Soumya Haritay

ID4003-2

“Subtraction can be technique in order to achieve porosity to transform the spatial character.”The argument explores how subtraction can be technique to achieve porosity in order to change the spatial quality. The Calico Dome located on Relief Road, Ahmedabad hosts to be as place to test the argument. It was designed by Gautam Sarabhai and his team taking inspiration from the geodesic designs of Buckminister Fuller in 1962. It housed the Calico mill show room which lasted for 40 years until it was damaged by heavy rains post earthquake in 2001.It was landmark in the history of Ahmedabad city as the Manchester of India. It was India’s was first space frame structure used to support the podium of Calico dome. The program intends to revive the heritage site into a place of exchanging ideas and goods and as place for display. Place for public congregation and leisure. Overlapping of layers in construction can strengthen the material. Simplicity of material can be transformed into complex functionality by various ways of overlap and intersections. This can be overcome by utilizing the subtractive processes. The place where the argument can be tested is placed which is underground with limited light entering the site. When solid planes of space are perforated by subtractive methods it makes them transparent and permeable reducing the plane’s opaqueness making it appear light. When elements like light, air intervene the space through permeable planes it transforms the space. It can create movements through the variations created by the patterns of light. The ventilation of space can be determined by number of subtractions created, size of perforations and along which orientation. It also affects the experience and aesthetics of the space. Though this makes the plane appear light it also affects its strength. It can alter the spatial character. If planes are subtracted first during production to produce elements of varied geometric planes from it and then assembled by overlapping in different axes can strengthen the material. Intersecting parametric structures are examples for overlapping along perpendicular axis. The forces acting at the point of intersection along the different planes cancel each other thus providing stability to the structure in the space. Orienting planes along different axes creates intersections and spaces created by intersection of planes can strengthen it as well create transparency in space by various elements like light, air, etc. These can allow light infiltration into space also creating movement by play of light and shadows. It can also create a point of interest in the space. This can be tested on site as place which on the ground floor level.