VARSHA MENON B.ARCH | M.A INTAR
RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN
studio projects JANE PICKENS THEATER PROTOTYPING THE DOMESTIC ENVIRONMENT BOY SCOUTS BUILDING BINNY MILLS _ NASA HILL RESORT PUMPEHUSET HOSTEL URBAN RENEWAL_MYLAPORE CAMPUS DESIGN RESIDENCE_SPESCROFT RESIDENTIAL GOLF VILLAGE
miscellaneous CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS FURNITURE PRIVATE IN PUBLIC_INSTALLATION
VARSHA MENON
4807 Calloway Ct, Dublin, Ohio-43017 ph: 614.800.2213 varsha216@gmail.com education
Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island
Jun 2012
Master of Arts in Interior Architecture gpa- 3.67
DIS - Danish Institute for Study Abroad, Copenhagen, Denmark Summer program 2011 gpa-3.5 Anna University, Chennai, India Bachelors of Architecture gpa-3.85
Jul-Aug 2011
Jun 2011
experience Teaching Assistant, Rhode Island School of Design
Feb - May 2012
Codes for Interior Architecture - Involvement in weekly demonstrations and desk critiques - Collected/ coordinated/ archived student presentations - Held weekly tutorial sessions - Led and coordinated group discussions - Organized space for class and group work
Curatorial Assistant, Rhode Island School of Design
Nov 2011 - Feb 2012 Interior Architecture Department - Graduate Show, Sol Koffler Museum, RISD - Designed layout for students’ work, display & slide presentation - Curated lobby exhibits - Worked with faculty to conceptualize the exhibits - Printed & mounted works - Assisted in assembly & dis-assembly of the show Intern, Nambisan Associates, Bangalore, India Jun 2008-Oct 2009 - Worked extensively on the details and working drawings of residences - Worked on-site with contractors and site managers - Contoured models and worked on conceptual stages of design of a resort in Coorg, India Intern, Natraj and Venkat Associates, Chennai, India Jun 2008 - Designed and drafted working drawings of interior spaces for a local high school - Drafted construction drawings, plumbing infrastructure, researched and selected material samples for ongoing projects
exhibitions
-Individual work presented at RISD GRADUATE EXHIBITION May 2012 -Collaborative visual installation at RISD Museum May 2012 -Fall 2011 Design-build project at the SALONE INTERNAZIONALE DEL MOBILE, Milan Apr 2012 -Individual work presented at the RISD INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE GRADUATE EXHIBITION Mar 2012
competitions
SAARC-NASA
awards
Received the Robert Bradford Newman Student Medal for Merit in Architectural Acoustics July 2012
publications
skills
Apr 2010 - Placed 4th among 123 participants all over South Asia - Part of the design team on an Adaptive Re-use project SPESCROFT - Green Building Competition Sep 2009 - Adaptive Re-use project - Conversion of an old shed into a house
www.protoypingthedomesticenvironment.wordpress.com www.design-milk.com/prototyping-the-domestic-environment-by-risd-students/ www.dsgnwrld.com/prototyping-the-domestic-environment-17310/ www.trendhunter.com/trends/prototyping-the-domestic-environment www.designyoutrust.com/2012/04/spiral-stack-prototyping-the-domestic-environment/ www.moderndesigntrends.com/?p=8183 www.furnitureclue.com/blog/t/environment www.looksfeelsworks.com/tag/spiral-stack-prototyping-the-domestic-environment/
Autocad 2012 - Rhino 3D - Sketchup -ADOBE Suite - Microsoft Office Suite -Sketching Painting - Model building - Wood modeling - Furniture building
STUDIOS
JANE PICKENS THEATER _ RE PROGRAMMING ADAPTIVE REUSE PROJECT 2012 STUDIO PROJECT OBJECTIVE: The Jane Pickens theatre in Newport, a landmark of the town and a theatre of the people, was given to the studio to re-program, keeping in mind the history and the different layers of the building through time . DATA: Taking inspiration from the decaying state of the building, the idea of shift in levels was incorporated into the design of the building . A thorough programmatic and circulation analysis was carried out to the existing structure and the new interventions were added to the building, while respecting the existing structure at the same time.
PROCESS MODELS
ART INTERVENTION
SITE
PARTI DIAGRAMS
A
A
B B
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B
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SECTION AA
SECTION AA
A
SECTION BB
SECTION BB
FIRST FLOOR PLAN
JANE PICKENS THEATER
SECOND FLOOR PLAN
--DRAWINGS - SCALE-1/8” = 1’
DETAILS- 1” = 1’
VARSHA MENON VARSHA MENON MA.INTAR MA.INTAR SPRING 12’ A
SPRING 12’
B
B
A
ROOF PLAN
SECTION AA
PROTOTYPING THE DOMESTIC ENVIRONMENT A deisgn-build studio focussing on the formal adaptation of utilitarian furniture pieces into domestic spatial components. The final product was exhibited at the SALONE INTERNAZIONALE DEL MOBILE, Milan in April 2012. INSTALLATION|FURNITURE 2011 STUDIO PROJECT| TEAM WORK OBJECTIVE:
To question the extent that a particular shape can be repurposed in size, use and context. DATA:
Spiral stack was designed and built to be an interactive and modular piece of furniture, primarily a space seperator which has many uses in different configurations. Each unit of the whole piece can be pulled out at different angles about its pivot and serve different functions such as a table, chair, storage shelves, working surfaces, a habitat etc. The driving idea of this design is derived from the form of a linear bookshelf.
BOY SCOUTS BUILDING_ENERGY RETROFIT Space reprogramming and Energy retrofit of the Boy Scouts Building, Providence, Rhode Island. ENERGY RETROFIT/SYSTEMS 2011 ACADEMIC PROJECT OBJECTIVE:
The objective was to study and anaylyze the existing Boy Scouts Building, to thermally insulate and retrofit the building with energy systems which would render sustainable. DATA:
Studies in heating and cooling systems, thermal envelope, sun angles and the optimum usage of daylight and wind into the building was carried out and energy systems were applied to the existing building.
Site plan-analysis
SUMMER
WINTER
Wind Rose diagram
SUMMER:
WINTER:
6 AM 7 AM 8 AM 9 AM 10 AM 11 AM 12 PM 1 PM 2 PM 3 PM 4 PM 5 PM 6 PM 7 PM
8 AM 9 AM 10 AM 11 AM 12 PM 1 PM 2 PM 3 PM 4 PM
-9 -18 -28 -40 -50 -61 -70 -72 -65 -58 -45 -34 -22 -12
-8 -15 -20 -24 -25 -23 -19 -10 -3
SITE
Sara_Varsha_Yeison
Boy scouts building Providence
Wind Pattern-South Westerly winds
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B
B
A
BINNY MILLS __CONVERSION - Documentation-Analysis and Re-design
ADAPTIVE RE-USE PROJECT COMPETITION| TEAM WORK OBJECTIVE: The project brief was to select a plotted building in the traditional part of an Indian city. Imagining that the building on it shall either be torn down due to economic liabilities, or structural or services obsolescence the team was asked to come up with a new programme for the existing site and its conditions and to design the new project in the most sustianable way. DATA: Binny Mills, which is a 150 acres site in the middle of Chennai now lies unused and we proposed to build a film school which housed classrooms,administrative facilities, cafe, dorms recreational spaces etc. By taking up sustainable techniques such as rain-water harvesting, and daylight control, the best optimum design was achieved.
SITE
HILL RESORT_COORG Deisign of a luxury hill resort in the hill station of Coorg,India
HOSPITALITY DESIGN 2009 STUDIO PROJECT OBJECTIVE: Analysis of a countour site and dealing with levels in design to create the best hill resort catering to the clients’ needs. DATA: The site given for the project is situated in Coorg, a South indian hill station.The gradient of the countours on the land proved to be challening and the entire desgin has been conceived with the usage of levels within the building, following the natural gradient of the land. This gives a good break of spaces within the buldings. The natural vegetation and water elements on site are incorporated into the design and the buildings are designed around it.
COTTAGE- TYPOLOGY
PUMPEHUSET HOSTEL, Copenhagen Adaptive re-use project which involves converting an old waterworks station into a youth hostel.
ADAPTIVE REUSE 2011 STUDIO PROJECT OBJECTIVE: Design proposal for a hostel in a building originally designed as a water pump station and was then used as a music venue. DATA: The concept - to provide to the traveller, a “flashpacking� hostel, giving the perfect balance between a hotel and a hostel- comforts of a hotel and the social lifestyle of the hostel. Scandinavian architecture gives importance to the use of light and lighting techniques was included into the design of the hostel.
URBAN RENEWAL _ MYLAPORE, India Documentation and Urban Renewal proposals of the temple town of Mylapore, Chennai India.
URBAN RENEWAL | DOCUMENTATION 2010 STUDIO PROJECT | TEAM WORK OBJECTIVE: Mylapore, being a temple town in South India, is heavily congested and unorganised with the temple being the focal point and settlements growing around it in a concentric chaotic manner. As part of the Urban renewal project, studies with regard to physiography, demographics, housing, quality of Urban space were carried out, followed by analysis of the same. Based on the study proposals were made. DATA: Proposals with regards to -Decongestion of areas around the temple. -Restoring the importance of the temple and temple tank. -Safer and more area for pedestrian movement. -Re-organisation of traffic flow. -improvement in housing for slum dwellers. -Increase in open, public spaces. -Increase in the pedestrian pathway All the proposals were made keeping in mind that the temple remained the central focal element of design.
CAMPUS DESIGN Design and programming of a residential college campus with all its facilities and amenities,
2008 STUDIO PROJECT OBJECTIVE: Design of a campus with all the necessary facilities. The proposed site was for the IIM Chennai campus, located in a sub-urban area of Chennai.The total area of the site was 50 acres and the design was restricted to 20 acres. DATA: The idea was to incorporate the ‘plug & play’ method of architecture. The entire facade is envisioned to be clean and simple, interspersed with color accents. The play in voids and volumes is a very predominant feature in the design. Inspiration wastaken from LEGO.
RESIDENCE_ADAPTIVE REUSE Adaptive re-use of an existing old shed into a residence for a family of four.
ADAPTIVE REUSE PROJECT 2009 INTERNSHIP PROJECT | Green Building Competion OBJECTIVE: The objective of the design was to retain the existing landscape and house, reminiscent of the past and incorporate a subtle transition from the - Tradional old to the Modern new.. DATA: The site existed in a historical part of the city of Bengalooru, India and the new house was designed in such a way, to enhance the existing old house rather than overpower it. It is designed in such a way so as to be one with nature. -Documentation of the existing site and building. -Re-planning and re-organization of new spaces.
-The main axis of the existing house ran vertically through the center and the new design followed the same axis, with a secondary axis running perpendicular to the existing one. -The central courtyard acts as a transition between the two diverse styles-vernacular and contemporary.
VIEWS: -The size and position of openings, and double height spaces were proposed to bring the feel of nature inside the house. VOLUMES: The section, cutting through the axis shows the play of volumes, which is used to make the spaces more interesting. These variations propose to give each space a different feel as one walks through the house.
RESIDENTIAL GOLF VILLAGE -A residential township centered around a golf course. ARCHITECTURE/LANDSCAPE 2011 THESIS PROJECT OBJECTIVE: To design and landscape a residential golf village ,giving several different typologies of housing and the clubhouse and dealing with the site at an Urban level. DATA: The site chosen is in Coimbatore,India and the total area of the site is 150 acres of land on which the different functions have been designed.
MISCELLANEOUS
CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS: Site work
SCHEDULE OF OPENINGS
PLUMBING
FURNITURE WOOD MODELLING+BUILDING 2011 STUDIO PROJECT Step stool|Bench OBJECTIVE: The aim was to fully transform our design - 2D drafting skills into effective 3D forms. The ability to communicate the design skill into a tangible form through the use of large stationary machines, power tools, and hand tools. DATA: The bench(es) were dervied from a simple organic curve -the basic organic form and by vacuum forming ply-wood over a customized mould, the conceptual form in mind was achieved .It is a modular piece which may be split into three individual bench units. The step-stool is a simple abstraction of the conventional step-stool
PRIVATE IN PUBLIC _ studying the public SEMINAR DIGITAL MEDIA COLLABORATIVE STUDIO
‘We want architecture that has more to offer. Architecture that bleeds, exhausts, that turns and even breaks, as far as I am concerned. Architecture that glows, that stabs, that tears and rips when stretched. Architecture must be precipitous, fiery, smooth, hard, angular, brutal, round, tender, colourful, obscene, randy, dreamy, en-nearing, distancing, wet, dry and heart-stopping. Dead or alive. If it is cold, then cold as a block of ice. If it is hot, then as hot as a tongue of flame. Architecture must burn!’ [From: Gründungsmanifest Coop Himmelb(l)au, 1968].
VARSHA MENON
varsha216@gmail.com ph: 614.800.2213