Structural Design Selected Projects
Ankur Residential Flats, Valsad
Project | Ankur Residential Flats, Valsad |
Client | Ankur Associates |
Architect | Mandala |
Dates | 1994 |
Design of multi-storey residential flats in earthquake prone zone, using a combination of frames and the central core to achieve strength and stability. |
Rapid Visual Assessment of Earthquake Damage
Project | Rapid Visual Assessment of Earthquake Damage |
Client | Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) |
Dates | 2001 |
Rapid assessment of buildings affected by the Gujarat earthquake and classification of buildings according to their damage. This unique and scientific response by the local architects and engineers on volunteer basis, to assist the people and the government at the time of crisis, has been hailed globally. Interestingly, the compensations based on our damage assessments were upheld by Gujarat High Court for all cases. |
Mahatma Gandhi University, Wardha
Project | Mahatma Gandhi University, Wardha |
Client | Mahatma Gandhi Vishwa Hindu Vidyalaya |
Architect | APT_V Architects |
Value | £3 million |
Dates | 2003 – ongoing |
This project was won in a national level design competition for its sensitivity to the hilly landscape and the Gandhian simplicity of form and layout. The university complex has educational, residential, administrative and IT facilities combined with libraries, museum and a media centre. The random rubble retaining walls and concrete entablatures of the campus buildings form earthquake resistant boxes, decked by lightweight steel envelopes. |
Ramchand Mission Ahmedabad
Project | Ramchand Mission Ahmedabad |
Client | Ramchand Mission |
Architect | Jayesh Parekh |
Value | £400.000 |
Dates | 2004 – ongoing |
The Ahmedabad campus of Ramchand Mission has several structures including dormitories, residential hostels, cottage and a large prayer hall. The 35m span hexagonal prayer hall roof has multiple skewed hypar shells spanning the distance with just 90 millimetre thick concrete. For aesthetics and economy, exposed concrete with timber plank shuttering was used. |
Fun Steel Structures, many locations
Project | Fun Steel Structures, many locations |
Client | Many |
Dates | 1982 - present |
The practice has built several fun structures in steel pipes and cables for marriage marquees, pavilions, temporary concert stages etc. Largely these are temporary structures in which we have used various forms such as parabolic and hypar to explore the tensile properties of steel cables and the compressive efficiencies of steel pipes. Some of the structures are over large assembly areas. The space frame over Rajkot Swaminarayan Temple prayer hall spans clear 40m x 65m. |
Indian Institute of Public Health Campus, Gandhinagar
Project | Indian Institute of Public Health Campus, Gandhinagar |
Client | Indian Institute of Public Health |
Architect | Ashok B. Lall |
Value | £6 million |
Dates | 2010 - ongoing |
This institutional campus houses academic, administration and residential facilities for faculty and students on a greenfield site near Sabarmati river in Gandhinagar. The individual buildings vary from 2 to 7 storeys, stepped to suit the undulating site, and interconnected with link paths. Confined fly ash masonry load-bearing structures with hollow slabs, where the spans were high, were specially developed for this project to manage the scales, heights and the earthquake requirements consistent with the environmental concerns. |