WHY ARCHITECTURE
Portfolio by Shraddha Biyani
SKILLS
Rhinoceros
2023-2024
M. ARCH
Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL
Thesis on “MetaSkin” Bpro show 2024 Reseach on multi-materiality, “Fluid-Boundaries
Junior Architectural Designer (3 years)
23 DEGREES DESIGN SHIFT | Hyderabad, India Projects:
~ Summer House in India (Veranda)
Pitched a horizontal building design with shallow foundation to overcome sheet rocks. Led a team of 3 and proposed an inverted roof structure, which was implemented and praised.
~ Horizon holiday home
Coordinated with the plumbing consultant to conceal landscape level pipes by routing them around circular columns at precise angles and covering them with copper mesh, leveraging its oxidising properties to blend with natural elements.
Internships | Hyderabad , India
SHANKAR NARAYAN ARCHITECTS (6 months)
~ Worked for interior design projects, furniture designing, urban redevelopment and restoration projects
PRASAD ASSOCIATES (6 months)
~ Responsible for presentation client drawings and working drawings for site execution projects.
B. ARCH
National Institute of Technology, India
Graduated with honours 8.46 / 10 Academic award for thesis on NID
Mentorship
Confident communicator Adaptable Site co-ordination
“A designer, mentor, story teller and creative model maker”
+44 7741906514 shraddha179@gmail.com
HA0 2HT , London , UK
Shraddha Biyani
“Fostering Human connection through Built-Environment”
“God is in the details”
“Ordinary Materials”
“Monumental symmetry- proportions & hierarchy”
“Modern Motifs: Computational Design Thinking”
Project Title: The Park Library
Tipology: Mixed used (learning+recreational)
Year: Academic Year 2 (2017)
Professor: Ar. Swasti Sthapak
Objectives:
The project involved redesigning a community gathering space in the city center .The key factor here was to incorporate the design around an existing town hall which was considered to be landmark, though it was unused. The town hall is surrounded by a park which is used by people for various outdoor activities.
Learning Outcomes:
Successfully incorporating the built-environment in order to enhance human activity reviving a dead pocket in the middle of the city. Playing with levels to enhance visual connectivity and fluid movement from builtopen-semi open spaces.
“Fostering Human connection through Built-Environment”
Existing Site at city centre
4.Fountain
5.Children
Neighbourhood Analysis
Proposed development to increase interaction
2.
3.
4. Library Blocks
5. Parks in between built spaces to improve indooroutdoor connection
Exploded isometric of library block
1. Old Building (bad condition)
2. Heritage Site (to be coserved)
3. Unused Parks
playground
Proposed Site Roof
Built - unbuilt spaces
Walls and glazing
Roads and connectivity
Ground floor
1. Yoga Pods and running tracks
Heritage site as backdrop to children dance stage
Open air theatre
LEGENDS:
Yoga Pods
Heriatge Town hall as stage backdrop
Children dancing stage
Open air theatre (OAT)
Art gallery
Youngsters zone
Tech zone
Kids play library
Admin
Bus Terminal
Jogging track
Discussion zone
columns
Project Title: Proposal for National Institute of Design
Tipology: Institutional, Educational Year: Academic Year 4 (2019)
Professors: Ar. Vandana Agarwal, Ar. Siddhant Sharma
Objectives:
The Objective behind the thesis was to explore possibilities to enhance user experience, in this case, the students. The inspiration behind conceiving the form came from basic design elements like mass, void and volume. We chose the cube module, to optimize space usage and playfully arranging them as lego blocks led us to our building geometry.
Learning Outcomes:
A play of levels, using modular geometry to create playfullness in built environment, enhancing flexibility between closed and open spaces, inviting students to interact more with each other and the built environment. Our goal to increase communication and interactiveness among users, was achieved by introducing communicative corridors and courtyards at different levels that acted as pauses.
-Courtyards as ornamentattion not use
-Unaccesible courtyards
-Courtyards as pauses to enhance interaction
-Reciting what we learn without practically practicing
Creating interactive spaces to provide more hands on experience to young designers
-Unflexible / Rigid spaces
-No space for growth or modulation of already built spaces
CONVENTIONAL DESIGN
-Flexibility in space to reassemble and recreate as per requirement, facilitating newer spaces and openess in design
CONVENTIONAL IS BORING
Ground Floor Plan (Communication and Industrial design block)
First Floor Plan
(Communication and Industrial design block)
Third Floor Plan (Communication and Industrial design block)
Project Title: Veranda
Tipology: Residential farmhouse
Year: Professional Experience (2021-2023)
Firm: 23 degrees design shift, India
Objectives:
The farmhouse was envisioned as a getaway far from the hustle and bustle of the city. The building’s crisp and clean edges give a contrast to the organic landscape around it. The cantilevered slabs and floating floors creates a spatial sense of freedom for its residents. Further the walls detached from structural elements elevates the visual senses. This structure shows dominance with strong shapes and extensive scales, but on the same hand shows humility when placed in a natural context. “Summer house” is very close to the heart of it’s designers, excecutioners and residents.
My Contribution:
Working as the project architect, i was responsible for concept development, client presentation. After approval from local authority, I diligently worked on development drawings to prepare site construction drawings. My responsility also included regular site visits and coordinating with site engineers, MEP consultants etc. giving me an overall experience and challeges working as an architect.
“God is in the details”
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
Staircase 2
Staircase 2
Staircase Section (left) and Plan (right)
SITE PLAN LAYOUT
Area = 15000sqm
LEGENDS:
1. Mango Plantation
2. Residential Block 3. Swimming Pool 4. Store 5. Party Lawn 6. Preserved Sheet Rocks 7. Vine Garden 8. Cricket Net
9. Domestic help Block
10. Dirt bike track
Project Title: Meta-Skin (Multi-Material design)
Tipology: Building skin, material research, additive fabrication
Year: Master’s in Architecture (2023-2024)
Professors: Kostas Grigoriadis, Alvaro Lopez Rodriguez
Objectives:
Our project delves into Multi-material design, focusing on creating skin-like structures that seamlessly integrate recyclable plastics and wood byproducts, such as sawdust, blended together according to their properties in monocoque structure. Our approach involves the layering and blending of material according to various analyses, including structural and stress evaluations of individual components, exploration of diverse configurations and transparency levels, and performance under varying environmental conditions.
Learning Outcomes:
Our goal is to create structures that operate within a sustainable cycle. Beginning with the utilisation of waste products and recyclable materials, we aim to construct structures that, upon reaching the end of their lifespan, can be efficiently recycled, thereby completing the sustainability loop. To achieve these structures, we employ procedural design methods, 3D and robotic printing techniques in order to fabricate skins.
“Ordinary Materials”
PLA (polylactic acid) Sawdust Sawdust+PLA Opacity Test
1. 10g pellets
2. 20g pellets
1. Ground 5% (or) 0.5g
2. Ground 10% (or) 1g
2. Powder 2.5% (or) 0.5g
2. Powder 5% (or) 1g
2. Powder 10% (or) 2g
1. Sample 1
2. Sample 2
3. Sample 3
4. Sample 4 5. Sample 5
1. Semi-Translucent
2. Mostly Opaque
3. Translucent
4. Homogeneous Mix 5. Opaque
Wooddust+PLA 3D Printed Membranes
Developing 3D printed prototypes using waste produce, like PLA and sawdust and testing them with different patterns to find which pattern works best for structural performance of the skin. Vertical patterns give better resistance to tensile stresses where as horizontal patterns work better with compressive forces. A combination of both results in structurally sound optimised skin.
Sandwiched Panels Prototype Type ‘A‘
Sandwiched Panels Prototype Type ‘B‘
PLA (Polylactic Acid)
PLA (Polylactic Acid)
Sawdust
Sawdust
Multi-Material Printing
Our project delves into Multi-material design, focusing on creating skin-like structures that seamlessly integrate recyclable plastics and wood byproducts, such as sawdust, blended together according to their properties in monocoque structure. Our approach involves the layering and blending of material according to various analyses, including structural and stress evaluations of individual components, exploration of diverse configurations and transparency levels, and performance under varying environmental conditions.
Stress Distribution
Tension and Compression Analysis
and PLA distribution
Detail ‘A’
Sectional Detail for Optimised Skin Lattice System
Sawdust distribution as per strain analysis
Detail ‘A’
Timber distribution as per stress analysis
core for mix use by occupants
Timber distribution as per stress analysis
Sawdust distribution as per strainanalysis
Inner core for mix use by occupants
Sawdust
Optimised Skin Lattice
Outer most skin lattice
Outer most skin lattice
Inner
Project Title: Horizon
Tipology: Private Resort
Year: Professional Experience (2021-2023)
Firm: 23 degrees design shift, India
Objectives:
A luxury private holiday home come resort facilitating 10 suites. Its a farmhouse desgned in multiple levels to capture the breathtaking views of mango trees and wineyard with a river on back. The idea to elevate the whole floor with gradual mounds of green lawns, translates the clients journey of arising from nothing and reaching heights of success and grandeur. This exageration is dipicted by creating massive ceiling heights, strong edges rather than soft curves, huge overhangs perfectly mirrored with the lawns beneath, a house warm from inside but gigantic from outside.
My Contribution:
My responsibilities included developement of site construction drawings, engaging with contractors, engineers on multiple issues, in order to resolve conflicts within architectural, structural and MEP designs. The shear scale of project, created a number of challenges, resolving them helped me to develop decision making skills in office and site contexts. The preparation of BOQ, time management estimates etc has helped me to understand practical challenges as an architectural designer.
“Monumental symmetry- proportions & hierarchy”
Family
Dining
Entertainment
Lift and Staircase
Swimming pool
Jacuzi
Bonfire area
Hanging garden
Lily pond
Deck
Relaxing space
Level 4
Ensuite Bedrooms
Pantry
Dining
Open to Sky bath
Balcony Louvered gallery
Level 2
Ensuite Bedrooms
Pantry
Dining
Open to Sky bath
Balcony Connecting lawns
Level 4
Ensuite Bedrooms
Balcony
Connecting bridge
Level 3
Family living area
Dining and Kitchen
Entertainment lounge
Swimming pool
Hanging garden
Gym and Spa
Level 2
Ensuite Bedrooms
Balcony
Connecting Lawns
Level 1
Parking
Domestic help quarters
Level 0
Lawn Services
Project Title: Exploring geometries through parametric modelling
Tipology: Experimental
Year: (2024)
Tutors: Alvaro Lopez Rodriguez (UCL), Jak Drinnan (Tekne Learn)
Objectives:
Developing basics of computational design thinking, by understanding number system, manipulating data structures etc to develop a systematic approach towards parametric designing.
Learning Outcomes:
Using grasshopper and rhino for parametric modelling. Efficiently able to manipulate number systems and data trees to develop multiple design iterations with minor adjustments. Looking forward to learn computational modelling in depth to create astounding forms that are environmentally sound and reacts to the climatic conditions to optimise building performance.
“Modern Motifs: Computational Design Thinking”
Shraddha Biyani M.ARCH
Bartlett School of architecture, UCL
London, UK
Contact: +44 7741906514
Email: shraddhabiyani30@gmail.com