Biome Environmental Solutions

My First School

My First School
© Vivek Muthuramalingam

MY FIRST SCHOOL

Biome Environmental Solutions

CLIENT
Raja

MEP CONSULTANTS
Hmn Techconsultants Private Limited

CONTRACTORS
Ranganath.l

MANUFACTURERS
Autodesk, Jaquar, Panasonic, Tata Pigments, Trimble, Cera

ARCHITECT IN CHARGE
Chitra Vishwanath, Anurag Tamhankar

ENGINEERING
Mesha Consultants

DESIGN TEAM
Chitra Vishwanath, Anurag Tamhankar, Anuja Bhandari

AREA
31500 m²

YEAR
2019

LOCATION
Tiruvannamalai, India

CATEGORY
School

Text description provided by architect.

Vaishnavi and Raja established “My first school” with a zeal to improve the quality of education in their hometown of Tiruvanamalai.

My First School
© Vivek Muthuramalingam
My First School
© Vivek Muthuramalingam

The school progressed rapidly and needed a larger campus setup-a place which reflected the philosophy espoused.

The site chosen is in the outskirts of the city and is surrounded by rice fields and coconut grove.

The famous Arunachala Hill of the town Tiruvannamalai is visible from the land.

My First School
© Vivek Muthuramalingam
My First School
© Vivek Muthuramalingam

Vaishnavi and Raja’s brief to us was to develop a campus for children from kindergarten to 12th standard.

We have prepared the complete master plan, The land parcel is of 3.5 acres.. The construction is being done in phases.

My First School
© Vivek Muthuramalingam
My First School
© Vivek Muthuramalingam

The First phase comprises classrooms for grade 1-8, laboratories, library, dining area and administration office space.

(The school followed CBSE curriculum which has specific area requirements for classrooms, laboratories, library and other common spaces.

My First School
© Vivek Muthuramalingam
My First School
© Vivek Muthuramalingam
My First School
© Vivek Muthuramalingam

Given the semi-arid climate of Tiruvannamalai the semi open spaces were a crucial part of the design requiring shaded play spaces.

This shaded play spaces are integrated in the building planing the broad passages.

Each classroom was uniquely designed to allow for a different experience every year as the children grow.

My First School
© Vivek Muthuramalingam
My First School
© Vivek Muthuramalingam

The classrooms are notionally divided into two spaces- one is the learning space and a smaller secondary space for group discussions.

This division is achieved by changes in the colour of the cement floor.

My First School
© Vivek Muthuramalingam
My First School
© Vivek Muthuramalingam

Most of the classrooms access a semi open space which is either a verandah or a screened balcony.

Balconies connecting classrooms are designed with angled vertical louvers so as to minimize glare but allow breeze through.

My First School
© Vivek Muthuramalingam
My First School
© Vivek Muthuramalingam

Windows facing the west and north façade are shaded with vertical and horizontal shading devices respectively to cut off the heat gain and the glare in the classrooms.

The library is in the basement to which is attached a calming space of a meditation room.

The axis of the administrative section of the building is broken from the academic section to block direct visibility and thereby introduce a surprise element. Various elements are introduced in the design nudging the children into learning through play.

My First School
© Vivek Muthuramalingam
My First School
© Vivek Muthuramalingam

The porous wall between the corridor and the music room invites the kids to climb which helps develop their upper body strength.

The kitchen and dining are in a separate block due to their functionality. This is a tall space which is also used as a badminton court.


My First School
Site plan
My First School
Basement floor plan
My First School
Ground floor plan
My First School
First floor plan
My First School
Dining plan and elevation
My First School
Sections and elevations

Biome Environmental Solutions
T +91 80 41672790
Biome Environmental Solutions
No. 15, 1st floor, 1st Main, 1st Block, BEL Layout, Vidyaranyapura, Bangalore – 560 097, India