WEEK 1
The third year started with a communal space design project where we were asked to turn the heritage monuments into a temporary/permanent/digital space. Our site is located in Sunder Nursery. To visualise the space, we attended a 2-days sketching workshop with Shree Sir. He told us how mind-brain-body are separate entities and needs to be coordinated according to the situation.
To understand this, we marked dots on a sheet of paper with our eyes closed and joined those dots. That resulted in some pattern depicting we here through our senses and use our brain to process the information and body to respond.
We went for our first visit to Sunder Nursery. We discussed why the inside of the monument is cooler than the outside. It was because the walls of the monument were very thick decreasing hot air flux. Also, hot air rises due to its lighter weight making the lower part of the monument cooler. We learned to draw quick sketches during the workshop to visualise the space.
WEEK 2
We were given a monument for each group after having seen and gained a sense of the area. Ours was known as Sunderwala Mahal. We started with our primary and secondary research to establish a shared area. The monument was measured as part of this.
The size of the dome and wall heights made measuring a structure like that challenging. We created an instrument out of a protractor, scale, thread, and weight to measure the heights of the walls. This was accomplished by using Pythagoras's theorem.
We learned about the design and structural integrity of various monuments—building aches and how they are addressed when an earthquake strikes.
Our teams were split into two groups of four people each to take measures from the outside while one group worked on internal measurements. I was drawing the external elevations and noted the measured dimensions. This sketching and writing process was taking too long, so we decided to take pictures of the elevation and mark the dimensions on the photograph itself.
Interviews
We created a survey and a set of interview questions to understand the user group better. The questions were further classified according to the user group and the Aga Khan Foundation. On Sunday, when the Earth Collective's Organic Market is set up, I went to Sunder Nursery and was able to interview about 20 visitors there. Some tourists found the heritage buildings fascinating but wanted to learn more about their history. I realised that the proximity of Sunder Wala Mahal to the parking, the amphitheatre, and the Organic Market attracted more visitors. Some of these visitors expected the Mahal to be haunted but were disappointed when they went inside.
After speaking with the Organic Market vendors, I deduced that the winter season has the highest footfall, as one of them stated, "chai peene ka bhi time nhi milta sardiyo me." In addition, one of the employees told me that people who come in during the winter months are more conscientious about cleanliness than those who come in during the summer. Many families and friend groups, including celebrities, picnic there.
Link to the responses to Interview questions: Click Here
Interviews: Analysis
Maximum footfall is during the winter season when it is cool and breezy.
The SunderWala Mahal is close to the parking and amphitheatre, making it more frequently visited by visitors.
People who enter the monument are keener on knowing its history and structure than just walking around.
As mentioned by the staff, people coming in winter litter less than those coming in summer. Indicating that more educated people visit during winters.
WEEK 3
After all of the measurements were taken, we were instructed to create a SketchUp model and a 3D model. We divided our teams once more, and I worked on the 3D model. Our faculty specifically instructed us to experiment with different materials rather than using the sunboard. We researched various materials on the internet and selected a few based on strength and finish.
Card stock
Hard Cardboard
Choksi Board
When my teammate and I went to Sitaram stationers to check out the materials, we couldn't find what we were looking for at first because there was no one at the counter to assist us. So we decided against using the names we had listed. We began looking for the boards and sheets on our own. We chose the materials that complemented the monument's texture the best. We got a red choksi board and a grey hard-card board.
We got the printouts of the AutoCAD plan and elevations the following day. The team was divided into groups, and two people in each group traced the pieces on the sheets, cut them out, and then began detailing each piece. We discovered while cutting the pieces that the cardboard was challenging to cut and was consuming too much time. So we went from cardboard to choksi board to speed things up. We used the hit-and-trial strategy to design the dome templates. After completion, the faculty evaluated the model. The details, they claimed, are good, yet it appears to be a crafts project. In response to this criticism, we decided to schedule our work accordingly and work on the model during downtime.
We presented the faculty with our initial proposal at the conclusion of this week. On this basis, we discussed our strategy and received feedback in line with it. Our team decided to focus on four distinct proposals. Therefore, we conducted a joint study on them and obtained the necessary primary and secondary data. We then broke off to work individually on one proposal.
I had options between:
Fine Dining
Exhibition
Maze
Health and Wellness
I chose the Maze. The thought of making an entertaining, interactive environment for the tourists tempted me.
WEEK 4
Now that we had to work independently, I began to think about all the entertaining things that could be done with a monument. The idea of erecting temporary walls in a monument did not appeal to me. This was due to the interiors of Sunderwala Mahal being so beautiful that the walls would distract attention from them.
I conducted an extensive user study using interviews. Where I received very useful responses. When I analysed the data, I discovered that students and families commonly want to learn more about the monuments than just visit them. So I decided to educate school students by leading them on an experiential tour of the monument.
I recall that my school, like many others, placed a strong emphasis on academics. While reasoning and aptitude are important aspects of education, they are also tested on almost all college entrance exams.
I attempted to express my concept using a storyboard. Where I provided a general explanation of what I was thinking. Because I was unsure about how to carry out the proposal. Later that day, I worked on the concept in greater depth and attempted to come up with a beginning.
I listed down the requirements along with the circulation.
I showed the Senior faculty my work. He thought my idea was both practical and interesting. He said it was workable because I was carefully reading the brief. We were not allowed to touch the interiors or exteriors of the monument, including the floor, according to the brief. He stated in front of the class that I had developed a proposal that took into account the constraints and parameters of the brief. Others took a conventional approach.
He asked me to figure out the specifics, such as circulation and limitations. So I began to mentally walk through the experience, noting what might or might not work.
I created an input device for the audio and direction systems. I also wrote down the initial script to better understand the introduction. I was inspired by the audio system at the Crafts Museum that I tried a few months ago. It was extremely useful because it explained every piece of art in the museum. So I decided to use a similar system to provide directions to my users.
I was not satisfied with second-hand work. I was eager to put this programme to the test because it required nothing but the user. So I took my friend to Sunder Nursery and asked her to listen to the voice recording I created on the spot. I decided to give directions in degrees, but she said it would be difficult for her to process which degree she needed to turn. So I asked her if following the clock directions would be easier for her. She recognised the task right away. She had no idea about my project, so that was a D-day moment for me. That was the point at which my programme was put to the test. What's more, guess what!! It was successful! I was overjoyed at the time.
We spent 2-3 hours in the nursery, battling the heavy rain and stormy weather. We got the audio, and I was ready to test it with another user. I also realised that anyone taller than 5'5" would be unable to participate in this activity because the passage was 5'6". A tall person's head would collide with the passage door.
Since I'm designing it for school students, I've narrowed it down to Middle School because 95% of the students at that age are shorter than 5'5".
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