The client brief was to design a K-12 school in one of the Mumbai
suburb's. The key challenge was to provide for constructing the building
in 3 phases and to ensure a non-rigid environment. The fact that the
school was going to be built in a phased manner over 5 to 8 years,
presented an opportunity to design a building that grows. The very high
land rates in Mumbai coupled with regressive building regulations
made it very challenging to introduce un-programmed spaces beyond
the design program. It also implied a vertical school building. The
challenge was to create a horizontal feel within the vertical environment
while implementing principles of sustainability.
A Wholesome Educational
Space overcoming Contextual
Constraints
Space, and related regulatory byelaws, being the prime
constraint in crowded Mumbai, a city that lays a steep
premium on land prices, institutional design speaks a
language of vertical optimization here. The Green Acre
Academy project entailed a multi-storied school building for
classes K to 12 built in phases and one that allows flexible use
of spaces over the time.
The integrated design approach divided the built-form in three parts, with the
central portion offering larger column-free spaces spanned by waffle slabs to
house facilities like laboratories, library, etc. The two wings flanking this central
one were planned along the classroom grid, economizing on the structural cost
by this composite arrangement. Staggering levels between the side and central
blocks enabled a split leveled continuous connection across the vertical aspect
of the building, mitigating the stacked-up feeling. Taking advantage of
staircases, the steps negotiating these split levels were designed to enable
seating and playful activities. These continue into widening interactive pockets in
passages, adding both variety and horizontality to interior spaces. Local building
bye-laws mandating a minimum height of 3.6 m for institutional spaces and 2.4
m for toilets enabled three vertically stacked toilets to be provided for two floors
of classrooms, with additional access from the stair mid-landing. Added to these
were several double height activity spaces through the building and play zones in
the ground floor stilt area. Summarily, reimagining the required vertical
arrangement and creatively responding to building bye-laws to weave in a
horizontal continuity through the school resulted in creating a wholesome,
interactive, uncluttered, brightly lit and well-ventilated child-friendly, nourishing
learning environment
Engineering Integration - Ventilating,
Lighting up the Learning Turf
Understanding the criticality of quality of light to the interiors of an
educational campus, special efforts went into day-lighting as well as artificial
lighting here. Sun, wind and climate studies dictated the fenestration design
where Aluminum panel clad fins and shades, which blend with the exposed
concrete walls, combine to form light shelves which admit concentrated
glare-free day-light to optimum depths of the interiors. Thoughtfully applied
shutter arrangements allow light, ventilation and views to be admitted in
accordance at different times of the day or season. A collage of colored and
clear glass panels contributes light, ventilation and cheerful aesthetics to
interior double height activity spaces and to the façade.
Economical Factoring in
of Discreetly Arranged
Services
The provision for concealing of services within the
chosen exposed concrete finish also enjoyed
special focus while designing. Beams have been
made the carriers of many service lines by leaving
grooves in their sides and bottoms. Strip lighting
was achieved by accommodating light fixtures in
grooves planned in beam soffits; pipes of indoor
AC units for drainage and gas were concealed in
grooves left at the sides of beams and covered
with concrete panels. Prominent deep niches
occurring in the façade make room for service
ducts and AC outdoor units.
Color Panels on a Concrete Canvas for a
Sanitized yet Vibrant Ambience
Juxtaposing solid brightly colored panels over parts of the neat, resilient exposed concrete
surfaces in every space yielded an economically accomplished vibrant school environment.
*All Images and Photographs Credits: Tushar Desai Associates
“Triumphing over Limitations to Deliver
Sustainable, Vibrant Learning Environment.”