School design often focuses on a series of core classrooms placed together to support study and extracurricular activities for young students. However, these facilities can be more institutional than imaginative and often have little connection with the countryside, whether in rural or urban areas.
For a secondary installation funded by the Dakshana Foundation in India, Morphogenesis decided to abandon typology to blend with nature rather than separate it, to become a learning tool. Located in Khed, the Dakshana Valley Institute is spread over 109 acres, with a design that includes the north-south gradient of the site and the surrounding area. “The primary axis, from the highest central point to the lake, ensures that the landscape remains a constant companion in the act of learning,” says Manit Rastogi, co-founder and president of Morphogenesis.
A distinctive brick building sits at the heart of the campus, a hub for talented scholars from low-income households as they prepare for their medical and engineering exams. The blocks were initially chosen for their tactile quality, but they also contribute to an almost 50% reduction in heat gain, essential in humid climates.
These essentials provide a sense of familiarity to teenagers who have traveled for the first time in their lives to attend this residential school. “Brick is instinctively associated with a home-like warmth that fosters a sense of belonging, and this was just as intentional a thought as anything structural or thermal,” notes Sonali Rastogi, co-founder and vice president of Morphogenesis. Basalt, wood, terracotta and Shahabad stone complete the palette of earthy materials.
Even the journey inside is reminiscent of the paths found in the students’ villages. Based on the meandering lane concept, this new route leads to 13 classrooms, a knowledge center and a dining hall. With its curved profile, the arrivals pavilion frames panoramic views of the valley below as well as the amphitheater.
The lecture rooms have window sills with light shelves and vertical fins that reduce glare from the sun and support cross ventilation. Shaded buffer zones near entrances double as areas for discussion that mitigate crowding and noise. People can read or relax in outdoor corners. Covered terraces act as overflow spaces to spark spontaneous interactions.
Formed with an emphasis on the soil, the Dakshana Valley Institute promotes the well-being of the planet and the next generation entrusted with its care.
To see more work from the studio, visit morphogenesis.org.
Photo by Anuj Joshi.
