Portfolio 2010 Mahesh

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PORTFOLIO

Mahesh

Neelakantan



Table of Contents

G A ARCHITECTS

INTRODUCTION

RESUME

ATELIER 2 INC

HASTINGS ARCHITECTURE

EARL SWENSSON ASSOCIATES

TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

ATELIER DESIGN STUDIO

KERALA UNIVERSITY

SKETCHES



08:2003 – 05:2005 M ARCH, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas08:1995 – 06:2000 B ARCH, University of Kerala, India

EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION

NAME

EXPERIENCE

SKILLS

HONORS

ACTIVITIES

06:2005 – 05:2007 Architect, Earl Swennson Assoc., Nashville, USA

LEED Accredited Professional Associate member, American Institute of ArchitectsRegistered member of the Council of Architects, India

Design : Revit, AutoCAD, MicroStation, 3D studio MAX,SketchUp, Photoshop, In Design

Presentation : Free hand sketching, perspectives and rendering.Web Design : Dream Weaver, Flash.

MS Office : MS Word, MS Excel, Power Point

Edward J. Romieniec, FAIA, Endowed Scholarships -2003-2004 for dem-onstrating academic excellence and professional distinction

Member, Committee on the Environment (COTE), AIA MiddleTennesseeMember, United States Green Building CouncilMember of Indian Institute of Architects, Cochin chapter, IndiaSecretary of the society of student architects, dept of architecture,TKM College of Engineering, India -1998-99

Design Architect responsible for the direction of three to four member project teams from concept throughdesign devolopment under the overall supervision of an Associate. Preparation of construction documents, andparticipation in construction administration of large scale commercial and institutional facilities. Clients includeVanderbilt University, Franke inc, Pinnacle Finance.

Freelance architect handling projects ranging from Architecture, graphic design and LEED consultancy.

Lead designer handling projects ranging from mixed use devolopments, high rise residential and Commercialbuildings. Responsible for concept design through design devolopment and co-ordinating constructiondocumentation.

Lead designer handling various residential projects from concept through construction Administration.Product design and graphic design services for Kraftwork Solar Pvt Ltd.

Graphic designer and Layout Artist in various animated productions like KingKong ( Animated TV series) TreasureIsland etc..

06:2007 – 09:2008 Architect, Hastings Architecture Associates, Nashville, USA

09:2008 – 12:2008 Architect, Atelier2 inc., Nashville, Tennessee, USA

01:2009 – Present Design Architect, GA Architects, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Mahesh Neelakantan

06:2000 – 06:2001 Layout Designer, Toonz Animation Pvt Ltd, Trivandrum, India

06:2001 – 06:2003 Architect, The Atelier Design Studio, Cochin, India

Design Consultant, Kraftwork Solar Pvt Ltd, Cochin, India

Assisted in a diverse spectrum of firm operations including schematic design development, presentation draw-ings, design development and construction documents. Lead design contributor for projects including cafe atCumberland university and Cumberland University Masterplan.

Departmental scholarship- 2002-2003.-Texas A & M university, College of architecture, College station, Texas



The following pages contain a selection of projects I have worked on from

2000 up to now. Thank you in advance for taking time to go through it.

All of the projects I worked on were usually as a part of a team or a studio.

The collaborative nature of the projects were essential to their success. I have

always been a major contributor towards the design process and my de-

sign, sketching and graphic skills have helped me to do so. I have also been

actively involved in all aspects of preparing the construction documents and

construction administration. Below are the contacts of my references:

Brent Elrod, Project Manager - Urban Housing Solutions

- ph: 615.636.9489

Wendell Brown, AIA, LEED AP - Earl Swensson Associates- ph: 615.329.9445

Alan Stephenson, Principal, Hastings Architecture Associates

- ph: 615.227.6541

All projects that I have done as a part of my graduate studies, undergraduate

studies and as an architect at Atelier design studio are exclusively my work.

All the graphics, renderings and sketches in all the following projects have

been generated by me unless otherwise noted.



Al Ahlia Commercial Tower - This project consists of 14 floors of office

spaces and commercial spaces on the ground level. The building articula-

tion is a blend of contemporary and Islamic styles. I was responsible for the

project from concept through design development.



This project consists of three blocks above a single level podium. There are80 residential apartments in two bocks and a hotel with 85 guest rooms in

the third. The podium apart from having the entrance lobbies for the hotel &

apartments has a shopping mall and a hotel management Institute that will

function in tandem with the hotel. Parking is provided within the basement and

is supplemented by additional surface parking. The roof of the podium is land-

scaped and has a skylight as a focal point that looks down into the mall atrium.

The plans of the building were already pre approved by the client by the time

I was involved in the project. I was responsible for developing the project from

earlier approved plans, facade design, design development and coordinating

the construction documents.



The centro Hotel project in Hamdan

street, Abu Dhabi is a project currently

under development. I am responsible

for the design and programming. The

exterior facade follows the trademark

centro hotel style that has alreadt been

established. The project is currently

undergoing review by the local authorites

for preliminary approval



As an architect at Atelier2 Inc., I was in charge of design consultation services

to Housing Solutions for the renovation of ‘Cornelia House’ as a mixed-use

facility. Designed to house affordable apartments for the deaf and working art-

ists, office space for the League for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing (LDHH), space

for a Cultural Center, retail spaces and a cafe.

My contributions included recommendations for site improvements, design

concepts for exterior facade renovations and interior refurbishment, participa-

tion in meetings and charettes and coordinating with other team members as

the concepts are translated into working drawings. As a part of this process,

we were engaged in a multidisciplinary team consisting of the Architect of Re-

cord, the Human Environment Specialist and the Housing Solutions staff.

Existing building



Emirate Gate Residential Towers-Design consultation services provided to

PROARC engineering consultants in Ajman. I was responsible for the archi-

tectural design of the of the tower developing the project from pre approved

schematic plans. I was also responsible for the design graphics and render-

ings that were used for marketing purposes.



I provided design consultation services to Architects Jim Lowen Associates [www.

Lowen-Associates.com] and provided the firm with 3D visualizations and renderings.

The above renderings were generated using Sketch-Up and 3D Studio Max.



I was the lead design contributor for

the team. The design reflects Franke’s

product line as well as a contemporary

aesthetic. A metal panel system is em-

ployed, adhering to a strict module and

rhythm. This is further reflected in the

building curtainwall glazing and in the

wood volumes which are used as a

building punctuation and warming

element. The material palette reflects the

simplicity, sophistication and modularity

that we have tried to incorporate as thedesign language.

An organizational spine is employed

as a means to generate a hierarchy of

spaces as they relate to the timeline

of manufacture, from product devel-

opment at the front of the building,

through product testing at the build-

ing’s midpoint and terminating with

distribution at the warehouse.

There are five basic material/

wall modules that have been

used intermittently throughout

the building; formulating a

homogeneous appearance,

yet at the same time creating a dynamic façade.



The café opens to an outdoor patio which has a steel pergola that is a continuing translation of the lighting fixture and

entry canopy.The wood clad wall breaks at the floor line, turning horizontal to become the wood deck that adjoins the

patio. Four modern fixed tables reflect the square windows on the wood clad module. The depth and width of the patio is

congruent with that of the building. The scoring on the concrete patio continues vertically to become the joint in the butt

glazed window system, thereby giving it a continuous flow from the vertical through the horizontal.



The lobby. As the visitor enters, he/she

is drawn towards the reception by the

main focal point, the grand stair. The

stair’s tread/riser form snakes around a

freestanding concrete wall and termi-

nates as the horizontal surface of the

reception desk.

Three red cube chandeliers are spatially

extruded from one of the concrete wall

modules. These cubes not only serve

the necessary function of lighting the

lobby, they also become an installationthemselves; hinting on the three red

squares in the company logo.



1

2

345

8 7 6

Photo legend1 : office building front elevation oblique

2: office building exterior detail

3: office building exterior ipe detail

4: office building exterior elevation

5: office building side courtyard

6: office building exterior connector

7: office building entry

8: office building exterior connector rear end

The company signage located at the entry has been designed to incorporate the

same vocabulary in terms of proportions and material palette as the building.



1201 Demonbreun was a residential tower with a future office tower addition. My contribution to the team included spatial

design concepts, design visualization and preparation of design devolopment documents. I also put together the package

to get approval for the project by the MDHA, which sets certain guildelines for devolopment in Nashville.



Coffee County Elementary School was a project that I de-

signed when I worked at Hastings Architecture Assoc. The

design is based around a ‘pod’ system creating collaborative

spaces for children to interact. The finger like layouts enable

excellent day lighting and views from all classrooms. The

Project is pursuing LEED silver.

Coffee County Elementary School- The design is based around a ‘pod’ system creating collaborative spaces forchildren to interact. The finger like layouts enable excellent day lighting and views from all classrooms. The Project is

pursuing LEED silver. I was responsible for the initial concept design and developing the program in conjunction with

client requirements.



Highwoods Mixed-use development - The development included over a 10,00,000 SqFt of office and 50,000 SqFt of

retail. I worked as part of a multidisciplinary team that included Urban Planners and Civil engineers. My contributionincluded spatial design concepts and design visualization.



Pinnacle bank lobby interior design. I hand rendered the sketch (above) as a visual to communicate our layout

concept with the client. The design was approved and the rendering was further used for their marketing purposes.

Frist Hall addition is a project I helped design at Hastings Architecture associates. The project called for an addi-

tional two floors above an existing brick building. My design envisioned a glass box that complemented the existingstructure with details that harmoniously integrated construction from two different time periods.



The Student dining hall and visual Arts building designed as the second

phase to the Cafe shown below at

Cumberland university. These build-

ings were designed so as to bridge

the architectural styles in the campus

by being contemporary yet within the

traditional framework of existing archi-

tectural language. The saw-toothed

fenestration details apart from infusing

a cutting edge detail was primarily as

mechanism for climate control enablingdaylighting through the day while

minimizing solar gain from the western

sun.



Cafe at Cumberland University- A

building I designed at ESa. The design

introduced a modern addition to the

150 year old campus that instilled new

energy yet maintaining synergy with the

existing buildings.The cafe was

envisioned as a part of the short term

masterplan shown the page below and

was to kick start their 20 year construc-

tion drive. The two renderings below

show two of the initial concepts. The

selection was left to the student bodywhich chose the more contemporary

version on the right.



Cumberland University Masterplan - A

project I worked on at Earl Swensson

Associates. The design process was

started by having a three day design

charrette at the university and talking

to the student body, board and the

academic council; identifying their

perceptions and hopes for the uni-

versity over the next twenty years.

The master plan was designed in two

phases- short term and long term tobe completed over the next twenty

years.

Long term Masterplan



Drama Theater at Belmont University,

the first project I worked on after gradu-ate school at Earl Swensson Associ-

ates. I was responsible for all the design

graphics and drawings from schematic

design through Design Development.

I also coordinated with the project

architect on Construction documents

to maintain design intent and was a

part of the construction administration

team. The project was the conversion

of a church into a drama theater and an

addition of an experimental black box

theater. The entire shell of the historic

church was retained while retrofitting it

with a state of the art theater within.



CO2 ( Cairo Office Tower), designedas a part of my Third Studio at Texas

A&M. The building was an office

building located in Cairo, Egypt. The

design objective was to design a high

performance building, designed to

achieve LEED gold. Building energy

performance analysis was conducted

using ‘Enerwin’ energy simulation

software and daylight analysis was

done using ‘Radiance’ software. This

was an performance based approachwith data to substantiate the claims of

sustainability and high performance.



Peckerwood, designed as a part of my Second Studio at Texas A&M. The

project had a multidisciplinary approach with collaboration with landscapeand construction management graduates. My project was chosen to be pub-

lished in ‘Archone’ the Texas A&M architecture biannual publication.



My fist studio project at Texas A&M- The program is to develop a prototype branch for a bank, that has a drive through

facility, located in a suburban American setting. The bank apart from providing financial services to its customers , will also

accommodate several community programs for the general public. This bank is draped with a dynamic carpet of greenery

and flowers, that change with the season. The bank in effect becomes a kaleidoscope of colors transforming itself with thenature around and thus offering an unmatched visual quality bridging the gap between nature and built-form.



A farm house was designed on a rub-ber plantation and while the budget

was the primary constraint, the quality

of space and design was very impor-

tant. The design was compact and

blended in harmoniously with the

landscape. A small swimming pool was

also built in an innovative way with the

water for the pool taken from a well

specifically dug for this purpose and

later drained out into the stream that

flows through the site, thereby using

naturally sand filtered water and avoid-

ing costly water treatment plants.



Residence in Munnar, India was designed around the pristine vegetation.

Care was taken not to cut down a single tree. The building responds to the

natural contours and climate and merges along with the surrounding land-

scape. The cantilevered wooden decks give a sense of drama and feeling of

lightness to the structure. The house has solar heating systems and photo

voltaic panel integrated in the roofing system.



The farm house was designed when

I was an Architect at Atelier Design

Studio. The program called for two

separate houses , the first floor for the

owners occasional use and the sec-

ond floor to be rented out. The form of

the building recalls the proportions of

the traditional buildings in kerala while

reinterpreting it in a purely modern

and contemporary way.



Aquapolis, designed as a part of my undergraduate thesis in 2000. The build-

ing was designed to be a prototype energy independent, sustainable mixed

use building, off the coast of Bombay to address the ever increasing urban

densities and the realities of changing climate patterns. The structure was a

35 storied totally self sustaining building with solar energy systems, waste

recycling plants and water desalination plants. The mixed use building is

accessible through air, road and water. The bulding was designed as a

technology demonstrator and symbol of the 21st century urban India.



Concept sketches for the design of a villa - project at GA Architects

Davidson Academy- Site Analysis. A project I worked on at Earl Swensson Associates. I was a part of a team work-

ing on the masterplan and was responsible for the site analysis, zoning and masterplan concepts.

Davidson Academy was a K through 12 school and were relocating from their existing building to a new one pro-

posed in the above shown site.



Thumbnail sketches done on Index cards as a part of design exploration and studies on various projects. These

quick studies have enabled me to go through multiple concepts and have been a tool to better communicate design

ideas among team members and to clients during design meetings.



Architectural sketches and studies - These sketches have been done during the course of my travels and from

books. These exersices help me in getting a better feel for the built structure and their underlying concepts. The

above sketches have been done using graphite on paper.

Architectural sketches and studies that I did for McGill university Department of Architecture during the summer of

2004. These were a part of the series of sketches on Montreal and were featured as a part of an urban design article

in http://ecoplan.mcgill.ca



While I was a graduate student at

Texas A&M University, I had the

oppurtunity to work as an editorial

illustrator for the college newspaper -

‘The Battalion’. The following are a

few of the illustrations that I had

produced during my year long stint

Portfolio 2010 Mahesh

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