SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, VIJAYAWAD
R. KEERTHI LAKSHMI
SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, VIJAYAWADA
Location :Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
Campus :Suburban, 2.66 acres (1.08 ha)
Urban, 9.66 acres (3.91 ha)
The School of Planning and Architecture,
Vijayawada (SPA Vijayawada) is a higher
education institute in Vijayawada, India, specializing
education and research in the field of urban planning and
architecture. The Institute draws on the
austere ideologies from
Brutalism as a form of
The School of Planning and expression as a response
Architecture campus at to the extreme climate,
Vijayawada was a two stage and positions it
open competition held in contextually in
2011-2012. Vijayawada.
The intent was to create social spaces that are embedded within its
CONCEPT
cultural context along with an environmentally sensitive response to
create a built environment which enables learning and living as a
community.
The form evolves from the creation of a
volumetric parasol, extrusion and thereby
additions and subtractions based on programmatic
requirements
Diagram, North-South Section: "The form of the building is a direct
response to the hot and humid climate of Vijayawada, which enables
shading and cross ventilation. North-light sections for studios along
with insulation of the roof and landscaping create responsive
configurations
View of the administration area at the concourse level: The middle section of the
building is a ‘Stilted Platform’ that allows for student activity. This zone is a
reminder of the traditional courtyard that anchors common public and community
programs. This ‘Universal zone’ is occupied by faculty, students, administrators
and visitors enabling non-programmed exchange
The design focuses on the diversity of
individuals and the vastness of a
community and creates Interdependent Shadow Patterns: "The massing of the building
programs that offer pi a multitude of creates a shaded environment in and around the
interactive spaces that would be beneficial building throughout the day which is appropriate
for a community experience.. for a hot – humid climate
Masterplan showing the Institute,
Student housing and dining/Visiting
faculty block The Masterplan attempts
to make the campus an institutional
center in the city of Vijayawada. The
institutional building is a platform for
debate, exchange and dissemination. It
also becomes a deep gateway and an
interface to the entire campus. The
notional Interface/ Gateway allows for
mediating, filtering and channelizing
people from public activity level to the
semi-public programs
FLOOR PLANS
This zone is a reminder of the traditional courtyard that anchors common
public and community programs. It behaves as a concourse to the entire
building as it filters and mediates the movement of people. Smaller
courtyards work as three-dimensional light wells which offer visual
connectivity through the layers above and below. This ‘Universal zone’ is
occupied by faculty, students, administrators and visitors enabling non-
programmed exchange. The PLATFORM-The bottom most section
becomes a heavy base to a floating canopy. The base houses the afternoon
programs of the learning curriculum such as workshops and Laboratories
and is cladded with local Tandur stone which increases the ‘Time Lag’ for
solar- heat gain. This solid platform is punctuated with voids that allow for
Learning Corridor" The
topmost section of the
hot air to dissipate.
building houses the
morning programs of the
learning curriculum such
as classrooms and
studios. It also acts as a
parasol roof for the
lower floors creating a
shaded environment
below
"Organizational strategy for varied learning environments"
GROUND LEVEL: CENTRE AND PERIPHERY - effective for
interactive learning; CONCOURSE LEVEL: FIELD - informal for
networked exchange; TOP LEVEL: GRID - efficient for focussed
learning
Punctures in the Ceiling "cast varied shadows
through the day" This zone also behaves as a
concourse level to the entire building as it filters and
mediates movement of people. The concourse is
The clever insertion of punctures visually connected to the section above and below
throughout the building and the through the voids of the different levels. Programs
use of the Tandur stone cladding such as the cafeteria and recreational areas are
at the base give the facades an located at one end and the administrative block is at
interesting and distinct appearance and largely prevent it the other end
from looking banal.
The materials are stripped to their raw form, with the fair-faced
concrete, local tandur stone, Corten Steel and fly ash bricks ascribing
a natural character to the building. Passive energy systems are
incorporated into the design via courtyards that funnel winds through
the building and enable cross-ventilation, thus regulating the diurnal
temperatures; the volumetric parasol that provides thermal comfort
below and measures to reduce active solar heat gain such as utilizing
North lights while blocking harsh solar radiation from the South.
0
The relationships between three sections -The Parasol, Concourse and
the Platform have been structured into a three-dimensional constellation
that is informed by movement and varying levels of privacy of diverse
programs.PARASOL- The top most section of the building houses the
morning programs of the learning curriculum such as classrooms and
studios. It also acts as a volumetric parasol roof for the lower floors
creating a shaded environment below.CONCOURSE - The middle
section of the building is a ‘Stilted Platform’ that allows for student
activity.
