GAC FORMA–Sharon Ramalingam R

GAC FORMA

Sharon Ramalingam R

India

Royal College of Art/OLA Electric Mobility

Description:

Due to rapid urbanization, there will be a lot of congestion in the urban areas.

Forma is a fully autonomous subscription service that approaches South American Minimalism for Sao Paulo, solving the biggest car congestion problem caused by car population in the city. Minimalism has assumed different meanings and forms over the past years. This project approaches “minimalism” not only from a styling point of view but also in a functional approach for Sao Paulo.

The car ownership culture that we are following now, has lead to owning multiple cars in a single household and it leads to a lot of space consumption and congestion in the streets in the name of parking. Lots of their spaces is been given to the cars leading to congestion in the city. I thought of a concept car that folds along the width when not in use. It becomes flat without occupying space in the environment. This is a low cost subscription mobility system which can be used by majority of the people in the city so that the space saving model works as a whole system.

This project is not only a problem solver but also connected to the culture of the city and people. Brazilians were the first to use hammocks back in the 16th century to protect themselves from animals in the forests. It is their way of life even today and every household in brazil have hammocks. With this as an idea, I thought of making the interior seats inspired by hammocks, as it is associated with their culture and at the same time it folds along with the exterior as it doesn’t have any hard elements. In a way of combining function and culture. The idea of using bright color scheme is inspired by bright and contrasting color clothes worn by Brazilians during festivals and carnivals which it resembles their experience, self-image, and cultures.

The system serves as a low-cost subscription service for the people of Sao Paulo to travel in and around the city and gives them the pride of traveling in it as it is attached to their culture. It becomes their identity like buses for London and rickshaws for India and also it will become extremely adapted to the environment by saving parking spaces both functionally and culturally.

Biography:

Sharon Ramalingam, 25, a recent graduate of Royal College of Art Intelligent Mobility, London. He is currently interning as a Interior Designer at OLA Electric Mobility. Previously he was interned at SAIC Advanced Design and GAC Advanced Design, gaining international design studio exposure.