The
school is an independent addition to the campus with barracks
converted to classrooms. The low slung barracks with their
G.I aesthetics were to be demolished for the construction
and the intimate scale they created along with the tall ashoka
trees lining the service road became the primary design parameter.
The requirement of large open spaces for the children to play
in and 25,000 sqft of classrooms necessitated an upper floor.
The vertical sections of the building were detailed to visually
lower the height of the frontal mass, allowing a nostalgic
continuation of intimacy.
The building's 'C' shaped plan, allows
the full foliaged existing trees to cast their cool shadows
in the courtyard throughout the day. Most classrooms have
been playfully skewed, intentionally creating passages without
the boring linearity of typical schools. The staircase is
close to the double heighted entrance, which allows children
to quickly disperse in to classrooms. The long colonnade with
its steps lets the children out quickly into the courtyard.
The outer faces of the skewed rooms are treated with Jaisalmer
stone. The overall imagery of the school is that of a cheerful
learning place, generous in its space planning yet not intimidating
to its users.
