Climate-Responsive School Architecture
We design schools that truly respond to their environment. By managing wind and sun with arc-shaped walls and shaded courtyards, we create learning spaces that stay comfortable all year round.
This video gives you a feel for the St. Martha Bethany Vidyalaya school project in Punjab. You can see how the arc-shaped buildings and colorful courtyards come together to create a school that's designed for its specific climate and for the children who use it.
A perfect example of our climate-responsive school architecture. The building's form creates this sheltered 'aangan' or courtyard, offering a cool, shaded space for children to play, even when the Punjab sun is strong.
We use color to define spaces and create visual interest. The bright red wall draws you up the stairs and adds a burst of energy to this central courtyard at the St. Martha Bethany Vidyalaya school.
The design of the SMBV school is a direct response to the local climate. The tall, curved walls act as a barrier against strong winds, while the gap between them, connected by a bridge, channels a gentler breeze through the campus.
We were so proud that our design for the St. Martha Bethany Vidyalaya school was nominated for ArchDaily's Building of the Year. It's a testament to our belief in creating architecture that is both thoughtful and impactful.
A work-in-progress shot of the facade at the SMBV school. These deep red fins aren't just for looks; they are a key part of our sun-shading solution, designed to block harsh sunlight and help keep the classrooms cool.
Even during construction, you can see how the design starts to take shape. The curves, colors, and natural light in this corridor at the SMBV school are all part of creating a more engaging educational environment.
We believe play is a huge part of learning. At the SMBV school, we designed the landscape with these grassy mounds and tunnels to create a natural, interactive play zone for the younger kids.
A view of the outdoor learning and play area taking shape. The simple concrete seats and natural mounds encourage kids to explore and interact with their environment in a fun, unstructured way.
Another angle of the play mounds and tunnels. We wanted to create a landscape that sparks imagination, where kids can run, hide, and make the space their own.
About Schools That Breathe
In places like Punjab, where summer temperatures can hit 50 degrees and winters drop to zero, a school building has to do more than just house classrooms. We focus on how the building 'breathes' by using arc-shaped walls to deflect dust-heavy winds and creating central courtyards, known as aangans. These spaces act as shaded play areas in the summer and wind-sheltered classrooms in the winter, ensuring the architecture works for the children rather than fighting against the local climate.
Designing for the Climate
When we look at a site, we don't start with a blueprint of rooms. We start with the weather. In Punjab, we faced high-speed, dust-laden winds and extreme sun. Our solution was to move away from rigid, boxy structures. Instead, we developed arc-shaped forms. These fortress-like blank walls break the wind, slowing it down before it reaches the more open, human-scale parts of the school.
The Aangan Concept
We love bringing the traditional Punjabi aangan back into institutional design. By creating finger-like massing, we carve out small, intimate courtyards. These are not just aesthetic choices. They are climate-responsive tools. The courts are mutually shaded throughout the day, providing relief from the harsh sun and creating a space that feels calm and protected. It is where learning happens when the weather is nice, and it is where kids play during breaks.
Playful Learning
We believe that play is a massive part of education. To make the landscape interactive, we use undulating mounds and embedded tunnels. This turns the school ground into a place for active exploration. We want the kids to run, hide, and engage with the space in an unstructured way. Our choice of materials—like color-coded conduits and bright fins—adds energy to the learning environment without feeling clinical or rigid. This is how we turn a standard school project into a place that feels alive.
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