Hello! :D
My name is Binal and I'm from Mumbai, India. I'm an &rchitecture MArch1 student. I completed my undergrad from BVCOA, Mumbai University. I have a work experience of 3 years predominantly in the residential sector with multiple interior design and architecture projects.

I am deeply passionate about sketching and painting. I love exploring the genre of mystery, thriller, horror and court drama. I have a profound appreciation for Studio Ghibli films and the ethereal beauty of its clouds. A self-proclaimed sunset enthusiast and an ardent book reader.

I am proficient in Autocad, Sketchup, Adobe Illustrator, Indesign, and Photoshop. In summary, my journey as an architect-in-training is marked by a blend of academic rigor, professional experience, and a deep-rooted passion for creativity and exploration.

Hello everyone!
We are collaborating with 'Class of Your Own' to deliver workshops to Level 3 Design Engineer Construct! students at Alder Grange Sixth Form who have a keen interest in the construction industry. Our brief is to support these students on their real-life project - the renovation of St Nicholas' Church, located in beautiful Sabden, Lancashire.

In the 'Action Weeks' of May we will divide ourselves into 2 teams to hold our own 1-week design competition to renovate the church and later present it to the students. It is a fantastic opportunity to be involved in a real life project, creating diverse and exciting material for your portfolios while uplifting your design skills by working with students.

First of our many brainstorming sessions!

After meeting the students of Alder Grange at MTC along with their tutor, we got together on a Teams call to speak to them to understand their vision for the program. We spoke about our plan of action to ensure it aligned with COYO's brief for shaping up the best possible interactions with the students.

Later, with the help of AI, we came up with ideas to design our poster to capture the essence of MSA Live. This was the first step to bringing our ideas on paper and seeing how the poster may shape up to be.

Our first visit to Alder Grange School!

Upon arrival at the school, the five of us were provided with visitor IDs for the day to access the campus.
Here's our fun-little take on them!

P.S. Of course we changed our photos xD

Our first visit to Alder Grange School!

On 26/02 Monday, our team visited Alder Grange to showcase the different roles involved in running projects by presenting one project from our year out in practice.

This included an insight to the variety of roles architecture can involve such as a structural consultant, MEP consultant, landscape architect, interior designer, furniture designer and so on. This helped them in realising the abundance of opportunities that the construction industry has to offer.

Here's hoping we inspired few young minds!

Our first visit to Alder Grange School!

Post the presentation, the team lead one-on-one workshops with the students exploring adjacencies for their scheme to help them progress onto concept designs in the coming weeks.

This blog post features a collection of remarkable drawings and handmade models that beautifully illustrate the students' unique visions for the church.

Poster design Iterations!

Here's a glimpse of our design process which shows how the students put together their ideas to reshape the Sabden Church.

Check out our final poster!

Our first visit to Sabden Church!

Also known as the Church of St.Nicholas, it was built in 1841. The Church gained a Grade II listing in 1968. The church also has a graveyard. It houses a rare Laycock organ and a mechanical clock that were installed in 1890. The pews in the church used to be laid out along its entire length but have since been reduced in numbers. It is seen as the focal point for the village and as the church.

1995: Renovated. 

2011: The church faced repairs for a collapsed ceiling, repairs to the steeple and dry rot in the tower. The organ also had to be stripped down and repaired.

2005: The wall to the right as you walk in started subsiding and was reinforced with straps across the ceiling.

2009: English heritage wanted the whole ceiling to come down and be replaced, ply was put over the lath. 12 courses on the steeple were replaced along with the lightning conductor.  

Now: An innovative collaboration places the DEC students at Alder Grange School at the heart of community regeneration through digital twin technologies. Multiple agencies along with Allison (Founder of COYO), Vicki (Tutor at Alder Grange), Ar. Zoe (HPA Architects) and the DEC students wish to return the church to its original glory. We hope to guide these students to conceptualize spaces inside the church as per the community's needs.

Our first visit to Sabden Church!

We were given a spectacularly detailed walk in and around the church by Mr.Colin who is the warden of the church. He has lived in Sabden all his life and knows everything about the church. He was kind enough to answer our questions.

P.S. It was truly an experience to see the old Laycock organ being played by him!

Our first visit to Sabden Church!

Nicholas Church houses a rare and unusual John Laycock organ built in 1879. This 130 year old Laycock Organ was installed at the church in 1890. It was renovated in 1995 and the original patterns were painted back on the pipes. This complicated organ is played every Sunday by an 87-year old woman for their Mass.

The Church has the only village clock tower with a working clock dating back to 1890. This masterpiece, made by J. Smith and Sons has three levers to wind it twice a week to ensure its smooth operation. It chimes every hour & at quarter to the hour.

Our first visit to Sabden Church!

It was quite fascinating (and a little scary) to find the church surrounded by a graveyard. Some of the oldest graves here date back to the 1860s.
This graveyard has earned the title for being the second best maintained graveyard.

Welcome to our Action Week!

Here's our plan of action for the first week of the Action Week.

It starts with a welcome session and a visit to the Sabden Church on Day 1, followed by four days of studio. We shall be working on the historical and structural survey of the church, some zoning of spaces using bubble diagrams, model making and analysing precedents to translate ideas into Concepts!

Have a look!

Cheers.

Welcome to our Action Week!

Here's our plan of action for the second week of the Action Week.

After a conceptual design intensive week, the students of MSA shall meet with the collaborators and Year 12 students from Alder Grange School at MTC to present their ideas for the Sabden Church.
Later, our MSA students will dive into finalizing their concept designs and producing final drawings to make the booklet.

Have a look!

Cheers.

Welcome to our Action Week 1!

DAY 1 - Visit to Sabden Church
Our day started with us meeting and chatting with the BA1, BA2 and MLA1 students at All Saints after which we ran them through the project brief, information about the site, and the collaborators involved. Later, our entire group was divided into 2 teams to head different tasks. The students were made aware of the project schedule, follow-up meetings with DEC and a design direction.

Post lunch, we all took a minibus to drive upto the church! There we met with the collaborators and Year 12 students from Alder Granger School and had a brief round of introductions to understand how the students at MSA will support Year 12 DEC portfolio. Later, Colin took the students around the church giving them helpful insights of its history, daily activities and its importance.

After spending a lovely day out in the sun, we concluded our day with a quick summary of how the the day was and came back to MTC.

Fin.

Welcome to our Action Week 1!

DAY 2 - First Day of Studio: Idea Generation, Zoning and Model making
After the group was divided into 2 teams, each team led by MArch students started with searching and analysing precedents for adaptive reuse of churches, making a 1:100 model of the church and sketching out conceptual ideas and bubble diagrams on tracings overlaid on church layouts to accommodate spaces as laid out in the brief to make the church more inviting.

Fin.

Welcome to our Action Week 1!

DAY 3 and 4 - Intensive Studio Days : Concept Development, Programs Generation and Renders

Since the entire group was divided into 2 teams - they each approached the brief with a different perspective.

Team A went ahead with a pragmatic approach delving into the historical and structural analysis of the church followed by relevant precedent analysis and translating this data into ideas, sketches and zonings for interventions.

Team B opted for a conceptual approach focusing on program development, inspired by the Dutch architects MVRDV's idea of a 'Roof Catalogue' such that different programs could be retrofitted into the church and replicated the world around.

Fin.

Welcome to our Action Week 2!

After an intensive first week, we were all geared up to welcome our collaborators: Vicki and her Class 12 DEC students eager to know what we've proposed for the Sabden Church!

Day 5 - Meeting the Collaborators
After printing our vibrant proposal sheets, setting up the screens and meticulously planning the studio space, we welcomed the Class 12 students accompanied by Vicki. Before diving head first into the project presentation, we gave the students a quick walkthrough of MTC to give them a teaser of how an architecture student functions at the university.

We started with the studios, followed by Makerspace where they saw different architecture models (few being made on softwares and some displayed on shelves). Later, we took them to the CAD Lab, the most used space at MTC!

Having to make a decision soon for themselves, a walk through our architecture school introduced the students to a creative ecosystem and helped them to imagine themselves being in one in the future. It was quite fruitful!

Welcome to our Action Week 2!

Our group was divided into 2 teams to bring forth 2 different proposals for the collaborators. Our intention was to demonstrate and assert the importance of how different design approaches must be taken to explore its myriad nuances such that it best suits the program and the requirements of its users.

Day 5 - Presentation by TEAM 'A'
When it came to designing for a sensitive structure, a church, Team 'A' opted for a pragmatic approach. They emphasized on the historical and the structural importance of the church while formulating design programs and interventions to preserve its rich heritage.

Based on the data collected from the residents of the village Sabden, Team 'A' found out that they needed a workspace, a yoga space, a learning centre for kids, improved biodiversity and shelves for books. They analysed precedents of churches reused for these proposals and while the church had to be retained for its masses and gatherings, it could also house smaller flexible spaces to cater to the younger residents.

A series of landscape and interior proposals were sketched, conceptualized and designed to accommodate the needs of the people. A butterfly garden enlivened the unused west corner of the site while a series of bookshelves along the church walls opened up the layout for different activities.

These interventions were minimal yet effective, thereby maintaining the sanctity of the church. It focussed on a practical yet aesthetic design that invites and accommodates all.

Welcome to our Action Week 2!

Our group was divided into 2 teams to bring forth 2 different proposals for the collaborators. Our intention was to demonstrate and assert the importance of how different design approaches must be taken to explore its myriad nuances such that it best suits the program and the requirements of its users.

Day 5 - Presentation by TEAM 'B'
With an incredible opportunity to experiment and demonstrate the power of designing without constraints, Team 'B' opted for a conceptual approach. They took their inspiration from the 'Roof Catalogue' proposed the Dutch architects MVRDV that focussed on repurposing unused roofs in Netherlands. Similarly, Team 'B' proposed a catalogue for churches such that its roof, walls and basement could be used for different activities.

Based on the data collected from the residents of the village Sabden, Team 'B' found out that they needed an office, a learning centre and an urban farm. Each team member sketched ideas to transform the church into these 3 spaces each, not bounded by any rules or regulations. This allowed them to break free and propose dynamic ideas that reimagined (not changed) as to how a church could function for all.

Their interventions were ambitious and flamboyant yet effective, which not only honoured the needs of the residents but also helped put the church in an everchanging new light with changing times.

Welcome to our Action Week 2!

Day 5 - Alder Grange students reviewing our proposals!
One of the most rewarding aspects of presenting our proposals to the DEC Class 12 students was not just to introduce them to the process of designing but also gain unfiltered constructive criticism from them on our proposals.

It was quite fulfilling for us to have achieved what we aimed for and planned for, for weeks. We were successful in starting a dialogue amongst the students of MSA and Alder Grange School. We gained insightful suggestions on our proposals, critique on factors that might have been missed out and appreciative comments on ideas, digital renders and representations.

Here's to ideas and its power to start conversations!

Welcome to our Action Week 2!

Day 5 - It's Pizza Time!
After an intensive round of presentations and reviews, our group had arranged for a delicious pizza lunch for all. Well-deserved we must say!

Eager (and famished) to feast on the pizzas, not a single slice was left!
We thoroughly enjoyed talking to the students over pizzas and discussed just a little more about the church. It was the perfect way to listen to what each of us had to say, even with our mouths full.

Welcome to our Action Week 2!

Day 5 - Draw It Yourself
Last but not the least, the students of MSA and Alder Grange sat together to sketch their design intervention ideas on blank isometric templates of church printed on A4.

Every idea sketched was unique, vibrant and open to imagination.
This activity really helped each one of us to draw and ideate without any constraints which was quite liberating! Right from glass roofs to hammock extensions, we tried it all!

This was the perfect way to conclude our studio session with the students, full of ideas and smiles!

Welcome to our Action Week 2!

Day 5 - Snippets of D.I.Y. Sketches
Last but not the least, the students of MSA and Alder Grange sat together to sketch their design intervention ideas on blank isometric templates of church printed on A4.

Every idea sketched was unique, vibrant and open to imagination.
This activity really helped each one of us to draw and ideate without any constraints which was quite liberating! Right from glass roofs to hammock extensions, we tried it all!

This was the perfect way to conclude our studio session with the students, full of ideas and smiles!

Our last Teams Call!

After our intensive day with the collaborators, we all took a break to rewind and relax. It was quite needed.

Later, we got together for one final discussion before starting working on the deliverables.

These last few months have been the most enjoyable, we shall always cherish every new experience that was a part of our MSA Live journey!

P.S. Say Cheeessseeeee! (and that's how I took the screenshot)

It's officially Booklet Time!
Excited!

Our group members working religiously towards making the booklet.
Few snippets to show what went behind composing all the drawings and data that was created over the last two action weeks.

Phew.

Our final blog!!

Now that MSA Live has concluded, it is important to reflect on the project and what our group and the collaborators have achieved. As our project was all about the education of D.E.C. students, the final presentation and afternoon’s workshops were the centre of our focus.

Everyone in the group worked well to motivate undergraduate students to collaborate around their own deadlines resulting in some fantastic drawings, diagrams, and collages. The 'Day 5' afternoon was well received by the college, from our own proposals for the Church, as well as the afternoon as a whole and what it offered to the Alder Grange students.

They engaged in design critiques and creative exercises around the table bringing lots of energy to make it a successful project overall. We all thoroughly enjoyed working with the college and look forward to seeing their final schemes!

Lastly, we are extremely proud of the work our team has done in the last two weeks and we are amazed by how talented everybody is! As we upload our publications, we would like to thank everyone again for their hardwork and determination!

CHEERS :D