Graduate Academic Portfolio

GRADUATE ACADEMIC PORTFOLIO

VIKRAM S ROY

Tara Station Aerial View Source :Author

VIKRAM SIDDHARTH ROY AGE:26 Bachelors in Architecture Masters of Science in Urban Design

NATIONALITY : INDIAN GENDER : MALE LANGUAGES KNOWN :ENGLISH,HINDI,BENGALI,ASSAMESE

WORK EXPERIENCE INTERNSHIP AT STHAPATYA,ASSAM : MAY 2014-JULY 2014 INTERNSHIP AT DMRC,NEW DELHI : MAY2015-JUNE 2015 INTERNSHIP AT rat[LAB] : JULY 2016-MARCH 2017 DESIGNER AT VIYA HOME : AUGUST 2017-JULY 2018 Activiites Manager AT Zostel : January 2019-August 2019

INTERESTS

My objective is to be a resourceful, curious and hardworking Individual and push the boundaries of innovation while pursuing design in any field I undertake.

Higher secondary schooling from The Air Force School, Dhaula Kuan

TIMELINE :

2009 Senior secondary schooling from The Air Force School, Dhaula Kuan

COOKING

PHOTOGRAPHY

SPORTS

MUSIC 2011

TREKKING

WRITING

TRAVELLING

READING

Pursued M.Sc in Urban design from University College of Dublin

2020

SKILL SET

-AUTODESK AUTOCAD -ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR -ADOBE PHOTOSHOP -ADOBE INDESIGN -ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS -ADOBE PREMIERE -COREL DRAW

-RHINOCEROS -GRASSHOPPER -AUTODESK REVIT -LUMION 3D -TRIMBLE SKETCHUP

Pursued B.Arch from MBS School of Planning and Architecture

2017

Contents

Energy Neighbourhoods : Reimagining

Donabate

The design brief was to demonstrate an understanding of current debates within the discipline of urban design, within the site analysis, the design phase and the final essay. While also demonstrating advanced theoretical and conceptual knowledge of urban design in relation to a specific urban landscape, within the site analysis, the design phase and the final essay.

Designing Urbanity : Urban designing neighbourhood spatial complexity The design brief was Understanding, defining, analysing, evaluating different urban sites, along with engaging in evidenced projective urban design, ie. urban design proposition in relation to problems or opportunities identified through the analysis and evaluation, based on evidence collected.

Design Thesis: Exploring latent Urban Design Principles in Informal settlements for practice The design brief was created by the student to explore the phenomenon of inofmral urbanims and how computational analysis could help in discovering latent design principles present in such settlements.

Energy Neighbourhoods

While working on the cultural identity of Donabate, I wanted to identify the public vision , and the public version of Donabate. The residents of the town see themselves as part of a small community which is situated on the coast of Ireland. The widespread belief that a community town doesn’t have a cultural identity on it’s own, hurts the perception of itself. The primary intention in the above pictures/ logos are an attempt to provide the alternate version of my vision of Donabate an Identity.

To improve the road structure and the town structure of Donabate and their were few parameters which were looked upon and kept as certainities, This included the Donabate Railway Station and the primary road that is road number 126. The parameters that were considered to create this alternate version of Donabate or Donabate 2.0, were inspired by the study of Alnwick, Northumberland by M.R.G Conzen. Conzen had defined townscape as a combination of town plan, pattern of building forms and patterns of land-use. Conzen (1951) A town-plan can be described as a topographical arrangement of an urban built up area in all its man made features. The main features of a town were-Streets and their street arrangement system -Plots and their aggregation in street blocks -Buildings or block plans

Town Structure - Donabate

Existing Town Structure The design brief that was selected for this particular site was to find a solution to multiple problems plaguing Donabate.

The urban fabric of Donabate has been subjected to multiple layers of historical interventions, the urban topographical frame has various types of members of the urban fabric.

The primary intention of the design brief was to showcase how Donabate could have evolved over time if it didn’t end up being the town it is too. The design brief is about having a vision where Donabate has a completely different morphological identity.The tag of a commuter town has followed the identity of Donabate since ages, the Vision I plan to embark upon wants to see if Donabate has been capable of more than that, and how the town structure of this town would be procured then.

To bring form to the design ideas and the design process, Decoding Spaces, a Plugin for Grasshopper developed by Reinhard Koenig, Peter Bus, Yufan Miao, Chang-Mei Chih, Artem Chirkin with a collaboration from Scott Lloyd from the Urban Think Tank (U-TT) at ETH Zurich was used.

Proposed Town Structure

The present strutcure of town is somewhere between Centrifugal and Centripetal planning.

The Parametric Iterations try to move the planning towards a more grid like design, and get a centrifugal structure of the town. The proposed Site zoning takes in consideration the number of people residing in Donabate and through different parameters input inside the algorithm generates a site plan for the most optimum use of site and land efficiency.

Proposed Town Plan

Design Proposal- Donabate

Figure Ground Map

Built Environment Map

Site Aerial View

Design Proposal- Donabate

The brief consisted of various issues Donabate is facing, the design solution tends to provide a new Donabate town structure, with adequate housing for more than 35000 people.Urban design is comprised of a few key aspects, it is designed for people while making the connections between spaces and enriching the existing aspect of design. “New development needs to be flexible enough to respond to future changes in use, lifestyle and demography. This means designing for energy and resource efficiency; creating flexibility in the use of property, public spaces and the service infrastructure and introducing new approaches to transportation, traffic management and parking�(Davis,2010) The final design ends up increasing the population density of the town without compromising the adequate need of green spaces for every individual.The spatial quality of the place isn’t being compromised with the addition of new avenues and higher permeability, the vehicular as well as the pedestrian movement intertwines the fabric of the town much more efficiently. This leads to a higher and much more helpful external factors improving the sense of place and invigorating the sense of community amongst the populace.

Designing Urbanity

Proposed Site Plan

Site Introduction - Tara Station

-The site that I have chosen lies next to river Liffey, while undertaking Tara street station as a site for next possible enhancement. I have choosen 4 city blocks within this area which total up to 8.2 hectares in total.

-The LAP of George Quay area has divided this area into multiple zones, but primarily this consists of Office areas, with a bunch of buildings marked vacant and miscellaneous.

-Tara Street DART station is one of the busiest rail stations in Ireland. It is the closest DART station to the bustling office, shopping, entertainment and tourist district of central Dublin, which lies immediately to the west.

-Passenger congestion at the station has to be carefully managed by CIE / Iarnród Éireann,particularly as pavements approaching the station are narrow, and are frequently too crowded.

Initial Site Impressions

Design Proposal - Tara Station

-The primary focus moving forward was the perception and dimensions of the place.

-Sketches of streets were used to determine the conflict zones at first and show case visual barriers and the hostile environment and average occupant of this area might possess.

-Similarly the plans of different areas were sketched to prepare a coagulated personality of this site.

Movement Plan

Zoning Plan

Design Proposal - Tara Station

Section B

Section C

Section A

Design Proposal - Tara Station

- The site has been a very challenging one. Our Initial analysis of branding this site as a charater(less) area was a misinterpretation of site’s character.

- The project has tried revealing the existing multidimensional aspects of the site.

- Transition spaces like Tara Street station don’t need to define themselves as a more convivial or vital space, the site has a robustness in character which defines it.

- Syncretism as an idea helps in mending the previous accusation of “characterlessness”, It showcases how amalgamation of different activites and different amenities can be justified.

- Revealing and enhancing of areas, not improvement was the prime motto of this project.

- Syncretism in architecture has always been adopting the amalgamtion of different personalities of different styles and adopting it as a new way of looking at things. Syncretism in Urban design follows a similar principle and this site existing with it’s multiple personalities contributes to it’s eclectic character.

- Perception and reception, were the two main instruments in harnessing the design of this project.They showcase how different coagulating activities have been responsible for the visual barrier existing previously.

- Once the different characters of the site were accepted as a unique trait of the site, the project then became a tool for enhancing the potential of this place rather than changing the face of the arena.

- In this project’s opinion .the fimrness and fortiude of the site is an integral part of the urban fabric of city centre. The project concludes this by identifying that and augmenting it further.

Design Thesis

Introduction - Exploring latent Urban Design Pr

Dharavi is categorised as a district slum settlement, which means there are multitudes of different townships and areas within this particular settlement. The extent of Dharavi comprises 216 hectares of land. The site I have chosen to work on is located in the Northeast of the slum district, also called Compound 13.

The site is one of the oldest inhabited areas in Dharavi, with a population comprising of Muslim immigrants from the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The site has been located in the downstream of Mithi river where local fishermen had allotted an area separate from the Hindu fishermen to the new Muslim population during the start of the 1900s.

The reason to pick this settlement in Dharavi was its history and association with Dharavi. This historical and economic centre of activities has risen the same way Mumbai has been increased over the past century and mirrors the advent of informal settlements all over the city.

rinciples in Informal settlements for practice

Design Process - Methodology

-Undertaking readings on topics of informality in urbanism, accompanied by peer-reviewed literature and critical evaluations of informal urbanism.

-Selection of a case study location which has been a region of informal settlement, and has been intermingled with the urban fabric of the city. The study will be encompassing various socioeconomic factors that contribute to the formation of that settlement.

-Using the tools of computation to analyse the spatial characteristics of the settlement as mentioned above and recreating them in a virtual space.

-Enhancing the spatial properties of the informal settlement and designing interventions for better urban design practice.

Reflecting critically on the design project and extract insights for urban design practice.

Design Process - Analysis of Underlying Princip

Walkability Walkability and street vitality are two critical factors linked to each other in any form of urban or rural settlement.

Lo(2009) studies the definition of walkability in different contexts and adds that walkability is a multidisciplinary measure with multiple metrics to define the activity. The inclusion of continued and well-maintained sidewalks, universal access and path directness all add to the walkability meter.Stephen(2005) defines walkability as “The extent to which the built environment is friendly to the presence of people living, shopping, visiting, enjoying or spending time in an area�.

ples

Legibility Legibility as an urban design characteristic has been in contention from 1960. Since Kevin Lynch published his theory in The Image of the city, Legibility has been considered as one of the most important aspects of good urban design. The exact definition can be varied, but the most common one defines the ability of ease by which a person can see, understand and find their way around an area, building or development. A characteristic and readable environment not only provides security, but also increases human experience’s prospective complexity. Positive values of a readable environment, emotional pleasure, communication or conceptual organisation, new depths to be found in everyday life.

Design Process - Analysis of Underlying Princip

Adaptability Adaptability has been considered a very mistrusted concept in the realm of urban design, while adaptability and vitality were deemed to be important principles by Lynch(1952) in his theory on cities, The field has not yet devised a definition for the same. There have been multiple texts describing the factors affecting, adaptability of a place, It primarily relies on the economic and social prosperity of markets, hotels, delicacies, bakeries, theatre shops and galleries, convenience stores, pubs and clubs of varying styles, forms and shapes that match individuals of various preferences, interest and socioeconomic class. There is also a dynamic ‘transaction framework’ for operations in a stable public domain because existence takes place in concrete ways and environments, primarily human-made, the characteristics of the increasingly permanent metropolitan areas influence their viability. However, the structure that has been designed will inevitably become insufficient for its original function, replacement or changes in demand. (March et. al,2012)

ples

Engaged Communities Engaged Communities are those communities who provide the means of daily living for its inhabitants within walking distance. While the idea of an involved community comes from the presence of complete communities, these resilient communities exist by ensuring that residents choose to bike or ride instead of driving a vehicle, decreasing their carbon footprint. Entire communities as a planning theory originated from the Garden city movement, where a wide range of mixed uses and housing types were accommodated to tackle inefficient land use, social isolation and meet the needs of diverse households. (Grant and Perott,2009)

Design Process - Analysis of Underlying Princip

Diversity, Density and Mix To build resiliency and reduce the carbon footprint of urban growth, we need to optimize the productive use of land and property. A small residential area or a commercial industrial park is typically not utilized for a long time. By comparison, a lively, slowly developed metropolitan area is well-utilized 24 hours a day, during the week and all seasons. The effect is a tightly woven mix of residents of ample complexity that is open to a number of users.

The rise in density is generally correlated with more development and more variety in the built environment.

Getting a more significant number of people ensures that potential employers and facilities become available in a metropolitan setting.

Rising density may contribute to increased diversity due to the growing demographic demands at the local level. (Nikeghbali, 2017)

ples

Energy and Radiation The topic of energy in urban design has been discussed vehemently over the past few years, development of an urban design plan often involves an positive perception that there is a more significant urban climate than the present and also depends on architectural and urban planning methods used to assess the footprint of the constructions, landscape and infrastructural structures.

The creation of the urban design plan is based on design decisions and how sustainable this plan would be for the environment, society and economy.

There are multiple versions of how energy affects a settlement in urban design, in this section, the solar radiation has been primarily considered to work as a group with the three dimensional aspect of this settlement.

Design Proposal - Zones

The Dharavi Compound 13 cluster was previously analysed using a series of latent urban design principles existing within the settlement. After a series of tests, the next step was to modify this settlement to enhance these principles. There were certain principles which exhibit their presence more clearly than the others, while there were a few principles which could have been more evenly distributed throughout the settlement. After careful consideration, the design interventions took in consideration of these principles along with the needs of the residents of these settlements.

Zone 1

Zone 2

Zone 3

Zone 4

Design Proposal - Site Plan

Design Proposal - Comparison of Site Plan

Industrial Buidlings Residential Buidlings Commercial Buidlings Green Spaces

Design Proposal - Zonal Planning

Zone 1 of Compound 13 Source : Author Existing

Proposed

Zone 1 section comparison between exsiting and proposed Source : Author

Zone 2 of Compound 13 Source : Author Existing

Proposed

Zone 2 section comparison between exsiting and proposed Source : Author

Design Proposal - Zonal Planning

Zone 3 of Compound 13 Source : Author Existing Existing

Proposed Proposed

Zone 3 section comparison between exsiting and proposed Source : Author

Zone 4 of Compound 13 Source : Author Existing

Proposed

Zone 4 section comparison between exsiting and proposed Source : Author

Design Proposal - Conclusion

-In conclusion, the design project carries a few strong points. These include the subjects addressed in this topic which have been in the public realm of urban design discussion. Still, research as mentioned above also suggests the lack of design-oriented lens through which this topic has been viewed, and this research aims to bridge the gap between knowledge and practice while adding positively to the Imageability of informal settlements in general.

-The use of computational design tools in addition to the data provided by various authorities brings forth another layer of information which can be used to determine how this area responds to various principles and the framework created through this method could be used in different scenarios. The design proposal also encourages the minimal amount of interventions into the site, so those small scale interventions, when implemented properly could make big impacts without necessarily destroying the uniqueness or characteristics of such a place.

-The research believes that significant improvements can be made using public participation of the occupants of these buildings. Computational design, although a great tool for critically analysing and evaluating data, falls short if there’s no human factor involved in the design. By including the public in decision making these latent design principles could be further worked upon to enhance such settlements.

-However, the design proposal also faces certain limitations. The different zones mentioned within the settlement have a subculture and economy of their own, the interventions done through a designerly lens may have a different impact on the settlement socio-culturally and economically.

The design proposal has tried to keep the number of units the same after design interventions to maintain coherence, however, the quality of spaces could be made better exponentially if specific structures were demolished

ar.vikramroy@gmail.com