Photography | Dinesh Mehta | |
---|---|---|
Text | Nitin Killawala Nimit Killawala | |
Design | Nimit Killawala Brandlove |
Date | Design Team | HVAC Engineers |
---|---|---|
2014 | Nitin Killawala Sanjeev Doshi Swati Patil Shailesh Panchal | Ketan Shah |
Clients | Structural Engineers | Landscape |
K.J. Somaiya Trust | Sanghvi Associates | Foliage Unlimited |
Location | Electrical | |
Vidyavihar, Mumbai | Siddhi Consultants | |
Project Area | ||
10,000 sqmt. |
The Somaiya School is a venture of Somaiya Vidyavihar, a society formed by members with deep and diverse experience in the field of higher education, rural development and industrial management.
The School is conceived as 3 separate wings, with the kindergarten carefully isolated from the secondary school, allowing varying activities to take place simultaneously, without any one disturbing the other. Each wing is composed with 6 classrooms, the organization of which generates a complementary corridor, linking as well as articulating varying zones of activity and concentration within the building.
The teaching sections for both divisions are accessed through separate entrances. A screen wall clad in basalt stone, juxtaposed against a large exterior flight of steps, creates a distinctive architectural feature, while also helps in softening the threshold between the outdoor play areas and the surrounding neighborhood.
The double height spaces are where the activities outside the classroom converge, a tempered use of glass partitions create a seamless link across multiple levels, maximizing chance encounters, allowing the corridors to function as a continuous learning space.
The Patio’s at the rear end overlooking the basketball courts are seen as extensions of the interior space, preventing the play areas from being isolated from the main school, while also being suitable for all kinds of outdoor activities.
A well sized multipurpose hall with a shallow vault, serves as an intimate space for performances and events throughout the year.