Vidya Mandir School | KSM Architecture

The school building for one of the leading educational institutions of Chennai, is set on a 2 acre site in the periphery of Chennai. It faces West and is adjoining an open space to the South that is used as a play area for the school.

The design strategy focuses on a building that would respond to the hot and humid climate of Chennai. The school has been designed as a naturally ventilated, single-loaded classroom building ribbon that runs parallel to the site boundaries. The building includes a large courtyard in the centre and is punctuated by deep verandahs of varying volumes on all the sides that act as wind tunnels. The building is enveloped by a perforated screen wall that protects it from the sun and glare.

Based on a careful study of the sun-path and for working hours of the school between 8:00 am and 3:30 pm, the perforations in the external skin have been articulated to beat different sun-angles on the four sides of the building. The trees in the central courtyard also act as sun-shaders and are located at appropriate distances to provide shade for the children.

It was a pre-requisite that the school be barrier free and visually well connected. Hence the column-free corridors and inclined parapets that seem to float give a clear view right through the school. Because of this openness, the corridors and the verandahs along with the central courtyard harness the ambient southern and eastern breeze that are prevalent in Chennai.