NOKHA VILLAGE SCHOOL

Designed at the border of two small villages in Rajasthan , India , this school is being constructed to empower the village girls & encourage them to be educated.
Currently there is no education available in the vicinity of these villages and this project is being spearheaded by a charitable organization to improve the lives of the girls who are residents of the area.
Within a small plot of 9000 sqm , the north east corner rises up along natural contours by 4 metres.
The classrooms and educational facilities are designed skirting the perimeter of the site to create an open play space within the small plot.The central focal courtyard gradually steps upto the north east corner along the existing contours with a cafeteria located at this end. From this north east point children can climb up onto the roof top. The accessible roof top will facilitate interaction & community activities.
The entire school is proposed to be constructed in the local sandstone available in abundance in the region of the school’s location.
A series of vertical stone louvers alternate with stone walls facilitating natural cross ventilation throughout the school & simultaneously reduce heat gain in response to the desert climate of Rajasthan. This building will not be air conditioned and has to be designed to rely on natural ventilation .
Imbibing Indian traditional courtyard planning principles, regional sandstone construction & designing the levels based upon the contours of the site, this school is contextually designed.
It responds to the site, the desert climate & to the social behaviour of the village & residents generating the maximum open space possible within in varying levels allowing the spaces to be used in multiple ways.
Rajasthan in India is known for its sandstone as well as stone craftsmen. This school will be constructed by the village craftsmen receiving a traditional way of building.
The Nokha Village School is a social initiative to improve lives, provide education in rural areas, revive tradition craft whilst being rooted contextually & being climatically responsive.

NOKHA VILLAGE SCHOOL by Sanjay Puri in India won the WA Award Cycle 40. Please find below the WA Award poster for this project.