Sriya Gayathri Thotakura
Hello!
I am Sriya,
here is an intro to my curated selection of creative work.
These designs are about affordance—creating spaces and forms.
To respond to the needs and interactions of people, I explore and experiment in my design.
Aspects of sustainability and urban design, particularly in relation to community development, aim to ensure that the people within my designs can thrive..
Each piece reflects my commitment to creating spaces that inspire, connect, and adapt to the evolving needs of society.
CONTACT
+91-9515233053
sriyagayathri007@gmail.com
LinkedIn | Sriya Thotakura
2019-2024
Sri Venkateshwara College of Architecture Hyderabad, India
Bachelors’ in Architecture GPA: 8.19/10.
2017-2019
St. Andrews School, Old Bowenpally Hyderabad, India 11th, 12th : Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, C.S (C++)
2015-2017
Sanghamitra School, affiliated to C.B.S.E Hyderabad, India
Primary & Secondary Education, CGPA: 9.8/10
1. Arch Aura Architects Aurangabad, India
Junior Architect 2024 Oct-Dec
2024-Present Architecture (residential and interior)
Local Design Studio
2. Studio PKA Mumbai, India
Architectural intern 2023 July-Dec 2023 July-Dec
Architecture (residential, corporate, and adaptive reuse)
Design Studio Based in South Bombay
Key Responsibilities:
• Managed on-site operations
• Revised as-built drawings
• HVAC integration
• Electrical layouts
• Prepared Enscape render
• Secured client approvals
• Conducted site inspections
3. Freelance Design Projects 2021-2024
Interior and facade design and models
ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP
Cultural Coordinator: Designed briefs and videos for the college annual fest, Manthan 2024.
Art Club : Hosted daily art challenges and heritage walks (with Urban sketchers community).
Journalism Club Head: Edited newsletters and organized literature events. Fashion Club Head: Designed for NASA India competitions and mentored juniors. Representative of the College Girls’ Chess Team.
Housing-Urban Studio
Monda market-Housing redevelopment project, area: 4 acres, Semester-7, 2022 Worked on redevelopment planning using photogrammetry and demographic analysis.
Thesis
Mumbai Social Housing, scale: Urban and module oriented, area: 24 acres, Semester-10 2024
AutoCAD
Adobe Photoshop Adobe Illustrator Figma Procreate
SketchUp Rhino Revit Blender
Enscape V-Ray Grasshopper
OTHER: Excel|CNC Laser|Stable Diffusion
LANGUAGES
ENGLISH HINDI TELUGU JAPANESE
• CEPT University Workshop (2021)Etching and cynotype, freestyle drawing.
• Design Festival Mentorship Program (2021)
• ANC NASA Seminar (2022)Cartography.
• Conventions (2022-2023): Attended Indian Green Building Conference,Hyderabad;
• Anagata NASA India, Bengaluru
• Architectural Digest Show, Mumbai.
• The Observation & Action Network (OAN) 2021 Grant Program
• UNI Mobitecture 2021 - Habitat on the move
• ANDC design - NASA Bus terminal 2020
• Ethos quiz Archumen 2022
• ANC fashion - NASA 2019, 2023
Contents
Mobitecture
Mobile House, modular living
Social Housing
Urban Redevelopment of Abandoned Mills
Kindergarten
Playschool design for 2-3 ages
Vacation Home
A get away house, beach side
Old Market
Documentation of decayed market housing
Slum Community
Government housing that spawned slums
Additional Works
Professional work, Models and Artwork
MOBITECTURE
Area: 10 sq.m | Location: Mobile | Type: UNI competition | Semester: 4, 2020
Habitat on the move: A self-sufficient habitat, as humans are inherently nomadic.
Concept: Surakava popularly known as colour changing bird, colour of this bird changes when its feathers react to the sun’s- rays. Similarly the concept of the module is to enjoy the space as if the location is your own home. and land conditions.
Outer shell is coated with thermal reactive paint that is sensitive to temperature. he form of the building is designed according to all possible weather conditions situated at variety of land types and also disasters .
Feasible and compact Transparent wood ventilated and safe
Content interiors create a convenient, stay-at-home experience.
Iron ropes suspended from the
The spherical outer shell acts as a capsule, designed to
Pivot balcony, ladder, and washbasin, convertible bed sofa, foldable dining table, and external solar panels.
An entire wall that lets in
A
Section
Section B
Area: 43 acres |Location: Mumbai Type: Design Thesis|Semester: 10, 2024
A study on re-developing abandoned land at solution-prototype based on land use sites
Proposed 3 prototype case, Designed prototype-1(railway), Linear
Facing Urban decay problems and demand for housing, Three prototypes were made based on 15-minutes city solution integrating communities of MUMBAI, India.
Along the RAIL CORE SHORE
Filled cubical-easy to replace and adapt
Along the railway entrance, creating an experience as if walking into a street within the building.
Connective road wrapped within building core ro make a street wrapped within building’s core to make a street within giving acess to community utility and lively environment.
The life cycle of a building depends on its components, making it adaptable to urban changes and promoting recyclable construction.
Fixed structural pre-fabricated grid 6mX6m
Master Plan
The master plan integrates traffic, rail, and pedestrian pathways through recreational spaces and stakeholder markets, fostering community development.
Terrace Sixth floor
Fifth floor
Fourth floor
Third floor
Second floor First floor Ground
Housing features vertical garden facade to conceal railway pollution and picturisque the landscape view point from brutalistic to sustainable styles.
Garden, play street
Loft type-1
Loft type-2
2-BHK, 1-BHK
Co-Living Studio
Studios- for students and individuals without family, c o-living to include shared space for oldage and student utility while 1-2BHK seve family, Villa for high economic classes integrated at different level arrangemets.
Giving an exterior raw material finish including sustainability by combining industrial + Brurtalistic styles (Glass, Metal, Concrete finishes) while walls are not load bearing hence adaptable for contemparary changes and sustained for weather conditions of Mumbai.
LEGEND
1. LIFT
2. COURTYARD
3.PARKING
4. FIRE SAFETY STAIRS
5. SHAFT
Modular, pre-fabricated structure allows for flexible reconstruction. Beams form blocks of fixed support that can alter the shear wall through beam to column load like a lego construction.
6. STAIRWAYS
7. RAMP
8. GATHERING SPACE
9. FOOT PATH/ BRIDGE
10.STUDIO
11.CO-LIVING
12.1-BHK TYPE-1
13. 1-BHK TYPE-2
14. 2-BHK
15. TRANSITION SPACE
LANDSCAPE ELEMENTS
1. Pavillion
2. Open air theathre
3. Dinning
4. Court-yard
The 2-3 year old playschool, with a forest theme, offers a nature-inspired space for sensory exploration and imaginative play, featuring sunlight, water, trees, soft paths, shaded areas, and water features.
The sites natural setting and contours enabled the possibility of slopes and levels according to the structures interplay and circulation flow, allowing children to experience contours in landscape areas as play settings.
Hand drafted plans and sections of all the components of the kindergarten. Rendered on sheets using water colours
Cut-out contours, a landscape access and view for classrooms within the building.
Outdoor studios were provided for clay and pottery activities.
classrooms were also divided inro two part, a tatami section- where kids can sit on floor to do activities while class floor to sit on chairs during another part of the day.
To GAMBOL: Small Hills inside the academic blocks lets the kids play up and down allowing them to anticipate the experience rather than a flat plane. The slope of the roof also alows kids to get more activity through its long and tilted path.
VACATION HOME
Area: 1,110 sq. m | Location: Beach, Vizag, Type: Academic | Semester: 2, 2019
A beachside vacation house designed to separate the guest rooms from the main building, creating a small courtyard. This layout allows for an expandable dining area that opens up to the entire landscape. The built area is 200 sq.m, with 910 sq.m of open space.
Pilotis façade
While including elements for patio towards beach and to view.
Elements used
Japanese landscape elements: Pond, Zen garden, Semi-indoor court yard, Stones.
Second floor
1.Lobby
2.Home theatre
3.Spa
4.Gym
5.Store room
6.Laundry
7.Infinity pool
First floor
1.Library
2.Art studio
3.Window bay
4.Second bedroom
5.Walk in closet
6.Bathroom
7.Master bedroom
8.Study
9.Walk in closet
10.Bathroom
Landscape
1.Pond
2.Tree house
3.Fire sit out
4.Patio
5.Outdoor kitchen
6.Servants block
7.Garage (2 cars)
Ground floor
8.Lobby
9.Staircase(double L)
10.Conversation pit
11.Kitchen
12.Dinning
13.Outside guest room
14.Guest bathroom
Visualising views with openess and ventilation aspects, circulation with respect to outdoor hardscape.
Influence of sun lit rooms and acess views
empty MARKET HOUSING
Monda Market
Area: 7400 sq. m | Location: HyderabadType: Academic | Semester: 7, 2022
A market in decline due to congested circulation, with urgent need for solutions to traffic and vendor mobility issues, while the surrounding housing deteriorates and is being abandoned.
Documentation and Re-distribution of zones
Area: 16900 sq.m market area, project: 7400 sq.m Group work in collection of data while the zones were individually divided for designed and presention.
Old Market
Photogammetry of streets, accessing building use through elevational and survey of utility of each individual structure to re-assign the concentration and re distribute the massing.
A mixed-use high-rise commercial complex set back from the street and integrated with a central park within the complex, creating a bioclimatic tower that combines residential and commercial spaces.
Area: 20 sq.m | Location: Hyderabad Type: Competition | Year: 2022
Initially, government provided housing for all the low income people (local workers) , while few of the residents left the housing and left to their villages ,rest of them gave their registered living space for rent and occupied the land on the other side unauthorised. Hence the whole area around the government housing is build using temporary building structures and ended up with very poor ventilation and unhygienic spaces.
THREE problems identified -
1.community centres going waste
2.water logging - hazardous and unhygienic
3.education- eager to learn, yet no space to accomodate.
Slum formed around the housing, as a scope of illegal stay by renting houses to else.
Housing built for poor by government
23,718
GOVT. HOUSING TOTAL SLUM + HOUSING = AREA
Under developed Community centres, Gathrings with illegal gamings and ganesh utsavs divert the utility of community spaces deteriorating the spatial utility.
Exposed services and lacking amenities.
Narrow, paths, no common space, no parking, no offsets (shaded with height), government housing design did not follow regulations/ building codes.
Electricity- it is drawn illegally from the poles which is paid during elections by the politicians .
Roads- similarly roads are provided during elections.
Waste dumps
Health care centres- anganwadi centres are provided by government. There are 9 anganwadi centres with 9 caretakers.
Garbage- it is thrown on road and gets collected in between the houses.
There is also a huge lake behind which directs water towards this area when rains and causes flooding to low elevated area.
Since there is no proper water supply, water tankers help them to store water through out
1. The watertanker while going from one drum who might slip and fall while coming to the
NGO, Akshaya Vidyalaya offers free education but at abandoned huts or stairways, this was provided with sustainable solutions with limited budgets allocated.
interesting fact: many are enthusastic about what level of education they recieve and how to miooved forward, so much that they as a community formed groups to study themselves and the pattern kept repeating throughout
Not in good condition empty spots - used for tuition: to achieve modular and basic needs
