure Tectonics The 4 towers begin on the podium level. On this level there is the first level of the library, a workshop space where the art and design machinery and facilities are located. The lobbies to student support and institutional towers are both located here as well. The podium is meant to be an open space to work and relax. There is also a dock on this podium level and the ground level that allows users to have a closer experience to the river.

Through clustering the programs into a series of towers, users are able to conveniently interact with other programs while still enabling a sense of separation and privacy.

[14]

[Giant RISD]

Triple height storage and exhibit wall

Fireproof concrete wall with shelving [Metalshop, kiln, glassblowing]

Facade

Food serving and cooking counter wall

Acoustic barrier wall

Visual and acoustic barrier wall

Exterior sliding walls

Focus nook

Interior sliding walls

The building structure incorporates a composite mode of construction. The diagram on the right shows the typical assembly of every floor. The use of concrete columns and beams on the periphery of the builidngs and glulam columns and beams on the interiors helps in strengthening the overall structure by allowing larger heights and more number of floors. Flooring slabs have a layer of CLT planks topped with reinforcement and concrete to strengthen it.

The diagrams on topillustrate thje designed walltypes inspired by formwork specifically for the provisional spaces. The walls such as the triple height storage and exhibit wall and the sliding wall are meant to encourage flexibility in the space by also acting as barriers and storage spaces.

[15]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

A characteristic within RISD that was chosen to focus on is the nature of provisional and refined spaces. Provisional spaces are characterized as places that are constantly prone to changing and are flexible spaces. A provisional space suits the chaotic process of design or art making that requires the user to frequently make adjustments to the space to match their process.

All 4 towers have been provided with primary provisional spaces connectes with bridges that provide a visual connectivity along with a passage for light and air ventilation. The provisional spaces in this campus are the storage, studios, shared studios, and event spaces.

[16]

P 16 . Top left | Art and Design Tower - Provisional Space, Level 17 Bottom | Illustration - Provisional spaces in RISD. P 17. Top | View of Collaborative workspace (Provisional space) in Art and Design Tower

[Giant RISD]

[17]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

Refined spaces are interior arrangements that do not change. The refined spaces in the proposed design are the offices, archives, and crit spaces.

Refined spaces maintain order and discipline much needed for a calculated balance.

These spaces are spread across the 4 towers and connected internall with the provisional spaces within the respective buildings. . While the provisional spaces are meant to be multifunctional and flexible with a variety of seating and wall arrangements, refined spaces maintain decorum and are specific to programs.

[18]

P 18 . Top left | Knowledge Resource Tower - Refined Space, Level 6 Bottom | Illustration - Refined spaces in RISD. P 17. Top | View of Library (Refined space) in Knowledge Resource Tower

[Giant RISD]

[19]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

[20]

[Giant RISD]

[21]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

[22]

[Giant RISD]

[23]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

AN INTERPLAY

BIOMIMETIC EXPLORATIONS OF SYSTEMS IN ARCHITECTURE Graduate Thesis Rhode Island School of Design Advisor Hansy Better Barraza Location Pune, India

[24]

[an Interplay]

How can we use nature’s way of building and designing and apply this knowledge in a progressive, and innovative way? Can scouring the biosystem be an effective way of finding inspiration?

Art, in the broader sense, is anything produced by humans rather than nature. Through nature, the ultimate source of knowledge and wisdom, is where we eventually draw inspiration from. By manifesting the environment, humans are able to respect and look into nature in a new light. Interaction with nature helps better understand and value the natural themes. The relationship between design and the built environment opens up the politics of space and place.

The challenge remains, to bring nature to civilization on a scale that correlates to the growing urbanization. Honoring nature while letting it flourish with the same momentum, by looking to science and art we find new and grounded tactics. This thesis considers bio-mimesis as a methodology to create a material to become a part of nature and live in harmony with the world again.

[25]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

Pune Building Typology - Analysis

[26]

[an Interplay]

[27]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio] Structure Intervention 01

nspired by the femur bone, this intervention helps in reducing use of concrete by reshaping the column translated into the resultant column structure.

Besides being structurally sound, the light weight columns and beams also help in expediting the speed of construction.

Structure Intervention 02 As commercial buildings continue to increase, so does the demand for larger spans and wider openings. Studying the geometry of the plant cell membrane wall helped in deriving a structural system that allows creating a peripheral column structure which can supported by mushroom columns.

[28]

[an Interplay]

[29]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

Form Intervention 01 Inspired by the mounds and the traditional typology of the courtyard that encourages venturi effect, the staggered sections of the building function similar to the internal organization of the termite mound that helps in continuous air circulation thereby maintaining openness in the buildings.

[30]

[an Interplay]

[31]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

Form Intervention 02 This form draws inspiration from the barrel cactus that maintains a thermostat with the help of the undulations on the surface that promotes self shading.

The geometry for this intervention is derived from the same idea, the translation of the form provides sufficient shading and provides continuous air circulation. And again, gives opportunities to form green spaces on several levels.

[32]

[an Interplay]

[33]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

Facade Intervention The facade interventions use the countercurrent heat exchange strategy found in several animals and birds. The diagram above illustrates the heat transfer in stock’s feet when submerged in water.

The proposed system translates this strategy by creating a secondary skin to the building that helps in passive cooling and maintaining the overall temperature of the building.

P 34. Top left | Facade intervention inpiration - counter current heat exchange.

Bottom right | Detail working section P 35. Top left | Facade intervention 01 - Terracota tile detail Top right | Facade intervention 01 - Terracota tile detail Bottom - Facade intervention isometric views

[34]

[an Interplay]

Planter bed for native vegetation Water trench

Polystrene pipe mesh

Vertical metal pipe frame

Horizontal metal pipe frame

Polycarbonate louvers

The first intervention uses terracotta tiles on a metal pipe that is internally insulated with polystyrene. The tiles are then intentionally placed in varying orientations to control the amount of solar radiation over the building.

The second intervention uses polycarbonate louvers supported by a metal frame attached to a polystyrene pipe.

The detail explains the mechanism of the countercurrent heat exchange between the louvers and the polystyrene pipes placed in a water trench. The polystyrene pipe mesh absorbs the water and therefore facilitates heat exchange thereby cooling the interiors.

[35]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

[36]

[an Interplay]

[37]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

NIVAAS

RETHINKING CARE FOR THE TERMINALLY ILL Undergraduate Thesis L.S.Raheja School of Architecture Advisor Mridula Pillai Location Mumbai, India

[38]

[Nivaas]

Nivaas, literally translating to “abode” is a project based on Palliative care. It is an approach to care, that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment, and treatment of pain and other problems – physical, psychosocial and spiritual.

Designed to be a “dwelling house” to instill a domestic sense of well-being, this structure offers specialist care to the ones with life-limiting illness. The proposed floating design is low maintenance and economical. The use of natural materials comprising of stabilized bricks, concrete, bamboo and terracotta pots as the prime structural materials, characterize the palliative care center.

[39]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

Block Evolution

Creating close proximity for Extending areas with spaces more Providing access to or including suited for privacy green areas to interconnecting ease of access from point A to B spaces

[40]

Building around nature

[Nivaas]

N

[41]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

P 46. Top left | Block evolution diagram - Wards Bottom | Plan and section - In-patient and training institute plan P 47. Top | Visual connectivity between wards and garden area Bottom | Material palette

Wards 1. Oriented in a northeast and southwest direction to capture the winds.

2. Blocks breaks into 3 wings

3. Three wings further get divided into two wards and a service block.

4. The wings are further staggered to capture light.

5. The pockets created in the central area have been developed into green spaces that also act as informal spaces.

[42]

[Nivaas]

[43]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

[44]

[Nivaas]

[45]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

P 50. Top left | Block evolution diagram - Activity center Bottom | Plan and section - Activity center and training institute P 51. Top | Lounge in activity center Bottom | View of Activity center

Activity Center 1. Block showing the structure mass 2. Block is further divided into spaces that demand the necessary fun poration of open to sky green spaces.

3. Created formal accesses that divide the structure and create privacy.

4. These spaces further have an incorporation of open to sky green spaces.

[46]

[Nivaas]

[47]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

[48]

[Nivaas]

[49]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

URBAN NUCLEUS

REDESIGNING CHURCHGATE RAILWAY STATION Architecture Studio L.S.Raheja School of Architecture Advisor Arun Fizardo Location Mumbai, India

This project seeks to create innovative design proposals that will reinvigorate the Churchgate railway station, improve its transport function and unlock development potential of the precinct. The station is one of city’s busiest destinations. The factors create a complex mix of demands and priorities in the site.

The redesigning will act as an urban catalyst, playing a critical strategic role in enhancing essential transport services and integrating an appropriate mix of uses for a growing city. It will also play a vital role in strengthening connections between the city and the station, and its expanding arts and sports precincts to the south and south-east.

[50]

[One With Nature]

[51]

SIT

E

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

Hospitality and institutional zone Commercial zone Mixed-use zone Recreational zone

RA

ILW AY

Residential zone

Jamshed Tata Road Maharshi Karve Road

OF

FIC

ES

E Road

Maharshi Karve Road

HO T

EL

E Road

Subway Entrance

[52]

[Urban Nucleus]

Food Bazaar

Public Circulation

Art Hotel

Railway Offices

Service Core Medical Center

Restaurants Food Court

Business Center

Exhibition Center

Ground Level

First Level

Second Level

Third Level

Fourth Level

Fifth Level

Sixth Level

Seventh Level

Eighth Level

[53]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio] Eighth Level Art hotel

Seventh Level Art hotel Art gallery

Fifth Level Restaurant Exhibition center

Fourth Level Restaurant Exhibition center IT department

Third Level Business center Engineering department

Second Level Restaurants Food court Vertical garden

First Level Food Bazaar Medical center Railway offices

Ground Level Art hotel lobby Food Bazaar Railway station Medical center

[54]

The food court comprises of vertical garden space, encouraging the concept of green walls. In the proposed project, the green walls offer to cultivate organic plants by mat fencing. The primary cause of heat build-up in cities is insolation. The living wall could also function for urban agriculture, urban gardening or for its beauty as art.

[Urban Nucleus]

A mixed-use building at an urban hub calls for quick measures to avoid chaos and inconvenience. Use of steel, and graded glass foe the facade gives an opportunity to provide with prefabricated structural members that helps in faster mode of constructions. It also offers architects an array of options for designing.

[55]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio] Sectional Isometric

[56]

[Urban Nuclues]

[57]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

[58]

[Urban Nucleus]

[59]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

[60]

[Urban Nucleus]

[61]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

THE RUNNER COMMUNITY LIBRARY

Architecture Studio Rhode Island School of Design Advisor Jacqueline Shaw Location Newport, RI

[62]

[Runner’s Corner]

The agency of architecture lies in its capacity to be enactive. It is occupied, experienced and materialized; it constructs, organizes and extends relations among the many. Its forms, spatial orders, materials, and systems result from the designed consideration of physical and spatial interdependencies with the practices, habits and aspirations of its subjects. It is also shaped by the practices, conventions, and contradictions of the discipline that have historically informed spatial investigations.

As we spend more time enclosed within walls, it becomes valuable to design structures as per the end-user requirement. The character, in this case, the end-user - the “The Runner” from Manhattan Transcripts played an abstract role representing “forms of representation.” The proposed library provides a range of spatial relationships to the site and balances function for privacy and engagement with their surrounds. The design takes advantage of gentle slopes on the roofs and walls positioned to break the salient axis arranged in a configuration that produces a variety of spatial views and perspectives.

[63]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio] Construct Modules

View

[64]

Plan

Section

Siting is an active situating of a project.

Providing external parameters for an architecture, site is both given – size, orientation, topography – and constructed.

Using a single operation (rotate, mirror, boolean etc.) as a framework, to make 6 iterations on an existing construct each iteration combines at minimum two and at most five units of the construct to analyze what opportunities a specific operation provides and denies.

[The Runner]

[65]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

1 2

3

5

4

N

6

1. Entrance and reception desk 2. Back office workshop 3. Administration office 4. Copmmunity reading space 5. Multimedia room 6. Cafeteria P 70. Top | Section AA’ Bottom | First floor plan

[66]

P 71. Top | Exploded isometric view

[The Runner]

[67]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

[68]

[The Runner]

[69]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

SUNOO

CHATEAU TRANQUILLE Professional Work Archilogics Design Pvt. Ltd Project Involvement Design Development, Construction drawing, 3D Modelling Location Manor India A weekend home away from home that is open to artists, and creative people from all walks of life is a perfect place for reflection.

Inspired from a recent trip to Holland, the client’s brief was to integrate nature in an inspirational and spiritual home The heart of the project is the temple designed as a symbol of universe, for the client wanted a divine space for meditation. It also acts as a starting point for the design because it was used as a metaphor depicting a Kundalini (a form of primal energy.

The roof is designed to be a geometric manifestation of nature, and this instance was to follow the geometry og a man-made intervention with respect to the diamond pattern.

[70]

[71]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio] The ancient archetypal Indian home usually sees an internal courtyard and a temple in the north-east.

Redefining the relationship between the temple and the courtyard by pushing it away for purity and visual appreciation.

The introverted courtyard inside the house is lost creating a new opportunity.

The new plan redefines the relationship between temple and the house by inserting the courtyard between them.

The external courtyard blurs into the site creating seamless fluid spaces where site, temple and house are newly engaged.

New living space created that extends out of the house all tge way to the temple.

[72]

P 76. Top left | Site evolution evolution diagram Bottom | Site Plan P 77. Top | Green roof concept diagram Bottom | Exploded isometric view

[Sunoo]

[73]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

[74]

[Sunoo]

[75]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

Section S-S’

Civil Plan

[76]

[Sunoo]

[77]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio] Temple Details

[78]

[Sunoo]

[79]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

VILLA JAIN ONE WITH NATURE

Professional Work Archilogics Design Pvt. Ltd Project Involvement Design Development, Construction drawing, 3D Modelling Location Bangalore, India Catering to the needs of modern India, this house is designed low to the ground providing large openings and open spaces. Life in a concrete jungle calls for a desire to spend time aound nature and this project provides exactly that. The building facade is designed to control light and air ventilation hence controling the overall heat and light circulation.

An inwardly facing house inspired by the fluidity of nature hides and yet expresses a shimmering facade, a double height marble temple and a cantilevered entry dramatically uniting green living concepts.

[80]

[Sunoo]

[81]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

[82]

[Villa Jain]

[83]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

[84]

[Villa Jain]

[85]

[Architecture + Design Portfolio]

AL TRUSS CHAIR Professional Work Archilogics Design Pvt Ltd Location Mumbai, India Taking the ideas of assembly, DIY and customizable options enables the AL truss chair to easily bridge the line from high functional art inspired from architecture structure to make an accessible and personal object for multiple design environments.

Extending the Truss chair range, the AL Bar Truss Chair can be modified with an add-on kit from its parent. Comfort, color and monogram options continue to provide deep personalization.

[86]

AL PETALOID

[AL Furniture]

Professional Work Archilogics Design Pvt Ltd Location Mumbai, India

AL Petaloid’s one form transforms into smaller tables or just about any permutation and combination possible.

Moving away from a uniform to a set of forms, we integrated meaningful uses of 3D printing, metal and wood-work.

[87]

sanjana.gm7@gmail.com +1 (732) 875 8406