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International School in Bengaluru, India

By: Ar. Vikas M V and Vishwas Venkat, Crest Architects

Located in a suburban setting in Bangalore, the property is surrounded by residential and plotted developments. The brief required us to design an integrated educational setup that caters to children of different age groups right from daycare to higher secondary level with a wide range of well-equipped facilities.

The central idea of our design proposal is to redefine educational spaces and create a strong identity for the institution by providing a pleasant experience that would nurture young minds. We intend to create a comfortable learning atmosphere by incorporating various elements like natural lighting, wind tunnels, landscaped pockets, interactive terraces and open-air courts that would enhance the spatial experience and encourage students to socialise and engage with the outdoor environment.

The contoured terrain of the site guided the spatial layout and zoning of the functional spaces within the structure. A central atrium is the spine of the building, cutting across the different levels providing optimum visual connectivity and transparency. The amphitheatre acts as an unconventional transitional space from the basement to the ground floor as well as the core activity zone of the building with the flexibility of hosting multiple functions. The main classroom blocks are strategically arranged to carve out informal and outdoor interactive spaces and are zoned away to shield the noise from the playground and other common areas.

Diffused sunlight washes the interiors of the classrooms through angled full-length floor-to-ceiling openings with fins on the northern façade. At the same time, the fibre cement louvers on the southern side prevent the incoming harsh sunlight and create an interesting play of light and shadow in the interiors. The use of fibre cement louvers along the south and west reduces the heat gain and impact of the sunlight. The structural glazing in the classrooms along the north allows diffused sunlight and also reduces the heat entering the building.

A series of cutouts designed in the corridors act as three-dimensional vertical light wells that channel ample daylight through the building, facilitate ventilation and create an outdoor-like experience within the premises. A combination of strategically designed cutouts in the corridors acts as light wells that regulate the airflow and reduces the use of mechanical ventilation systems. The skylights, central courtyard, and strategically placed windows in the functional spaces ensure optimum natural light and ventilation in the interiors and thereby reduce electricity consumption.

The building comprises four floors with a lower ground. The ground floor houses the administrative facilities in the front & is separated from the junior classrooms at the back by an asymmetrical courtyard, thereby creating public and semi-public zones. The canteen is closer to the secondary approach and overlooks the multi-purpose playground and basketball court. All the classrooms and library catering to middle school, high school and senior high departments are arranged towards the rear with common spaces like laboratories, art studios and language labs acting like a buffer from the commotion of the open field and swimming pool. Taking advantage of the contours of the site, the daycare and kindergarten department is placed in the lower ground with exclusive access. The state-of-the-art auditorium on the third floor sits like a sculpture and extends outwards creating shade for the basketball court below. The staggered cantilevered floor plates provide a natural canopy for the stepped pavilion below.

The enormous form of the building has evolved from the functional requirements of an educational arena and was achieved by playing with volumes at multiple spaces punctured with voids and staggering of cubes placed on top of each other housing various programmes. This stacking of the cubes with cantilevers at multiple levels and in separate directions adds a sense of playfulness to the building and the use of continuous louvres at different levels and full-length angled windows with fins gives the building a sense of rhythm and repetition. The magnificent entrance porch and the extensive curvilinear profile of the roof give a strong identity and create a hallmark portal to the school building. The curvilinear profile of the roof is adopted to accentuate the entrance and unify the overall composition of the built form.

QUICK FACTS:

• Project: International School
• Location: Bengaluru
• Client: SET
• Architect: Crest Architects
• Commencement date: 2020
• Completion date: Ongoing