Mallika Gupta

1005-D

The studio began with exploratory case studies aimed at understanding how things come together, analyzing methods of construction and drawing them out. Minerals and Mining Museum, Broken Hill city, Australia. Ar. Glenn Murcutt. Relocated to: GMDC Ground, Ahmadabad, India. The design intent of the project was to retain the spatial quality that Murcutt envisioned for the museum, while fulfilling his principles themselves in the Ahmedabad context: Thus, introducing design changes that respond to this climate, exhibiting the local construction methods and materials and drawing out these intentions in adequate detail. Earlier designed to be a concrete structural shell with rammed earth walls acting as a thermal blanket and a parosal roof on top, the plan was slowly worked upon to change the structural system. A Steel grid was established and all concrete removed from the walls. Light weight steel trusses were used as en expression to exhibit the strength of steel despite its slenderness. A contrast began to emerge between the thin steel and the heavy earth walls. To prevent the winter sun from penetrating into the building (as designed originally), various explorations were conducted in section for the roof pitch and design. Material, methods of construction and joint conditions were explored in detail through 1:20 wall sections. The final sheets were to be detailed enough to convey the method of construction of the buildings (working drawings.) An additional wall section is seen with a rendered perspective as a representation of how the space is envisioned.