Punjab’s climate and terrain were unlike anything we had ever encountered. It is a land of harsh weather conditions. Winter temperatures plunge to zero and summer temperatures climb to over fifty degrees.
Project Name: St Martha Bethany Vidyalaya- Phase 1
Office Name: Kamat & Rozario Architecture
Completion Year: 2022
Gross Built Area (m2/ ft2): 20000 sqft
Project Location: Ludhiana, Punjab
Program / Use / Building Function: School
Lead Architects: Lester Rozario
Photo Credits: Purnesh Dev Nikhanj
The countryside’s geography is truly fascinating. The towns here resemble a galaxy of closely spaced clusters, established to avoid the extremely fertile and well-irrigated cultivable land. This is one of the areas in the country with the highest grain yield.
When there are endless stretches of level plain without any mountains in the way, strong winds that carry with them a lot of dust are also produced.
The school was located between the fields on the edge of one of these clusters. The standing rice crop fields around the site, provided us with cool summer breezes and picturesque views. The vast expanse of unobstructed land came with its own challenges. There can be regular dust storms at the end of each crop season. Another issue was the burning of stubble, which resulted in a significant amount of ash being carried in by the wind.
As a result, the school building’s arc-shaped design evolved. The purpose of the fortress-like blank walls is to channel the strong winds through the constructed mass’s open pockets in a more gentle manner by deflecting them.
The surrounding soil’s taupe colour blends in with the blank walls’ taupe colour, thereby assisting them blend in and camouflage weathering.
Bridge pieces in vibrant colours communicate the breaks in the wall. The majority of openings face modest courts formed by the constructed form’s finger-like massing. There aren’t many gaps facing the incident winds. During the day, the courts provide shade to one another. Since the courts are also places for smaller children to play, their size and scope have been kept modest. Who knows, these might even serve as winter classrooms!
