Undergraduate Architecture Portfolio

Architecture Design

Portfolio Selected works from 2017 - 2020

Sejal Chalke

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Curriculum Vitae

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This portfolio is a compilation of author’s work through the three years of the architecture course. The portfolio includes diversified works highlighting the process of how social interventions affects the surroundings. It studies how the urban interventions changes the natural topography of the cities and streets to attract the people and bring them together to create a social corridor.

It portrays how an individual impacts the space and transforms it according to their own cultural values, the process of transition from built form into a home. It also talks about how public structures are shaped by its socio cultural environment.

Additionally, it includes concept drawings, analysis of neighbourhood context, architectural tectonics and the process and ideas of the design and architectural literature.

P.S : The drawings, images, graphics and texts are produced by the author.

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Portfolio Narrative

1. Ghar : A home away from home Hostel for Working Professionals

4. Traversing streetscapes.

Urban Residential Streets

7. Philosophy of Renzo Piano

A Versatile process towards Sustainability

2. Granthalaya: A Book Retreat Book and Manuscript library

5. Working Drawings

8. Raja Mahal : Exploring the Past around you Heritage study : Orchha, Madhya Pradesh

3. BDD chawls :Living and Much More Study of Life in Chawls

6. The Music Bar

Something Lively as well as Rustic

9. MISCELLANEOUS

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Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

1. Ghar : A home away from home Hostel for Working Professionals The project concentrates upon how the living is altered when an individual is away from home. Its a project wherein architecture and emotions of the individual go hand in hand.

The migration rate is increasing in Navi Mumbai area because of the affordable and cheaper living rates than the Greater Mumbai. Many job opportunities are arising due to ever increasing development. The aim of the project is to provide affordable and habitable living conditions for all those people who have migrated for professional purposes. The thought is to encapture the ide of safe and familiar environment using architecture and interior elements.

Project Project Project Project

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type - Architectural Design, name - Hostels for working professionals. location - Khandeshwar, Navi Mumbai. year - 2019, Semester 5.

Ghar | A home away from home

Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

Semi intensive green roof is incorporated within the structure to minimize the heat absorption. The dome in the centre acts as a multi purpose hall wherein shows and functions take place for the hostel residents as well as for the neighbourhood people.

The huge steps constructed as a water front development acts a gathering space wherein the residents can sit and chat with each other or listen to music after a busy day at work.

It overall aims to achieve calm natural environment for the people.

Ghar | A home away from home

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Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

An aerial view from the water canal side

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Ghar | A home away from home

Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

A contextual roof plan

The site is located in khandeshwar near the train station area. The site has a varied context, from canals and small water bodies, to marshy lands and playgrounds. The road adjacent to the site is progressing towards the main khandeshwar city. The twinkling lights of the city ahead and mountain ranges far beyond are visible from the site clearly due to the open land.

Ghar | A home away from home

These beautiful view points gave rise to the form wherein the green roof acts as a vantage point. he green roof acts as a ramp which starts from the ground and terminates in a rooftop deck. People can enjoy these views from their rooms as well as the roof. The advantage of the form is that it broadens the user vision. The incremental form of the structure being surrounded by the trees provides maximum natural ventilation and shade.

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Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

Plan of single occupancy hostel room.

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Floor plan showing the housing typologies.

Plan of double occupancy hostel room.

Plan of triple occupancy hostel room.

Ghar | A home away from home

Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

Interior view of single occupany hostel room

Ghar | A home away from home

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Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

Interior view of double occupany hostel room

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Ghar | A home away from home

Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

Interior view of triple occupany hostel room

Ghar | A home away from home

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Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

2. Granthalaya: A Book Retreat Book and Manuscript library The project is located in a diversified urban context of Dadar, Mumbai. Dadar is one of the many cultural hubs in Mumbai. The neighbourhood capsule includes small slum settlements as well as the multistoried duplexes. The project focuses majorly on creating multi functionality spaces. In the world were everything is available digitally, the project aims to unite those book lovers under one roof. It also caters to other amenities which attract people from different socio cultural background.

The idea of incorporating incrementality in the design is to showcase the gradual evolution of the neighbourhood spaces.

Project type - Architectural Design, Project name - Library Project location - Dadar, Mumbai.

Project year - 2019, Semester 6.

Institute - Pillai College of Architecture.

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Granthalaya | A book retreat

Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

Initially a rectangular block, massing horizontally was placed on the site.

Granthalaya | A book retreat

Then the horizontal block was split up into two seperate blocks to free up space within the site.

The site is located in a crowded urban context of dadar, so the concept of incrementality is introduced at this stage. So the ground has minimum built up area.

Keeping the ground footprint minimum, the floor plates increment uniformly.

Hence the form of the structure is derived.

The existing wind flow from the southwest direction enters the building and because of its form it enters the building keeping the space properly ventilated.

The pedestrians access and the vehicular access is the same because the site is located on the main Gokhale road in Dadar.

The two blocks were placed at a distance from each other and a space between two blocks is formed.

The sunrays hits the protruding wall of the structure allowing diffused sunlight inside. Windows are located in northeast and southwest direction to encapture maximum soft light.

There is a temple next to the site due to which it attracts all age group crowds. The construction site, slum entry right next to the site keeps the neighbourhood busy.

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Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

Ground floor plan including immediate neighbourhood context

The functions are segregated into different structures considering the factors like spatial sensitivity, immediate accessibility, noise intensity and common spaces like outdoor restaurant and small amphitheatre seating around the central banyan tree.

The spaces like library and learning centres, which require a calm environment to focus, are included on the upper floors using porous materials to keep the street commotion at bay.

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The internal road adjacent to the site leads to the slum settlement. Analysing the cultural attributes, economic and commercial setting, amenities like day care centre for the working families, digital convenience centre helping the people with their digital documents and other things and learning centres have been incorporated.

Granthalaya | A book retreat

Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

A three dimensional sectional view of the structure showcasing incremental floors with respect to neighbourhood context

Granthalaya | A book retreat

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Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

View showing the outdoor seating of the restaurant area

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Granthalaya | A book retreat

Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

Viewof the kids play area on the green terrace

Granthalaya | A book retreat

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Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

View showing the external terraces on the alternate floors

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Granthalaya | A book retreat

Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

View showing the interior of the library area

Granthalaya | A book retreat

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Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

3. BDD chawls :Living and Much More Study of Life in Chawls Chawls have been well represented in popular depictions of the city of Mumbai through movies, serials, plays and books. Most visibly present around the erstwhile textile mill regions of Parel and South Bombay, chawls have emerged as a housing typology across the entire city. Today they represent a slice of life in Mumbai, which it has drawn from heavily but has also moved on from in many ways. A distinct form of housing typology, it houses not just workers but their entire families and communities, playing an important role in shaping the kind of society that was born out of these neighbourhoods.

Project Project Project Project

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type - Housing documentation name - Study of the chawl typologies location - BDD Chawls,Worli, Mumbai. year - 2019, Semester 6.

Chawls | Living and much more

Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

View of a cluster of BDD chawl buildings

View of people sitting under a banyan tree and conversing Chawls | Living and much more

View of people social activity in front of buildings and playground

View of playground adjacent to the buildings

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Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

The Bombay Development Directorate Chawls were built by the British. The chawls located in worli and lower parel were initially meant to be prisons. Later on, the britishers started using these prisons as a residence for their workers and peons thus converting it into a residential zone.

Presently, 207 BDD chawls are located all over Mumbai. Wherein, 121 are in Worli, 42 in Naigaon, 32 in Lower Parel and 12 in Sewri. These G+4 structures are linearly arranged all over the site creating small pockets of green and open areas. the area between two buildings is around 15m which acts a ground for social intervention and hence we find these areas to be buzzing with activities.

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A single living unit is accessed through the central corridor, wherein every floor houses 20 such living units with common toilets at the end. One living unit at the center is converted into a common room where kids study or older people gather and read newspapers and converse.

Each unit measures 160 sqft and houses about 4-6 memebers in the family. this room size to human ratio has led them to practice incrementality into their living units. The area incremented by the users is dependent upon the economic status. Some of the units are incremented and transformed into a small room. Every tenement has added a Mori, a small bathroom space into their living units.

Chawls | Living and much more

Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

The chawl typology exhibits a vision of living units placed linearly on a central corridor and common toilets at the end. The central corridor acts as a major social interaction place for the tenents. The corridor witnessess ladies sitting in their doors happily chatting with each other, kids playing, people sleeping in the corridors extending their living unit. People keep their storage units, beds in the central corridor including that space into their habitat. The extensive and varied usage of central corridor is transformed effortlessly by the people.

Chawls | Living and much more

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Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

3. Traversing streetscapes Urban residential streets Whenever we imagine streets, the first thing that comes to our mind is space filled with many humans going about their various activities. Although, every street has same elements, its character is unique.

The main aim is to study the character of the street and how it responds to the social intervention.

Project Project Project Project

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type - Documentation name - Street Character Study location - Utsav chowk,Kharghar. year - 2019, Semester 6.

Streetscapes | Urban Residential Streets

Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

Streetscapes | Urban Residential Streets

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Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

The Sidewalk Haphazards The footpaths are not maintained properly which is a major issue on this part of the street.

The street has many public offices, schools and banks for which lot of people use these footpaths to reach the destination. Adjacent to the street is the play ground wherein all age groups come together and make the space lively. The public safety comes into picture at this point.

The roads have lot of potholes which is dangerous in monsoon time majorly and hence this junction of the street is prone to many accidents.

Vehicular Collisions The central part of the street has many road junctions. The lack of required signals tends the people to do rash driving and can be threat to pedestrians as well as the drivers. the road is continuosly buzzing with trucks cars and tempos which can be dangerous without proper traffic regulations followed.

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Streetscapes | Urban Residential Streets

Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

The role of access nodes.

The skywalk is an interesting feature that characterises the street distinctively. It ensures the pedestrian safety very effectively.

The issue that the pedestrians face is irregular access nodes to the skywalk. The skywalk ends at the abandoned street which is the main reason of it being deserted.

The access nodes are loacted at a certain distance from the retail corridor of the street which increases the walkable distance.

Journey from buzzing to barren The retail corridor spans for half the street and then it gradually turns into empty sidewalks and barren lands. During nightfall, this corner of the street experiences activites like eve teasing, mocking and troubling the pedestrians by the groups of drunken men.

This is especially dangerous for women and their safety is compromised.

The abandoned buildings and barren areas has given a rise to criminal activities like mugging, vandalism.

The lack of social intervention has lead to many problems in this corner of the street.

Streetscapes | Urban Residential Streets

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Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

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Streetscapes | Urban Residential Streets

Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

Streetscapes | Urban Residential Streets

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4. Working Drawings The project includes the construction details and construction layouts, toilet layouts and other service layouts of the hostel design.

Project Project Project Project

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type - Working Drawings name - Hostel for Working Professionals location - Khandeshwar,Navi Mumbai year - 2019, Semester 6.

Working Drawings

Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

Working Drawings

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Working Drawings

Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

Working Drawings

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Working Drawings

Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

Working Drawings

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Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

5. The Music Bar Restrobar and Lounge The idea was to create an environment filled with live music and a rustic ambience. Nowadays, everyone is engrossed into their smartphones and in the due process forget to enjoy and indulge into the environment outside their phones. The idea is to encourage people to have a conversation with light music, sung by people in the house, while sitting in a rustic environment.

Project type - Interior Design Project name -The Music Bar :Restobar and Lounge Project year - 2018, Semester 4.

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The Music Bar | Step into rustic and lively

Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

The idea was to design a live music bar and restaurant wherein people could sit and enjoy the light music.

The colour palette is inspired by earthy textures of ground and tree woods.

Warm yellow and white lights create a soft environment, wherein the dash of red light energizes the atmosphere.

The idea was to incorporate the rustic elements like faded wood for the tables, dark wooden flooring with exposed bricks.

The ambience is a rich with earthy elements blending into the environment.

The bar stools made from barrel wood and rich crimson cushions. The typical lounge chairs are replaced by big wooden armchairs and benches.

The Music Bar | Step into rustic and lively

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Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

View of the restrobar from the staircase landing

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The Music Bar | Step into rustic and lively

Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

View of the restrobar from the entrance

The Music Bar | Step into rustic and lively

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Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

View of the restobar from the seating area below the mezzanine

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The Music Bar | Step into rustic and lively

Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

View of the dining area on the mezzanine floor The Music Bar | Step into rustic and lively

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Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

4. Renzo Piano A versatile process towards sustainability The paper focuses on the principles that Renzo Piano incorporates while designing the structures. Although his approach to each site and the design is different, there are some key features that he involves in some or the other way. The aspects like the relation between semi open and open spaces, advanced structural design systems, material diversity, different organic forms for the design and the site influence, are highly evident in the designs. The paper concentrates on understanding and examining these aspects which contribute highly in the character of his designs.

Paper type - Architectural Paper Paper name -A Versatile process towards Sustainability Paper year - 2019, Semester 5.

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Renzo Piano | A versatile process towards sustainability

Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

RENZO PIANO : A VERSATILE PROCESS TOWARDS SUSTAINABILTY

ABSTRACT Italian architect Renzo piano is successful in achieving a masterful balance between art, architecture and engineering.

His philosophy indulges in spaces which promote art and community, delicate and refined approach to building, literal approach to the community and focus on light and spaces, nature integrated designs representing a sense of sensitivity and versatility and generational diversity.

His intellectual curiosity and problem solving techniques have led him to develop a wide-ranging portfolio that successfully merges high technology with humane and comfortable environments.

The paper focuses on the principles that he incorporates while designing the structures. Although his approach to each site and the design is different, there are some key features that he involves in some or the other way. The aspects like the relation between semi open and open spaces, advanced structural design systems, material diversity, different organic forms for the design and the site influence, are highly evident in the designs. The paper concentrates on understanding and examining these aspects which contribute highly in the character of his designs.

ADVANCED STRUCTURAL DESIGN SYSYTEMS Centre Cultural Jean-Marie Tjibaou The form of the shells of Centre Cultural Jean-Marie Tjibaou negotiates a blend of traditional construction methods and a tapered, dematerializing profile that beautifully plays off the texture of the surrounding trees. An intelligent passive ventilation system removes the need for air conditioning, making the building’s clean, natural air supply an experiential part of the Centre’s design.

The Shard, London Piano’s Shard consists of several glass facets that incline inwards but do not meet at the top. Inspired by the towering church spires and masts of ships that once anchored on the Thames, the Shard’s form was generated by the irregular site plan and open to the sky to allow the building to breath naturally. The passive double facade uses low-iron glass throughout, with a mechanized roller blind in the cavity providing solar shading. In the “fractures” between the shards opening vents provide natural ventilation to winter gardens.

Architecture is art, but art vastly contaminated by many other things.

Contaminated in the best sense of the word— fed, fertilized by many things.

– Renzo Piano

Renzo Piano | A versatile process towards sustainability

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Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

ORGANIC FORMS The Shard The form of the Shard tower was determined by its prominence on the London skyline. Unlike other cities such as New York or Hong Kong, the Shard is not part of an existing cluster of high rise buildings. The slender pyramidal form is suited to the variety of uses proposed: large floor plates for offices at the bottom, public areas and a hotel in the middle, apartments at the top. The final public floors, levels 68-72, accommodate a viewing gallery 240m above street level. Above, the shards continue to 306 m.

Centre Cultural Jean-Marie Tjibaou The concept of the Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center (1991-98) in New Caledonia is a genuine village composed of ten structures of different sizes and functions, the largest being as tall as a nine story building. The international architectural spotlight, as the graceful, ephemeral design of the building's iconic shells has brought fame and business in equal parts to its island and to Piano’s firm. At the core of the commission's purpose was the long, complex, and often confrontational history between the Kanak people and New Caledonia’s European-descended rulers.

Sensitively using traditional Kanak chiefs’ houses as a starting point, the architects manipulated and deconstructed their form to create a monumental sequence of rounded, airy shells.

Ten of them stretch along the hillside, varying in height from 20 to 28 meters and casting a commanding presence over the Pacific shoreline.

Architects spends an entire life with this unreasonable idea that you can fight against the gravity.

– Renzo Piano

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Renzo Piano | A versatile process towards sustainability

Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

SITE INFLUENCE

MATERIAL DIVERSITY

Centre Cultural Jean-Marie Tjibaou Piano’s concept emphasizes the influence of site and environment as determinants of design and performance. The form of the shells negotiates a blend of traditional construction methods and a tapered, dematerializing profile that beautifully plays off the texture of the surrounding trees.

The interrelationship of building clusters, arranged in a layout similar to the grand alley plan of traditional Kanak villages, is dependent on a continuous stream of movement between enclosed and exterior spaces.

For a culture searching for its place in an increasingly hostile and globalized world, it can find little solace for this problem in its new home, no matter how spectacular and otherwise successful its architecture may be.

Centre Cultural Jean-Marie Tjibaou While the Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center’s form is abstractly beautiful and environmentally thoughtful, it is unavoidably alien to the local culture of New Caledonia, as are the architects and the building tradition to which they belong.

Even the materials from which the shells are made, intended to resemble the natural material palette of traditional Kanak architecture, were imported to the island for the project.

Centro Botin Centro Botín is but one element of a synergistic urban intervention, reclaiming a vast portion of dockland area that had, up until recently, been used as a carpark. Integral to the urban ambitions of the design was the decision to reroute the Paseo del Muelle, a road that once intersected the site, through a 200-metre-long underground tunnel. This has restored pedestrian access from the old city to the seafront, redefining the significance of the Jardines de Pereda in the daily lives of santanderinos.

Centro Botín is an exemplar of the metaphoric function of architecture, converging art with culture, the city with the sea, and the earth with the sky

Centro Botin In centro botin, light steel and glass walkways intersect and interlink the two lobes of the building, creating new public spaces, whilst central stairways and elevators provide easy circulation. The resulting gentle curves of the facades are clad with 280,000 pearl-coloured ceramic tiles, that shimmer in the oceanic climate and viscous northern Spanish light.

You have to accept as an architect to be exposed to criticism. architecture should not rely on full harmony – Renzo Piano

Renzo Piano | A versatile process towards sustainability

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Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

8. Raja Mahal : Exploring the Past around You Heritage study : Orchha, Madhya Pradesh The palaces at Orchha, not only are a symbol of architecture at large scale but also of combing intricate design with simplicity. The evolution of this art and architecture is often referred as the Bundela style.

Orchha is a place known for its palaces namely Ramji Mandir, Raj Mahal. All these palaces have striking resemblance and adaptation from many Muslim and Hindu building, like square courts, towers surmounted by terraces, arch and posts.

The royal residence is a part of Orchha fort located in Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh in India, 16 kilometers away from Jhansi. The construction of this Mahal was started by Raja Rudra Pratap in 1531 but due to his death the completion could not be done. Finally, the construction work and fortification was completed by Orchha King Madhukar Shah. According to historians, it took 18 years to complete.

Project type -Documentation Project name -Raja Mahal, Orchha, Madhya Pradesh Project year - 2017, Semester 2.

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Heritage | Exploring the past around you

Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

Heritage | Exploring the past around you

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Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

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Heritage | Exploring the past around you

Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

Raja Mahal is a mixture of Mughal and Rajput style of architecture.

Interiors of the Mahal have been designed in Islamic style whereas exterior portion is in Hindu style of Architecture. The palace (a perfect square plan) houses two rectangular courtyards following Indian concept of Mandapa. The main courtyard is flanked by the palace which has four storied building at one end and the other three sides have five storied apartments.

In order to maintain communication with the various parts, each group of rooms are approached by a continuous hanging balcony ,which, with its sloping balustrade, wide eave, ornamental brackets, and in the upper storey, its angular passage, gives a much of the variety of effect.

The outer courtyard has beautiful arches arranged in floral patterns and carved out in lime mortar. Its exterior is simple without any embellishments but the interior chambers of the palace are elaborately royal in its architectural design.

It is a fine example of Mughal architecture with typical stone jali (lattice) work and multifaced arches at the entrance.

Heritage | Exploring the past around you

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Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

8. Miscellaneous This includes the hands-on group works produced in college, digital illustrations, paintings and live sketches produced during tours and various visits.

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Architecture Portfolio | 2017-2020

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Sejal Shirish Chalke Institution - Pillai college of Architecture Email id - chalkesejal5@gmail.com 7875200706