Sem 2 | Material Systems

Dushyant Asher

This course enables the student to develop a systemic and material response for specific spatial engagements.  The key objective of the course is to enable students to understand relationships between systems/materials and life (behaviour, experience and relationships) via the idea of space - the premise here is that form articulates space and hence the structure of form is instrumental in this articulation.


The course looked closely at different material building techniques through study of existing house types in Mumbai - a slum type, an urban village, a chawl and an apartment type by documenting its structural configurations and assemblies by drawing its plans and sections and structural grids. This processes discovered many building techniques beyond the standard means of construction practices to look at life in such material  configurations.

The students were oriented towards systemic understandings of framed, load bearing and composite structures through common practices and observed details from studied neighbourhoods.


The design proposal within these structural configurations were proposed as an extension to the house to accommodate a space for a single person to sleep, ponder, rest and relax. The structural grid was extended via materials like wood, steel, fabric, glass and paper in many forms. These designs were explored formaly as structural and design outputs.