Spacefiction Studio prioritises natural light and air at colourful school in India

Staggered courtyards, colourful skylights and bridges animate this Indian school extension, which architecture practice Spacefiction Studio has designed to challenge the typical "constricted classroom format".

Located in the small town of Nellore in the state of Andhra Pradesh, the Rainbow International School has been expanded by Spacefiction Studio to accommodate its growing student population.

Spacefiction Studio was commissioned for the project by the non-profit organisation Wishwas Education Society, which purchased a two-hectare parcel of land next door to the existing school to design the three-storey block.

The studio's design is organised around a central spine that divides the plan into a north and south wing, and features bridges crossing on multiple levels.

Instead of a traditional four-walled classroom, the Hyderabad-based studio was guided by the ancient Indian gurukul education model, which is characterised by the image of a guru teaching under the shade of a large tree.

"The whole design started from the idea that the typical four-walled, constricted classroom format should be rethought and every classroom, irrespective of the floor it is located on, must have access to an open area," said Spacefiction Studio's principal architect Baba Sashank.

To ensure a less hierarchical pedagogical style, classrooms are open with an element of outside space. Even students on the higher floors share large, double-height courtyards with walls and ceilings painted terracotta red and sunny yellow.

The studio has staggered the building's south wing to protect the lower floors from the high southern sun and provide a comfortable interior environment in Nellore's hot and humid climate. This created large double-height columns that have been left exposed along the length of the atrium.

The elongated central spine of the building forms an air passage, funnelling a breeze through the school and cooling the building without the need for air conditioning.

"This adds an element of liveliness to an already lively environment," said Shashank. "Because of this constant wind flow, the humidity has no chance to linger, and the inside ambient temperature is always a lot cooler than the outside."

Large cut-outs in the roof bring light in from the top, and these have also been finished in yellow and red hues. They are sealed from rain with glass over trusses on top, and aluminium underneath to reduce heat gain.

Underneath these skylights, large planters run the length of the school and are filled with tropical greenery.

Rainbow International School's flooring is predominantly made of locally sourced Kota stone, interspersed with granite. This cool-toned green kota and grey granite set off the brighter colours used around the courtyards and skylights.

Other recent education projects featured on Dezeen include architect Jonathan Mizzi's learning centre for a school in Indonesia and Indian studio Vastushilpa Sangath's Shiv Nader School that features a banana-leaf shaped roof.

The photography is by Vivek Eadera.

The post Spacefiction Studio prioritises natural light and air at colourful school in India appeared first on Dezeen.