local construction and brickwork shape craft narrative's vaulted school in rural india

craft narrative’s vaulted school empowers local communities

Craft Narrative’s Vaulted School sits against a quiet rural backdrop within a sugarcane cutting hamlet in Maharashtra, India. With limited resources and funding, the designers devised a creative architectural solution for an inclusive, engaging learning environment that simultaneously empowers the local community and poses an example for neighboring villages. The project was constructed with the support of local volunteers and a sustainable design concept, utilizing local brick and infill materials and indigenous construction techniques to devise its vaulted form.

The innovative yet traditional structure simultaneously reduces dependency on conventional water and electricity sources in the village, while also evolving from a strong set of noble parameters — including climate responsiveness, resource availability, affordable building, and constructional feasibility. Capturing the form of the building and its interaction with its users, videographer Sohail Ilyas’ architecture film depicts a regular day for students at ‘The Vaulted School’, spotlighting how good design can transform and add joy to life.

video and images courtesy of Sohaib Ilyas

fostering a ‘play and learn’ ideology

Previously, the remote hamlet had just one school accommodating 30 students which was dilapidated and rebuilt to evoke the curiosities of children for a more natural and interactive learning environment. With the help of the characteristic high vaulted roofs and integration of native flora and fauna in and around the school, Craft Narrative’s new structure infuses ample lighting and ventilation across the space, lending a breeze that is enhanced by the Venturi effect and the encompassing green buffer zones that further cut off glare. The semi-circular volumes also serve as noise buffers to the disturbances caused by vehicles passing by on the adjacent side of the road.

The 3000 sq feet site comprises a 1110 sq ft built-up area, among which the architects carefully configured the program to foster a ‘play and learn’ ideology. In its program, the school offers a classroom, a staff room for teachers designed with built-in storage units, a multi-purpose hall which doubles as an additional classroom or a dining hall, and services zones. Yellow glossy epoxy flooring adds an additional layer of fun into the classrooms which are also painted with mathematical learnings and traditional floor games to best utilize the flooring area. Each wall is painted with educational information the children can soak up even while sitting idly. Likewise, the playground is a product of psychologically backed design thinking, subtly introducing the concept of an amphitheater to its users. The steps under the overhang double as seats to allow the school to conduct recreational activities that require staging and audience areas. 

shaped with local materials and techniques

The Vaulted School has been designed with future expansion in mind, and an additional floor can be integrated by temporarily dismantling the vaulted roof for construction. The roof can simply be reassembled on the level above, and the central gutter beam can unfold to extend the slab floor without negatively impacting the circulation. Taking advantage of the local climate and for eco-friendly ventilation, Craft Narrative has oriented the classroom to respond to the breeze pattern and sun path.

Further, considering the site’s soil conditions present, a pile foundation has been constructed to strengthen the substructure on which the load-bearing brick walls find their ground. The process is furthered with the vaulted metal sheet roof that minimizes the heavy structural cost and makes the form structurally rigid with minimal support, while helping to reduce heat gain with its non-reflecting material.

the encompassing green buffer zones enhance ventilation and cut off glare

Craft Narrative’s Vaulted School sits against a quiet rural backdrop within a sugarcane cutting hamlet

local bricks arranged in a traditional pattern topped with a vaulted metal sheet roof

yellow epoxy flooring injects vibrancy and an additional layer of fun into the school

the project was constructed with the support of local volunteers and a sustainable design concept

project info:

name: The Vaulted School

architecture: Craft Narrative

film direction and editing: Sohaib Ilyas

location: Maharashtra, India

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: ravail khan | designboom