Portfolio2024- Architecture by Shruti Bondarde

PORTFOLIO

SHRUTI BONDARDE

Selected Works

Recreational Center for the Differently-Abled

Undergraduate Thesis | 10th Semester | Individual Work

Site: Nagpur, India

Thesis Guide: Prof. Radhika Pathak

The main idea was to create a recreational and study center for the community’s considered ‘outcasts’- the blind, handicapped, the dumb and the deaf. The concept is based on ‘phenomenology in architecture’ to create a user friendly and memorable space. The project is an attempt to make the users use all their senses- touch, sight, smell, hear, taste(other than the one lacking) and experience the building. This experience created by inculcating Ar. Peter Zumthor’s insights as follows-

1. Body of the Building:

Like in a human body, we see the skin of the body, not the organs. Same way, the skin of a building is a composition to form some patterns with different materials.

2 Material Compatibility:

There are a thousand different possibilities in one single material. Each material being unique with its texture and radiance can be used in different sizes and formats.

3. Temperature of Space:

We get affected from what we see, what we touch and what we feel in a particular space and its important to consider what warmth or cool is generated in the space.

4. Tension between Interior and Exterior:

This tension refers to a difference which is created but is sublime and gives one a sense of fulfilment to appreciate it and delve into it.

6. Light:

Play of light and shadows. Each material reflects light in a different way and to a different extent.

7. Sound of Space:

Each space generates and treats sounds differently according to its volume, shape and material used in it.

5. Composure and Seducti o n:

The ability to make one want to stay, or be drawn round a corner.

8. Intimacy:

The scale and proximity decides how comfortable we feel in that volume.

Drawings are not to scale

The site chosen, ‘Maharajbaug’ is situated right in the heart of Nagpur City, with two adjacent main roads and a number of public transport options like public bus, private rickshaws, metro in its vicinity, making the site highly accessible. The site has a number of trees, some of them even 50 years old, making the site’s mirco climatic very pleasant.

Marked 3 zones1. Admin 2. Cultural 3. Sports Moved them apart to make a separate central space for courts.

Squeezed the admin block as per requirements. Moved Cultural and Sports block to create spaces in between.

Cut the Cultural and Sports block to create harmony in the form

Added green spaces in the narrow spaces between the blocks.

Admin Block 1- Entrance Porch 2- Reception and Waiting

Manager’s Cabin with toilet

with Pantry

Staff Room 6- Admin Department-1 7- Admin Department- 2

Bodies B- Central Block 1- Open Space for activities

Wheelchair basketball court with toilets, changing rooms and store 3- Badminton court with toilets

Volleyball court with store

Service Rooms

Music Room 7- Goalball court with toilet, changing rooms and store C- Activity Block

Toilets

Outdoor Seatings

Classrooms

Library

Sports Block

Shooting

Wall Climbing

Indoor Games Room

Table Tennis Room

Gym

Toilets, changing rooms and lockers

Swimming Pool

Outdoor Gym

Cafeteria

Central Courtyard

Indoor Seating

Toilets, Staff Area

Elevation - Front

The sensory garden has different pathways made in different materials namely- bricks, stone slabs, gravel, concrete pavers, mud, grass, tile mosaic, outdoor wooden flooring. There are walls in between these pathways that block vision, and create an element of surprise as a person walks throughout the garden. The walls have different textures in concrete plaster to stimulate the touch and sight sense. There is a water feature in one of the grass patch pathway, to stimulate the sound, smell and touch (change of temperature) sense. The sensory garden leads towards the amphitheatre that is wheel-chair friendly. There slopes leading to the top of each step.

1:10 slope for each step to make the amphitheatre wheelchair friendly

Stone Slabs Gravel Bricks

Concrete pavers

Mud Path

Water Feature Grass Mosiac Outdoor wooden tiles

Amphitheatre Cafe Gardening Pit Service Road

Cultural Block

Swimming pool in Sports block

Sensory Garden- Material Palette

View- Amphitheatre

View of entry towards sensory garden

02 Transforming a Space

Annual NASA Design Competition (ANDC): 2017

National level competition by National Associations of Students of Architecture, India(NASA)

Team: 20 persons | Hands-on Project

Role: Research, Concept design development, and hands-on execution

Site: Vasant Vihar, Nagpur, India

The competition: demanded hands-on transformation of a space that had lost its significance, keeping in mind the people and the context of the site. A video of the entire process was also needed.

Site Vicinity: The site is located between a residential colony, a sports club for children and a blind school.

Site Condition: The site had not been maintained, which led to the growth of weeds and insects. The swings and slides that were set up by the municipality were broken and rusted.

Concept: The concept is to break the stereotype mentality towards the blinds and experience their world. Thus, the space is an attempt to bridge together two communities together.

The video of the project can be found here!

Central canopy with seats made of paint tins and waste ply boards

Ladder of existing slide used for the ‘Machaan’

Entrance of the site, with sensory pathway

Sand pit with seats, along with other playing equipments

Initial site with excess weed growth and broken swings and slides

of paint and utensils.

The pavement blocks removed were used to make an elevated stage.

The ‘Machaan’ around the tree is constructed in timber for an elevated view point.

A music wall is created for the blind as sound is their strongest sense. This feature is a enjoyed by not only blind, but all the children.

Sensory pathways constructed with bricks, sand, aggregate and grass.

The design interventions have a ‘Best out of waste’ approach. A huge amount of scrap was obtained after cleaning, which was reused.

The site is divided into 3 zones-

1. Kids Zone: Swings, Slides along with other playing equipments.

2. Community Zone: Seatings provided for interactions and relaxation for people.

3. Sensory Zone: Designed to explore the senses such as touch, sound and smell.

All parts of the slide were reused-

The ladder, posts of the existing slide were rusted and were scraped and re-painted.

The main of the metallic post was used to make a see-saw.

The plastic slide sections was converted into sand pit seats.

The metallic ladder was reused for the elevated ‘Machaan’.

Drum set made from waste cans and tins

Canopy made with bamboo and jute ropes. Seats are made using paints cans and boards

Waste material obtained

Sand pit

Freelance Work | May 2020 - Feb 2021

Site: Hadapsar, Pune, India

My parents had just one preferrance- they wanted the design to be classy, not flashy. Designing my own house had many pros and cons:

Pros I knew my parents’ choices, their mindset and I could easily plan the interiors in a way that caters to their daily routine. I also had the utmost freedom in designing. Cons: With the freedom, came a lot of responsibilty, pressure and eye rolls.

Basic Concept of civil changes in the house

Different options of living room layout during design process

Electrical Plan with switch specifications

The living room is thoughtfully planned. The Main door is shifted in the north east corner to make a separate entrance foyer. The mandir has been placed in the northeast corner of the living room in adherence to vaastu norms. The wall in between the toilet area and living room has been broken and a partition has been build to make the living room area larger and the passage for toilet smaller.

The living room has earthy tones of golden, brown, red, black and green in various materials used. Geometric patterns are used-

1. In the door of the mandir as a CNC cut-out.

2. In the ceiling and TV-unit as 6mm grooves in veneer.

3. In the safety grill which is made of mild steel finished in golden deco paint.

Elevation - Living Room

Floor TileBiege Vitrified tiles.

Veneer-

The veneer selected is reddish brown with tints of gold that came out after polishing.

TapestryThe curtain is cream and golden coloured with geometeric pattern in the base colour itself.

UpholsteryDark brown fabric for sofas.

Charcoal sheetThe charcoal sheets brings more earthen colour shades into the space.

Material Palette- Living Room

Site Picture- Staircase

Site Picture- Mandir

Site Picture- Living Room Seating Area

For my own room, I always wanted a seat near the large window, where I could read books, work or just have cup of tea! And I did just that! The window seat has drawers below it for storage. As the room is of a minimal size, I designed a foldable study desk that merges with the bookshelf.

I am a person who loves colour. But I did not want to disrupt the house theme of earthen tones. So, I settled for an eccentric colourful curtain with ethnic design pattern. I added the same patterned cloth to the window seating.

Elevation - My Room

Tapestry-

The curtain is bright coloured with ethnic patterns.

UpholsteryBedback and window seat fabric.

VeneerIt has ‘peacock’ shades that is the light greenish shades in the golden base.

Material Palette- My Room

Redesigning

Undergraduate Project | 7th Semester | Individual Work

Site: Nagpur, India

Project Guides: Prof. Jaikrishnan Pillai and Prof. Anuya Killedar Moharil

Design Brief To study the site context on an urban level and re-design an existing auditorium and exhibihiton space (Deshpande Hall) in the Civil Lines area in Ngapur. The main aim was to give the auditorium a new identity and make it the city’s ‘landmark’, keeping in mind and harmonising with the site context.

The Precinct - divided into four quadrants for analysis

Precinct pictures

space government

Precinct Plan- Land Use

Precinct Plan- Building Heights

Precinct Plan- Building Footprint

Precinct Plan- Land Ownership

Strength:

-Good connectivity

-Low density area

-Well planned area- wide roads, avenues

-As Deshpande hall is very popular in the city, the site has the potential to attract people.

-It is a comparatively safe area because of the presence of government owned property.

-The site is located in the middle of the East and West High court road.

Concept:

In ‘Natya Shashtra’ or Indian Arts- be it dance, music, literature or paintings, there are nine emotions or ‘Nav Rasa’ that are fundamental. This project is attempt to fuse emotions with architecture. Taking inspiration from Ar. Charles Correa’s Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur; each of the nine emotions is represented by a building on site, and is expressed through simple architectural elements like ceiling heights, floor plans, fenestrations, inside and outside connection or throught just the function of the building. The traingular plan form is an experimentation of dealing with acute angles!

Weakness:

- FSI is not completely used in the area .

-No major commercial buildings in the area.

Shringara - Love

Meaning- Warmth, Affection, Safety

Buildings- Dorms, Cafe

Opportunities:

-Potential to become an activity generator

-Site is in one of the most prime locations of the city, so it can act as a magnet for the area.

-Less chances of becoming an urban heat island because of large percentage of open spaces so this gives flexibility to our deign.

-Existing landscape gives a good view and comfortable environment to the users which could be beneficial in the typology we select

-Located near AH46 and West High Court road, both are very significant roads in the city so has constant flow of people.

Rudra - Anger

Meaning- showing power Building- Admin

Hasya - Humour

Meaning- Quality of being fun

Buildings- Workshops

Bibatsya - Disgust

Meaning- strong disproval Building- Pathwyas

Veera - Heroism

Meaning- bravery, courage

Building- Auditorium, Amphitheatre

Karuna - Pathos

Meaning- Quality evoking sadness

Threats:

-There is no place of attraction in the area, it is monotonous.

Adbutha - Wonder

Meaning- Feeling of amazement

Building- Art gallery, library

Bhayanaka - Terror

Meaning- panic Building- Auditorium, Amphitheatre

Shanta - Serenity

Meaning- Sate of being calm

Building- Landscape

Champhered ends and extended other 2 ends

Elevation -Auditoriums

Elevation- Art Gallery and Library

Architectural and Interior design comprehensive project

Roles: Concept development, planning, making drawings, co-ordinating with various vendors involved

Site: Pune, India

Typology: Sales Office and Sample flat

The project demanded to design a sales office and sample flat building for a future apartment building. As the building is a temporary structure, aerocon partitions are used for walls, with MS columns and framing. For the interiors, all furniture is modular which can be easily dismantled later on.