Designed by Architect Sanjay Puri this Rajasthan School is Equipped to Deal with the Desert Heat

Imbibing the organic character of Indian villages and old cities, the Rajasthan School is a low-rise three-level school with open, enclosed and semi-enclosed spaces of varying volumes.

The school is designed as a maze of shaded walkways in deep red. The design takes cognisance of the desert climate of its location, which has temperatures soaring about 35 degrees for most of the year. Natural light, shade and, ventilation were the three driving factors for the architect.

The school is spread over three levels, and most of the classrooms face North to take advantage of indirect sunlight. A large central courtyard replete with a network of pergolas in deep red not just stand in stark contrast to the landscape but also provides an excellent space of interaction for the students. The space is designed to encourage the kids to explore, and engage with their surroundings.

The auditorium, primary school and administration space occupy the southern side of the plot, opening into a large, sheltered open area towards the north, beyond which the secondary school classrooms, library and cafeteria are located. The semi-sheltered courtyard has multiple angular pathways, connecting the two parts of the school with landscaped play spaces that foster engagement. “Traversed by a series of linear trapezoidal frames and sun-breakers, this focal area has a constantly changing shadow pattern depending on the sun’s direction throughout the day,” informs the architect. “The layout is intentionally fragmented, allowing open landscaped spaces to be interspersed with the school’s learning spaces.”

The visual language throughout the school remains the same, the rectilinear form of the main school building is broken by interludes of angular extrusions, which in turn creates a series of shaded spaces. The entire school opens towards a multipurpose playground and athletics track on the northern side.

All circulation is through open, naturally ventilated corridors that traverse and skirt the focal semi-sheltered landscaped court in the centre. Angled vertical walls act as sun breakers to reduce heat gain from the east, west and south sides, generating cooler internal spaces.

Inside, the space is drenched in vibrant primary colours, once again in stark contrast to its arid landscape. “The complete electrical power requirement is generated by the residual energy of a cement plant nearby. In addition, the entire water is recycled and reused. The building by its design is thus, extremely energy efficient,” informs the architect.

The organic layout creates a different character to each part of the school, orienting each space with different views and perceptions. The Rajasthan School derives its character from the organic old cities with an informal layout, interspersed with open and enclosed volumes, and designed in response to the hot climate, thus creating a school that is exploratory in multiple ways.

FACTFILE

Client: Shree Cement Ltd
Lead architect: Sanjay Puri Design team: Ishveen Bhasin, Ankush Malde, Pooja Prajapati
Consultants:
Engineering – Dr. Kelkar Designs Pvt Ltd
Services – Epsilon Design Consultancy Pvt Ltd
Landscape – Sanjay Puri Architects Construction
RCC structure Finishes: Sand-faced plaster and exterior paint
Plot area: 17,651 sq m
Built-up area: 8,640 sq m
Year of completion: 2020

Text: Provided by the Architects