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Gramam Pranganam: Designing Sustainable Community Spaces

bySejpal and Parekh AssociatesStudio in Mumbai; takes projects across IndiaStarts from₹250 ₹ per Sq. Ft. of Built-up AreaView full gallery

Our conceptual vision for a rural community center in Andhra Pradesh, where the traditional village courtyard serves as the heart of social, educational, and healthcare activities.

This board introduces the core concept of 'Gramam Pranganam' (The Village Courtyard). It explains how the traditional courtyard is a central, multi-functional space for congregation, celebration, and finding cool respite from the sun.

An amalgamation of key planning ideas, showing how we integrate climatic responses, vernacular features, and existing site elements like a venerable Neem tree into the design.

A rendering of the community center as seen from the shade of the old neem tree. This view shows the building as a backdrop for a village meeting, demonstrating its role as a shared public space.

This rendering depicts the rear maidaan, or open ground, as a vibrant playground for children. The space is designed for safe play and community events like flag hoisting and sports days.

A view from the rear entrance into the courtyard, where women are creating rangoli. This illustrates the day-to-day cultural activities that the space is designed to foster.

A cross-section detailing the project's sustainability strategies. It shows integrated systems for rainwater harvesting, wastewater treatment, passive cooling, and the use of photovoltaic panels.

A construction technique manual created for the project. This illustrates how local, low-skill construction methods can be used to build the structure, ensuring community involvement and ownership.

This diagram imagines a 'Day in the Life' of the community center, showing its flexible use for studying, childcare, storing goods, and social learning.

The center envisioned as a cultural and social hub. The courtyard becomes a space for a wedding ceremony, with areas for feasting and celebration, showcasing its adaptability for significant life events.

The building shown functioning as a healthcare center. The flexible spaces are used for vaccination camps, health education sessions, and distributing nutritional information, serving a vital community need.

About Designing for Community: The Gramam Pranganam Vision

The Gramam Pranganam design prioritizes passive cooling, using the central courtyard to pull in breezes and daylight. This is not just a stylistic choice, as it eliminates the need for artificial climate control in the tropical heat of Andhra Pradesh. We utilize a modular, low-skill construction method that allows the local community to participate in the building process, ensuring the structure fosters ownership and long-term utility.

Sustainable architecture for rural community spaces — Approved by the tribe
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Sejpal and Parekh Associates

Studio in Mumbai; takes projects across IndiaStarts from ₹250 ₹ per Sq. Ft. of Built-up Area

We are SAPA. For us, architecture is about more than just buildings, it is that Devrai spirit—treating nature as family. We love reviving the village courtyard concept to build spaces that bring people together, keep things cool naturally, and leave almost no footprint behind.

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