Craft-tech Institute

Project idea

The project is an extention of the Industrial Design Center at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. It is designed as a connected learning space rather than a typical building, where studios, labs, and infornmal areas are linked through courtyards and open spaces.
The design focuses on interaction, flexibility and clear visual connections to support collaboration between different disciplines.

Project description

The building is organized into two zones, manual and digital to support the different modes of making and learning. In the digital zone, spaces are designed to strengthen the link between ideation and production with studios on the mezzanine level and workshops below it. Courtyards and interaction spaces ensure visual and physical connectivity, creating a collaborative environment.

The manual zone consist of heavy duty machine workshops like wood and metal workshops, ceramic workshop. Also the administration and supportive offices are on ground floor with these workshops. The upper floor is for students and faculties, it consist of lecture rooms and staffroom.

There's a 300 seater auditorium beside the digital unit. The auditorium has a double height entrance and the ground floor space under the seats have been utilized as photo and audio recording studios which can be accessed by the students in digital media department. In this way the building will not be abundant and empty when the auditorium is not in use. The idea was to keep the big mass of structure alive even when auditorium is closed so that the area doesn't feel dull.

Another element that plays important role in design is the central corridor that was existing on site. The corridor is redesigned and use as connecting element that connects the upper floor of manual unit to the mezzanine floor of digital unit.

Public areas remain accessible at ground level, while the vertical arrangement supports a smooth transition from thinking to making.

Technical information

The building is made up of RCC construction method, some areas include terracotta jaali like the ceramic workshop. Polycarbonate sheets are used for roofing around the courtyard. Steel Columns can be seen in the central corridor. The exterior of building is plastered and painted with exterior waterproof paint.

Documentation

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