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Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Inside IIM-Bangalore's Jigani campus
Bengaluru: The Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore campus on Bannerghatta Road is iconic. The bare grey stone walls, high ceilings, long and pillared corridors, classroom clusters around large courtyards, interlinking stone pathways, all set within tall canopies of green trees and creepers exude a monastic feel about the premier management institute. The IIM-B campus was originally designed by the renowned architect Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi. (In 2018, Doshi became the first Indian architect to be awarded the Pritzker Prize, one of the highest architecture honours in the world.) When IIM-B sets out to build its next campus in Jigani, 25km from the existing one, expectations are running high. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru The 110-acre land where the new campus is coming up is actually two separate plots divided by the Jigani-Harohalli Road, a link between two commercial industrial pockets —Jigani and Harohalli. The Management Development Centre (MDC), which currently runs weekly programmes, operates out of the larger 77-acre plot. Work will soon begin on the 33-acre land parcel that is set to house the undergraduate programme, which the IIM-B has been planning for almost a decade now. The programme will finally launch next academic year. While one plot overlooks the Bannerghatta National Park, the other opens to a few local settlements and vegetation. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like I Asked ChatGPT What Humanity Will Achieve In The Next 30 Years — Here's What It Said Liseer Undo There's a plan to build an underground passage connecting both campuses. The place The road to Mahanthalingapura Village is relatively quiet, dotted with a few houses, belonging mostly to local farmers. A noticeable landmark is a modest state-run school. The UG campus will come up amid the village's vast tracts of green, in a valley surrounded by hillocks. (IIM-B could not take possession of the first land parcel allocated by the state govt in 2011 because there were live quarrying permits. The alternative survey number was given in 2015, and the institute took possession of the land in 2017). The MDC building work, which began in 2018, was completed in 2021. The building houses three classrooms and 84 double-occupancy rooms. Classes are held for around 20 days every month. Being a slope, the site where MDC is built is unique. The variation in elevation between the high and low points has provided a cascading flow to its architecture. The plot earmarked for the UG campus throws up similar challenges. Of the six floors of the MDC building, four are built below ground level. The wide windows and balconies open to fields where farmers grow ragi and flowers. Bengaluru-based Mindspace Architects designed the MDC. Building for a younger crowd By design, the architecture of the UG campus is being planned to be different from that of the Bannerghatta campus, as it looks to cater to a much younger crowd. "Unlike PG students, a significant number of our UG residents will be living away from home for the first time and are at a formative stage of personal and academic development. Our approach is consciously oriented toward building a campus environment that is more structured, inclusive and supportive with elements that cohesively inculcate community and care," says Prof PD Jose, professor in-charge of IIM-B's new campus. With a budget of Rs 450 crores, the phase 1 work of the UG campus is expected to take at least 24 months to complete. DDF Consultants has been roped in as the architect. The landscape of the proposed site is challenging. The 33-acre site features undulating terrain, natural water channels, and native vegetation, including existing tree groves. "One of the key challenges is the site's 30-metre level difference between high and low points, which requires careful contour planning to avoid excessive cut-and-fill. However, this very feature has informed a stepped architectural language, allowing buildings to cascade along the slope, opening shaded terraces and framed views," says Saurabh Chandra, director, DDF Consultants. "Rather than replicating the old, the new campus builds upon the spirit and soul of the current campus (on Bannerghatta Road), reinterpreting its principles to meet the future. It pays homage to its legacy, evolving to meet the aspirations of a new generation," says the architect. The architecture of the main campus is distinguished by the way it enables academic life to unfold through movement, transitions, and layered interactions between built and open spaces. "This sensibility continues to inform the new campus," he adds. — The UG buildings will follow the natural contours of the plot, thus creating terraced forms, sunken plazas, and elevated walkways that integrate with the topography. — Courtyard-centric learning spaces, echoing traditional Indian gurukul ideals in a contemporary form, are being planned with open-to-sky areas — Academic blocks are designed to be modular, adaptable and expandable, making room for flexible programming — Use of local stone, exposed concrete, terracotta, and lime plaster will give the campus a tactile, rooted feel, while ensuring durability and low maintenance. — Interstitial and informal learning spaces are being planned, with a design that incorporates steps, ramps, shaded decks, verandahs, green nooks, semi-open terraces, with intuitive wayfinding. Stakeholders like students, faculty, alumni, local community representatives, and experts were consulted extensively. External experts — professors from IIT Kharagpur and IIT Palghat, senior Central Public Works Department members, and independent construction consultants — are roped in. Performance and recreational spaces were planned carefully by incorporating inputs from performing artistes, musicians, and sportspersons, who are also IIM-B alumni. Hostels are designed keeping in mind the need for social interaction and community building with shared living, common areas for study and recreation, and accessible support services. Accounting for green vision IIM-B campus which has a carbon footprint study that has been carried out (which says its per capita carbon footprint is estimated to be 1.37 as against India's 2.4) will have similar ethos about sustainability on its Jigani campus too. "The design integrates sustainability, technology, and adaptability with smart infrastructure, renewable energy systems, water-sensitive landscaping, and climate- responsive buildings, aiming to build a net-zero, low-carbon footprint campus," says Saurabh. He says Bengaluru's natural terrain and climate inspired the UG site planning. The architecture accentuates open courtyards, shaded walkways, and green corridors that echo traditional South Indian academic spaces while remaining distinctly contemporary, he explains. The site also has a seasonal natural stream. The masterplan proposes a riparian buffer zone of 25–30 metres on either side, to be preserved and activated through erosion control, bioswales (landscaped depressions or channels designed to manage stormwater runoff), rain gardens, and planted recreational trails. This zone is envisioned as an eco-sensitive corridor, offering opportunities for nature-based recreation and learning. The campus will also maintain universal design principles to ensure barrier-free movement. Solar panels, water harvesting, green infrastructure, and zero-discharge waste systems are also being planned for the UG campus. Even signage, lighting, and street furniture will reinforce the sustainable character. Old vs new A fortnight ago, IIM-B announced the launch of a four-year undergraduate programme with majors in Economics and Data Sciences with 40 seats each for the academic year 2026-27. The institute plans scale it up to 640 by 2031 CORRIDORS & COLONNADES: The design of IIM-B's UG campus will remain aligned with the foundational principles that shaped the first campus on Bannerghatta Road. These include interconnected corridors, courts, and colonnades, which encourage walking, exploration, and informal interaction. On the new campus, this concept will be integrated in the form of shaded walkways, landscaped paths, and layered spaces BIOPHILIC DESIGN: The existing campus blends effortlessly into nature with its stone walls, open courtyards, and filtered light linking the indoors with the outdoors. This will be copied on the new campus by employing biophilic design (an approach that integrates natural elements into built environments), tree-lined vistas, and climate-responsive buildings that foster harmony with Bengaluru's ecosystem and seasonal rhythms BEING PURPOSEFUL: The use of exposed concrete and local stone, and the play of light and shadow on the Bannerghatta Road campus creates a sense of permanence and gravitas. On Jigani campus, the approach to materials is similarly purposeful, although informed by contemporary requirements for sustainability, lightness, and ease of maintenance
Scroll.in
4 days ago
- General
- Scroll.in
Schools get mud and clay update to stay cool in warming climates
When prize-winning architect Francis Kéré was growing up in Burkina Faso he spent his schooldays in a gloomy classroom that was so stifling he says it would have been better suited to making bread than educating children. Years later, while studying abroad, Kéré returned to his home village to build a light and airy school where children could learn in comfort despite temperatures that can hit 45 degrees celsius. But the Berlin-based architect did not use air conditioning. Instead, he incorporated a host of cooling features into Gando Primary School that he has since applied to projects across Africa. Kéré, who won architecture's highest honour of the Pritzker Prize in 2022, is among architects pioneering sustainable school designs for a warming planet. 'My own school was so hot it was hard to concentrate,' he told Context. 'So I wanted to build a school that would be comfortable and inspiring for children.' Studies from Brazil to Vietnam show heat significantly impacts learning. In a report last year, the World Bank warned that climate change was threatening educational attainment, creating an 'economic time-bomb'. Experts say classrooms should be no hotter than 26 degrees celsius. In Gando, villagers were initially shocked when Kéré announced he would build the school from clay, but the material is a natural temperature regulator, absorbing heat during the day and releasing it at night. Concrete and plate-glass may look contemporary, but Kéré said they make buildings hot, necessitating air conditioners. This creates a vicious circle. Energy-intensive air conditioners, which expel hot air outdoors, contribute to global warming, which then fuels demand for more aircon. Instead, Kéré uses passive cooling techniques. Gando's classrooms have openings at both ends, generating cross-ventilation. An overhanging roof elevated above a perforated lower roof improves air circulation and shades the facade. In Kenya, Kéré's design for a college campus was inspired by termite mounds, which use natural ventilation to regulate interior temperatures. Low openings on the buildings suck in fresh air while terracotta-coloured towers let hot air escape. Social change Some 8,000 km away in India's Thar desert, temperatures reached 48 degrees celsius this year. Vegetation is sparse, and sandstorms are common. The Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School, a large oval sandstone edifice rising from the Rajasthan desert, was designed by New York architect Diana Kellogg. The building's orientation and shape allow prevailing winds to flow around the school, while lime plaster on the interior walls has an additional cooling effect. Lattice walls, inspired by traditional Indian jali screens, accelerate airflow due to a phenomenon called the Venturi effect. The school also runs off solar power and harvests enough rainwater for its needs. Temperatures inside are up to 10 degrees celsius cooler than outside, contributing to high attendance, Kellogg said. Like Kéré, she believes good architecture can encourage social change. Rajasthan has the lowest female literacy rate in India, but Kellogg said the school's monumental scale sends a strong message about the value of girls. 'It has enhanced their standing in the community,' she said. 'The girls take pride in attending and call it 'The College'. When I visit, the boys say, 'Build one for us'.' Greening schools Even temperate countries are looking at how to cool schools as climate change brings more frequent heatwaves. Britain has said new school buildings should be future-proofed for a 4 degrees celsius temperature rise. Its draughty Victorian-era schools with big windows and high ceilings are better suited to heatwaves than newer schools designed to keep heat in. But education does not just happen indoors. Playgrounds are also important for children's development, and many cities are trying to make them greener. Urban areas can be 4-6 degrees celsius warmer than rural areas, but planting trees reduces temperatures through shading and the release of water vapour. Paris aims to convert all asphalted schoolyards to green oases by 2050. Another solution involves cool paint. While countries like Greece have long painted building roofs white, scientists are now working on high-tech coatings that could potentially outperform air conditioners. Building with clay From geothermal cooling technology to smart glass, engineers are developing increasingly sophisticated systems and products to control temperatures. But German architect Anna Heringer said sustainable architecture meant working with local materials. Heringer, who has designed schools from Bangladesh to Ghana, is known for building with mud – 'a low-tech material with high-tech performance'. 'If you ask farmers, they will tell you a mud house is cool in summer,' Heringer said, adding that clay balances humidity, which exacerbates physical discomfort in extreme heat and cold. 'Architects often try to be way too technical, but sometimes the solutions are in front of us.' In Tanzania, villagers told her they built concrete homes for status, but went to mud huts to sleep at night. Contrary to popular perception, clay walls do not dissolve in the rain, Heringer said. There are simple techniques to prevent erosion, and a natural crystallization process strengthens the walls over time. 'Clay has been branded as a weak material, but in every culture and climate we have mud buildings that are hundreds of years old,' Heringer said, adding that schools she built 20 years ago have required little maintenance. Some classrooms in her schools have solar-powered fans, but there is no air conditioning. Not only does it consume energy, but constantly switching between heat and cold can harm children's health, she said. Kéré – whose international commissions include Benin's new parliament building and the upcoming Las Vegas Museum of Art – said his studio gets many inquiries about building with clay and passive cooling. 'There's a big shift,' he said. 'This would never have happened just a few years ago.'
Malay Mail
17-07-2025
- General
- Malay Mail
How architects are designing schools that beat the heat and keep kids cool
LONDON, July 18 — When prize-winning architect Francis Kere was growing up in Burkina Faso he spent his schooldays in a gloomy classroom that was so stifling he says it would have been better suited to making bread than educating children. Years later, while studying abroad, Kere returned to his home village to build a light and airy school where children could learn in comfort despite temperatures that can hit 45 degrees Celsius (113 F). But the Berlin-based architect did not use aircon. Instead he incorporated a host of cooling features into Gando Primary School that he has since applied to projects across Africa. Kere, who won architecture's highest honour of the Pritzker Prize in 2022, is among architects pioneering sustainable school designs for a warming planet. 'My own school was so hot it was hard to concentrate,' he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. 'So I wanted to build a school that would be comfortable and inspiring for children.' Studies from Brazil to Vietnam show heat significantly impacts learning. In a report last year, the World Bank warned that climate change was threatening educational attainment, creating an 'economic time-bomb'. Experts say classrooms should be no hotter than 26°C. In Gando, villagers were initially shocked when Kere announced he would build the school from clay, but the material is a natural temperature regulator, absorbing heat during the day and releasing it at night. Concrete and plate-glass may look contemporary, but Kere said they make buildings hot, necessitating air conditioners. This creates a vicious circle. Energy-intensive air conditioners, which expel hot air outdoors, contribute to global warming, which then fuels demand for more aircon. Instead, Kere uses passive cooling techniques. Gando's classrooms have openings at both ends, generating cross-ventilation. An overhanging roof elevated above a perforated lower roof improves air circulation and shades the facade. Gando Primary School, designed by Francis Kéré, features a double roof to keep temperatures cool inside. — Thomson Reuters Foundation pic/Kéré Architecture Handout In Kenya, Kere's design for a college campus was inspired by termite mounds, which use natural ventilation to regulate interior temperatures. Low openings on the buildings suck in fresh air while terracotta-coloured towers let hot air escape. Social change Some 8,000 km (5,000 miles) away in northwest India's Thar desert, temperatures reached 48°C this year. Vegetation is sparse, and sandstorms are common. The Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School, a large oval sandstone edifice rising from the Rajasthan desert, was designed by New York architect Diana Kellogg. The building's orientation and shape allow prevailing winds to flow around the school, while lime plaster on the interior walls has an additional cooling effect. Lattice walls, inspired by traditional Indian jali screens, accelerate airflow due to a phenomenon called the Venturi effect. The school also runs off solar power and harvests enough rainwater for its needs. Temperatures inside are up to 10°C cooler than outside, contributing to high attendance, Kellogg said. Like Kere, she believes good architecture can encourage social change. Rajasthan has the lowest female literacy rate in India, but Kellogg said the school's monumental scale sends a strong message about the value of girls. 'It has enhanced their standing in the community,' she said. 'The girls take pride in attending and call it 'The College'. When I visit, the boys say, 'Build one for us'.' Greening schools Even temperate countries are looking at how to cool schools as climate change brings more frequent heatwaves. Girls play in a shaded passage at the Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School in Rajasthan, northwest India, designed by New York architect Diana Kellogg. Photo taken 2021 by Vinay Panjwani. — Thomson Reuters Foundation pic/Diana Kellogg Architects Handout Britain has said new school buildings should be future-proofed for a 4°C temperature rise. Its draughty Victorian-era schools with big windows and high ceilings are better suited to heatwaves than newer schools designed to keep heat in. But education does not just happen indoors. Playgrounds are also important for children's development, and many cities are trying to make them greener. Urban areas can be 4°C to 6°C warmer than rural areas, but planting trees reduces temperatures through shading and the release of water vapour. Paris aims to convert all asphalted schoolyards to green oases by 2050. Another solution involves cool paint. While countries like Greece have long painted building roofs white, scientists are now working on high-tech coatings that could potentially outperform air conditioners. Building with clay From geothermal cooling technology to smart glass, engineers are developing increasingly sophisticated systems and products to control temperatures. But German architect Anna Heringer said sustainable architecture means working with local materials. Heringer, who has designed schools from Bangladesh to Ghana, is known for building with mud – 'a low-tech material with high-tech performance. 'If you ask farmers, they will tell you a mud house is cool in summer,' Heringer said, adding that clay balances humidity, which exacerbates physical discomfort in extreme heat and cold. 'Architects often try to be way too technical, but sometimes the solutions are in front of us.' In Tanzania, villagers told her they built concrete homes for status, but went to mud huts to sleep at night. Contrary to popular perception, clay walls do not dissolve in the rain, Heringer said. There are simple techniques to prevent erosion, and a natural crystallization process strengthens the walls over time. 'Clay has been branded as a weak material, but in every culture and climate we have mud buildings that are hundreds of years old,' Heringer said, adding that schools she built 20 years ago have required little maintenance. Some classrooms in her schools have solar-powered fans, but there is no aircon. Not only does it consume energy, but constantly switching between heat and cold can harm children's health, she said. Kere — whose international commissions include Benin's new parliament building and the upcoming Las Vegas Museum of Art — said his studio gets many inquiries about building with clay and passive cooling. 'There's a big shift,' he said. 'This would never have happened just a few years ago.' — Reuters
Japan Times
17-07-2025
- General
- Japan Times
How schools are being built for extreme heat — without air conditioning
When prize-winning architect Francis Kere was growing up in Burkina Faso he spent his schooldays in a gloomy classroom that was so stifling he says it would have been better suited to making bread than educating children. Years later, while studying abroad, Kere returned to his home village to build a light and airy school where children could learn in comfort despite temperatures that can hit 45 degrees Celsius. But the Berlin-based architect did not use air conditioning. Instead he incorporated a host of cooling features into Gando Primary School that he has since applied to projects across Africa. Kere, who in 2022 won the Pritzker Prize, architecture's highest honor, is among the architects pioneering sustainable school designs for a warming planet. "My own school was so hot it was hard to concentrate," he said. "So I wanted to build a school that would be comfortable and inspiring for children." Studies from Brazil to Vietnam show heat significantly impacts learning. In a report last year, the World Bank warned that climate change was threatening educational attainment, creating an "economic time-bomb." Experts say classrooms should be no hotter than 26 C. In Gando, villagers were initially shocked when Kere announced he would build the school from clay, but the material is a natural temperature regulator, absorbing heat during the day and releasing it at night. Concrete and plate-glass may look contemporary, but Kere said they make buildings hot, necessitating air conditioners. This creates a vicious circle. Energy-intensive air conditioners, which expel hot air outdoors, contribute to global warming, which then fuels demand for more air conditioning. Instead, Kere uses passive cooling techniques. Students use fans to cool down during a class at a school in Phnom Penh in May last year. | REUTERS Gando's classrooms have openings at both ends, generating cross-ventilation. An overhanging roof elevated above a perforated lower roof improves air circulation and shades the facade. In Kenya, Kere's design for a college campus was inspired by termite mounds, which use natural ventilation to regulate interior temperatures. Low openings on the buildings suck in fresh air while terracotta-colored towers let hot air escape. Social change Some 8,000 kilometers away in northwest India's Thar desert, temperatures reached 48 C this year. Vegetation is sparse, and sandstorms are common. The Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School, a large oval sandstone edifice rising from the Rajasthan desert, was designed by New York architect Diana Kellogg. The building's orientation and shape allow prevailing winds to flow around the school, while lime plaster on the interior walls has an additional cooling effect. Lattice walls, inspired by traditional Indian jali screens, accelerate airflow due to a phenomenon called the Venturi effect. The school also runs off solar power and harvests enough rainwater for its needs. Temperatures inside are up to 10 C cooler than outside, contributing to high attendance, Kellogg said. Like Kere, she believes good architecture can encourage social change. Rajasthan has the lowest female literacy rate in India, but Kellogg said the school's monumental scale sends a strong message about the value of girls. "It has enhanced their standing in the community," she said. "The girls take pride in attending and call it 'The College.' When I visit, the boys say, 'Build one for us.'" Greening schools Even temperate countries are looking at how to cool schools as climate change brings more frequent heat waves. Britain has said new school buildings should be future-proofed for a 4 C temperature rise. Its drafty Victorian-era schools with big windows and high ceilings are better suited to heat waves than newer schools designed to keep heat in. But education does not just happen indoors. Playgrounds are also important for children's development, and many cities are trying to make them greener. Urban areas can be 4 C to 6 C warmer than rural areas, but planting trees reduces temperatures through shading and the release of water vapor. Paris aims to convert all asphalted schoolyards to green oases by 2050. Another solution involves cool paint. While countries like Greece have long painted building roofs white, scientists are now working on high-tech coatings that could potentially outperform air conditioners. Building with clay From geothermal cooling technology to smart glass, engineers are developing increasingly sophisticated systems and products to control temperatures. But German architect Anna Heringer said sustainable architecture means working with local materials. Heringer, who has designed schools from Bangladesh to Ghana, is known for building with mud — "a low-tech material with high-tech performance. "If you ask farmers, they will tell you a mud house is cool in summer," Heringer said, adding that clay balances humidity, which exacerbates physical discomfort in extreme heat and cold. Students attend their final exam at the secondary school built by Francis Kere in Gando, Burkina Faso, on June 3, 2022. | REUTERS "Architects often try to be way too technical, but sometimes the solutions are in front of us." In Tanzania, villagers told her they built concrete homes for status, but went to mud huts to sleep at night. Contrary to popular perception, clay walls do not dissolve in the rain, Heringer said. There are simple techniques to prevent erosion, and a natural crystallization process strengthens the walls over time. "Clay has been branded as a weak material, but in every culture and climate we have mud buildings that are hundreds of years old," Heringer said, adding that schools she built 20 years ago have required little maintenance. Some classrooms in her schools have solar-powered fans, but there is no air conditioning. Not only does it consume energy, but constantly switching between heat and cold can harm children's health, she said. Kere — whose international commissions include Benin's new parliament building and the upcoming Las Vegas Museum of Art — said his studio gets many inquiries about building with clay and passive cooling. "There's a big shift," he said. "This would never have happened just a few years ago."
The Herald
16-07-2025
- General
- The Herald
How schools are being built for extreme heat — without aircon
When prize-winning architect Francis Kere was growing up in Burkina Faso he spent his schooldays in a gloomy classroom that was so stifling he says it would have been better suited to making bread than educating children. Years later, while studying abroad, Kere returned to his home village to build a light and airy school where children could learn in comfort despite temperatures that can hit 45°C. But the Berlin-based architect did not use air conditioning. Instead he incorporated a host of cooling features into Gando Primary School that he has since applied to projects around Africa. Kere, who won architecture's highest honour, the Pritzker Prize in 2022, is among architects pioneering sustainable school designs for a warming planet. 'My own school was so hot it was hard to concentrate,' he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. 'So I wanted to build a school that would be comfortable and inspiring for children.' Studies from Brazil to Vietnam show heat significantly affects learning. In a report last year, the World Bank warned climate change was threatening educational attainment, creating an 'economic time bomb'. Experts say classrooms should be no hotter than 26°C. In Gando, villagers were initially shocked when Kere announced he would build the school from clay, but the material is a natural temperature regulator, absorbing heat during the day and releasing it at night. Concrete and plate glass may look contemporary, but Kere said they make buildings hot, necessitating air conditioners. This creates a vicious circle. Energy-intensive air conditioners, which expel hot air outdoors, contribute to global warming, which then fuels demand for more air conditioning. Instead, Kere uses passive cooling techniques.
