#Kidtecture In designing Sparkrill International School, Vaishali Mangalvedhekar reimagines the school environment as a space for holistic growth

As we celebrate Children’s Day, we shine a light on how architecture can inspire, educate, and nurture the youngest among us. In her design for Sparkrill International School in Warangal, Vaishali Mangalvedhekar, Partner at SJK Architects, redefines the concept of educational spaces by fostering an environment that promotes holistic growth. Here, learning transcends the classroom walls, inviting students to explore and connect with nature and shared spaces. Mangalvedhekar’s approach breaks away from conventional structures, integrating elements that support students’ emotional and social development while merging playfulness with practical functionality.

Located on a sprawling 28-acre campus, Sparkrill International School offers a unique educational environment for around a thousand students. Its layout includes distinct spaces for primary and secondary learning, an arts and dining block, outdoor sports areas, and accommodation for 200 boarding students. Key design elements, like shaded corridors, natural ventilation, and accessible green spaces, prioritize both sustainability and comfort in Warangal’s hot climate, de-institutionalizing the learning experience and fostering a sense of freedom and curiosity.

Project Spotlight: Sparkrill International School, Warangal

In a sociocultural landscape that often promotes rote learning, our design for Sparkrill International School in Warangal breaks the boundaries of conventional classrooms, facilitating informal and exploratory learning by leveraging nature and the built environment as educators. The residential school is spread over 28 acres and designed to host around a thousand students. Its facilities comprise two academic blocks for primary and secondary grades, a common arts and dining block, outdoor sports facilities, staff quarters, a hostel for 200 students, and supporting infrastructure like science labs and a library.

One of our primary goals was to de-institutionalise education, which was achieved by blurring the boundaries of the classroom. We scaled down conventional courtyard proportions to create shaded streets between classroom blocks for travel, play, and assembly. These spaces, layered with distinct functions, help facilitate students’ social, emotional, and physical well-being.

Passive design strategies are integrated into the design to optimise natural light and ventilation for thermal comfort in the harsh hot and dry climate, with north-south aligned classroom blocks, glare-free windows, and shaded corridors reducing heat gain and eliminating the need for air-conditioning.

Another priority for us was building a safe, comforting atmosphere, especially for students living away from their families. Low window sills, child-friendly proportions, and secure railings ensure a nurturing environment for young students.

Design Principles: Top 3-5 things you keep in mind while designing for children

Safety is our foremost priority, when designing for children. We aim to evoke a sense of curiosity, inviting exploration and discovery beyond the classrooms. Enabling creativity is another guiding principle for us, ensuring areas are adaptable, colourful, and stimulating, allowing children to engage their imagination fully. Moreover, designing spaces that encourage bonding and collaboration supports teamwork and holistic growth of students, while also nurturing friendships through social interactions.

Creativity & Fun:

Nature is our biggest collaborator. While designing Sparkrill International School, we designed streets as places for gathering, movement, and interaction, creating a lively, accessible environment for the students. Natural features on-site, such as rock formations, water channels, and boulders, are integrated into the design as focal points to ease navigation and establish a sense of place.

Interconnected stepped wells have been incorporated to collect rainwater while providing an interactive space for children to learn about rainwater harvesting. These wells guide water into a central pond within the master plan, creating a playful learning opportunity for children to float paper boats and understand buoyancy. This system visually demonstrates rainwater harvesting as water flows from rooftops, down chains, and into the channels, emphasising its importance in daily life.

As the water evaporates, we let the empty wells serve as natural cooling spaces, and they often transform into spots for outdoor activities, like music sessions that typically occur indoors. By blending play and learning, we aim to integrate creativity and functionality into the spaces, encouraging children to engage with their environment in a meaningful way.

Evolving Needs:

While technology has a growing role in education, we believe that true learning happens when children can fully engage their senses. Experiencing concepts like buoyancy through play or seeing a butterfly’s growth stages in real life creates a lasting impact that technology alone cannot provide.

Our designs focus on balancing tech with nature, using all five senses to build spaces that nurture well-being and foster a sense of wonder — and allowing learning to extend beyond enclosed spaces. Ultimately, we aim to create environments where learning happens naturally, inviting lessons that stay with children for a lifetime.

Sustainability:

At SJK Architects, environmental sustainability is woven into our core practice — we see nature as a partner and work with the sun and wind to shape children’s spaces that are both sustainable and comfortable.

Sustainability goes beyond energy efficiency and resource management; it’s about fostering a deeper connection between children and their environment. Thoughtfully designed learning spaces that maximise natural ventilation and daylighting can ensure that classrooms and play areas remain cool and bright without excessive energy use. Landscape also plays a critical role — designers can integrate indigenous vegetation in outdoor spaces to create healthy, biodiverse environments. Integrating features such as rainwater harvesting systems and outdoor learning spaces encourages children to engage with nature, promoting hands-on learning.  Additionally, water and waste management systems must be planned on-site to promote judicious use of natural resources. This results in significant savings in operational energy costs.

Outlook for the Future: Top 5 Trends in designing spaces for children.

The essential trends in designing spaces for children remain rooted in core values such as fostering safe, engaging, and nurturing environments. First and foremost is creating spaces where children can connect with themselves, each other, and the natural world — elements that inspire curiosity and support meaningful learning experiences.

Secondly, spaces that evoke creativity are vital, enabling children to explore and develop their imaginations. The third key trend is fostering areas that encourage collaboration and friendship, providing children with opportunities to build bonds in a natural, unstructured way.

Despite the growing role of technology and AI, we believe spaces for children will continue to emphasise hands-on, human-centred learning. Technology may be limited to classroom use, while real-world experiences and exploration are prioritised outdoors. Finally, the focus remains on keeping spaces humble yet powerful in their impact. Children learn best through tangible, sensory experiences that stay with them for a lifetime, making outdoor spaces invaluable for creating these lasting connections.

Photographs by Rajesh Vora