St. Sophia Secondary School

CLIENT-   Arora family
SITE AREA-   15,150 Sq. M
PROJECT STATUS-   Undergoing sanctioning
SERVICES OFFERED-   Architecture design, Landscape design

St. Sophia Secondary School is a school that has been functioning, subliminally, for the past 30 acres. With minimal infrastructure for classrooms and other facilities, the school had been functioning on its cricket and tennis coaching. The clients' vision was to develop the building into a design more conducive to interaction and cohesive to learning, while maintaining its sports coaching. The challenge was a relatively low budget, while making the facade and planning interesting and new.

Considering the then predicament of the school complex, the main aim of the design was to create a booming infrastructure, that seemed inviting to students and parents alike. The design mainly focused on planning, efficient movement and working towards functionally using the oddly shaped site. The challenge was to utilise all areas without wasting any space, while creating an environment balancing safety, age segregation and interaction. A large area was given to the field, with various small organic pockets were created for different types of congregations. 

 

The basis of the design was to cater to the varied user base, ensuring the needs of every age group to be met. In a school, one of the most imperative needs is to create a seamless and safe movement, minimising vehicular interaction with children, while keeping the school safe from lingering parents, visitors etc. The movement strategy was designed with utmost sincerity, confining everything to the front of the school, while keeping the classrooms and playfields towards the back. One of the shining features is the bus parking, with a curiously designed boundary, keeping them outside the school at all times, while creating a seamless path for the students to access them as well.

The form was designed as three blocked, connected through airy bridges, ramps and different forms of connections. Classrooms and other facilities are designed such that all spaces get light and ventilation from two sides at all times. Courtyards are cut out in the middle to provide freshness to the design, increase daylight and provide a soft atmosphere to the otherwise daunting space. The design further makes sure that it coagulates around a central axis, to reduce intimidation and make orientation easier for the students. 

Customized Interior Design

BUILT-UNBUILT
GROUND COVERAGE- 14.7%

MULTIPLE CONGREGATIONAL SPACES
AXIS CREATED TO PREVENT INTIMIDATION AND DISORIENTATION

Space Planning Solutions

SEPARATED MOVEMENT PATTERNS
BUS PARKING EXCLUDED FROM SCHOOL PREMISES