Rural schools get aspirational surroundings
Delhi firm Design Atelier Urbis is engaged with creating aspirational architecture for education in rural settings. Ar. Aashish Karode, Principal Architect, Design Atelier Urbis, says that while current trends are towards restrained use of materials, increasingly, schools want buildings that inspire dreams. Ar. Karode says, “My work remains a response to context and centrality of environment, space-making, place-making, the high sun, the weather in each school at each location.”
As the schools are in rural settings, the budgets are not always high. But Ar. Karode says they work within the given resources. He adds, “The budgets and our fees are low but the central feature of the project is to bring value to the needs and characteristics of children in an educational setting, enhance learning and bring joy to school life.”
The nature of the work is its own reward. Ar. Karode says, “Even with small land parcels, it is a joy to be part of a tradition in architecture that creates spaces of accommodation for children in small towns.” Design Atelier Urbis has designed schools, vocational training institutes and industrial training centres. They provide diverse design solutions that offer space generosity with a sense of order. “Within all the constraints,” says Ar. Karore, “we have driven the element of site sensitivity, and made naturally-lit, open spaces inside and outside the building, places for serendipitous meetings within the student community and smart classrooms that encourage learning outside the capabilities of the available teaching talent.”
Institutions designed by Design Atelier Urbis:
Industrial Training Centre (ITC) Baulapal, Sukinda Odisha
Technical Training and Research Centre (TTRC), Chaubepur, UP
Manufacturing Technology Training Centre (MTTC), Kanpur, UP
Plastics Applications Development Centre (PADC) Panipat, Haryana
Sikhya School at Chandigarh
Indraprastha Public School, Ghaziabad
Ashiyana Public School Chandigarh
Indraprastha Girls School, Patna
Apeejay School, Fardabad, Haryana
Kalinga Public School, Cuttack, Odisha
BIPF School, Choudwar, Odisha
