African Design Magazine August 2015 | Page 59

International project: The Newtown School T he architects developed a design program in terms of circulation, movement, ventilation, classrooms and other concerns. Keeping in mind the location of the school in the Newtown Area of Kolkata, and its simple surroundings, this school needed to make an impact and establish a distinct identity. The locality is planned in a radial grid and the site for the school is curved along the longer edges. One approaches the site along the inner curve and the blocks are placed at a slight angle facing each other very slightly. They are separated by an active play area. The school also has a swimming pool on its grounds. Of the 2-acre plot, the school occupies approximately 160 000 sq ft. of floor space. The first step was to create an identity for the school. Abin Design Studio’s approach was to create a screen that wraps around the buildings and unifies them visually. Also, they intended for the central courtyards of the buildings to merge with the play area creating a seamless connection between junior and senior school. Due to a restriction in program, this ground level connection was not possible. However, the screen was created with a strong character so that its continuous application across the buildings by itself would prove to be a unifying element. Graphical representations of symbols, alphabets and numbers became an inspiration for the screen. Younger children relate to simple lines as letters of the alphabet and as they grow, abstractions of the same would start to look more like alpha, gamma and pi. Thus, Familiar shapes and symbols were used to create a bespoke stencil screen around the existing unremarkable building mass. The facade not only provides shade to the classrooms from the harsh sun but also lends the school a distinct identity. 488 panels, made of Fibre-Reinforced Plastic (FRP), measuring 3.2 x 3.2 metres envelop each of the two academic blocks. 13 different panels were designed with a combination africandesignmagazine.com 59