Remember, what your primary school looked like? Of course, we all remember. These important first impressions of an educational building form our reference points for understanding any school or any other building for that matter, at a later stage. At its conceptual level, the building is meant to be self-explanatory for its most important occupants: children. The building becomes a learning object, with different design elements telling the story of how a building functions and creates spaces.
Located in between the magical tea garden hills in Munnar, Kerala, the design required to be fit to challenge the cold and the rain as well as the 35 degree slope of the plot. The initial concept design envisioned a stepped building in different levels, to minimize the ground level impact and excavation. Due to budget constraints, the stepped design was simplified.
The open corners of the table columns refer to the open-corner window solution for building. Windows open onto the surrounding hills, creating an airy and transparent space in the midst of the gorgeous landscape.
With this school, we hope to provide a set of different important building references for the children to open up their mind for further and deeper interpretation of buildings for their future.
We were honored by Mr. Ratan N. Tata to place the first stone for the building.
A passage with a large overhanging roof on the front of the building provides a dry, outdoor space for children during Munnar’s two monsoons.
Much of the building’s design was determined by budget constraints. The industrial character of the structure, with stamped concrete flooring, clusters of chains for runoff of rainwater, light grey granite table tops and wooden benches, and overhead lights are all as beautiful as they are functional and economical. Beauty, after all, is created with design and detailing, not excessive budgets.
The open structure extends to the blue roof, with its multiple skylights providing ample natural light. The rows of windows open to fresh mountain air, while overhanging roofs provide a dry, outdoor space during Munnar’s two monsoons.
The columns, painted in a bright graphic red, are set outside the enclosing walls, their color in playful contrast to the neutral finish of the walls. The entire load bearing structure can be read as a separate element from inside and outside the building, as the columns are placed in front of the windows.
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