MATERIAL WORKSHOP

WORKSHOP 1 - FRAGMENT X FRAGMENT

In our everyday lives, we are used to the term “Standard value”. We often hear different values of this term in our daily interactions with the people around us. The most common and known place where the values of this term are seen to be used is a ‘Grocery store’. We are very familiar with lines like ‘Pack 200 grams lintel’ or ‘1 liter milk sachet’, ‘2 kgs of detergent’ etc.

Over the period of time, these values have been intertwined in our lives such that we hardly ever realize that these were given to us by someone that too, a few hundred years ago. A similar practice of this is also seen in the building construction industry. The entire industry operates on standard values of materials right from the point where the material is sourced or extracted in its raw form to its final display on the warehouse racks.

The use of ‘standard’ for the sake of easy management of goods, etc., have largely impacted the design practices of this industry. The design largely is dominated by the standard sizes of the materials available in the market rather than it being the other way round. We usually obtain materials in their natural form and have the skill to craft the materials according to our requirements. However, this doesn’t seem to be the way followed by the industry or in the design process at large.

b) Understanding structural systems through Nature

One can observe and learn how to generate a structure from a leaf.

Through these learnings, the design process started by working out a portal whose truss would be inspired from the palm trees and the truss itself would allow openings for ventilation and roof geometry, etc.

The detailed section shows how the entire joinery at the node takes place:

Many such columns get placed and form a network roof by connecting the members of the canopy.

The detailed section shows how the entire joinery at the node takes place:

(Section plot)

· The steel cleats are screwed to the wood column

· The steel plates are welded to the cleats

· The steel pieces between the slant wooden members are bolter together and this steel piece gets welded back to the steel plate.

Using this column as a module along with the thought of creating a network roof, the program for this pavilion is a café seating space where the spaces between the columns by themselves start creating degrees of openness ranging from intimate cubicles to bigger dining which accommodate larger masses altogether.

• Learnings through Discussion:

When you look at a palm tree more closely, you can densify the structure through its geometry. Each element will allow the other element to grow. Having derived the geometry from a palm tree, the arrangement is that of an organic structure. Since it was a low-density structure, connecting two or more modules and also connecting it to the ground with steel cables will help in making the structure stable. Idea of staggering becomes important when multiple branches are staggered with more gaps in between. We need to elementalize the approach of working while weaving the structure.

• Reflections:

The discussions emerged a whole new lot of reflections where the most important one seemed to be ‘One must learn to grow a building and not build a building’. We should always try to elementalize the approach of working as it is one of the better methods that will help generate newer systems. These newer systems get generated through constant experimentation of bringing together smaller elements and seeing their possibilities.

While doing so, it is important that this experimentation is in the format of physical models to understand the material possibilities and constraints, the load transfer, the weaker nodes which open doors to create newer joinery details, etc.

One must know the characteristics of a material to make its use to the fullest

E.g. Timber has the characteristics and quality to allow creation of horizontal beams and vertical columns. However, concrete owns the possibility to be sculpted or poured and casted into various interesting forms. But today, concrete is used to make beams and columns which was a primary characteristic of timber and not concrete. The standards of the building material industry here, thus dominate the forms.

All in all, there needs to be constant experimentation in order to derive unique building systems that get generated through various elements rather than it being a direct approach using the already available standard values.

Material Workshop:

Group work by - Dishita Galchat, Neha Dalvi, Urmi Bhanushali, Rajvi Shah and Vanshita Purwar

WORKSHOP 2 - THE STEEL WEAVE

USING GALVANISED MILD STEEL TO CREATE A EXPERIENCE OF HEAVINESS AND ECSTASY THROUGH THE METHOD OF WEAVING

• Process:

While researching around for references, the process by looking around in nature where we could come across phenomena’s that could not only showcase the aspects of heaviness but also make one feel fascinated about it.

One such phenomenon that we came across was a canopy of trees.

A canopy is such that it has delicate members which create the density at the top and these members are held by the large sturdy tree trunks. Altogether, they form a dense space that feels heavy, almost like a long tunnel that one walks through.

Considering these understandings, the design process started by sketching sections. A vaulted structure whose form would help us bring in the experience of heaviness and at the same time density and delicacy of the canopy top would bring in the experience of ecstasy.

Next, we tried to add a play to the section of the vault by simply staggering it a level up.

We also created a play in the plan where we tweaked the plan keeping in mind the ideas of the longer and shorter sides of a rectangle, thus creating an ellipse of around the same measures.

Going back to the canopy and carefully observing the intertwined branches of the trees that almost weaved themselves with one another helped in deriving the module. The vaulted structure would have been a simply opaque closed vault, but it would not bring the experience of ecstasy.

By studying the intertwined branches and then smoothing it out helped in generating the module which would weave itself. This module is made up of galvanized mild steel hollow pipes.

These modules are then arranged along the periphery of the ellipse.

The form thus generated is a large canopy like space that creates an experience of heaviness when walking on the inside and the play of light due to the galvanized MS bars and the beaten-up steel sheets adds to the idea of ecstasy.

The site chosen for this pavilion is the Prathanalaya Bus Stop space near the Bandstand waters, Bandra.

All in all, the complete steel form generates the experience of heaviness and at the same time the play of light brings in the experience of ecstasy.

• Learnings:

Although, the structure that we designed is a complete steel structure, there were some learnings that we observed are important to keep in mind for further working:

One will have to integrate different kinds of materials into the making of a structure because a single material itself cannot really create the most favourable space of experience on the insides due to other factors affecting the material such as climate, material characteristics, material possibilities and constraints, etc.

For example, in our case itself, we had the possibility of creating a steel slab due to the fact that it is easily available in the building industry market.

However, the steel slab has very particular characteristics like:

1. It is subjected to vibrations at time due to external forces (here walking)

2. It would make the walk uncomfortable for the people walking on it due to it being a good conductor of heat thereby absorbing the heat from the sun if not roofed properly, etc.

Different materials have different properties and constraints which should be considered carefully while weighing the options to take a design decision regarding materials thoughtfully.

Material Workshop:

Group work by - Dishita Galchat and Neha Dalvi