The dancing brick arches are a reminder of a child’s freedom. A scribble is indicative of not being instructed. It is the freedom to express yourself in the form of wavy, crooked lines, the only form a child knows.
Editor’s Note: “Adorned with dancing arches of terracotta and bricks, the design of this school in Anand, Gujarat symbolizes a child’s inquisitive nature. It is a place where the interplay of light and shadows evokes a profound sense of serenity. Thoughtful planning ensures that spaces flow seamlessly into one another, creating a harmonious environment.” ~Simran Khare
The Dancing Brick Arches Are A Reminder Of A Child’s Freedom | Samira Rathod Design Atelier
Almost all of us have been here in our childhood, and perhaps the closest memories we hold dear are not of significant events, but ironically of the insignificant ones. Of losing oneself to wonderment, to wander under the skies, to re-live in our vivid imaginations of the make-believe and many more phrases that make the song of our lives.
This is the premise on which we began to design the spaces of the school at Bhadran. It becomes a space where the child spends his formative years, where his first friends are made, where his first memories are etched.
This evolved as a quilt of many small events, of small places and spaces, to hide, to collide, climb, roll, run into and out of, to satiate curiosities of a forming mind, allowing its idyllic imagination and wonder.
Conceptualized from a child’s early scribbles that turned into a series of dancing arches, the school is an experiment with materials and forms.
The asymmetry of the brick arches reiterate that it is not always mandatory to be straight or conventional, but the irregularity at first glance makes the forming mind curious and question.
The habit of critical thinking, questioning and breaking away from the convention is what the building echoes. The plan is also irregular to allow for a meander.
Set on plot of land, surrounded by tobacco fields in the town of Bhadran, the design of the school grew organically as a series of classrooms that dance their way through the trees; encountering alcoves, cracks and crevices, projections, niches, inhabited bridges, boxes, khadkis & mezzanines – adding to a composition of experiences that would weave into the fabric of the school, much like the maze-like town of Bhadran itself.
The entire school is designed as a sequence of modules; each module would have a pair of classrooms and a corridor, with its tilted vaults sinuously strung.
Reuse of shuttering reduces the cost while using fewer resources making the building sustainable. Roof forms are a sandwich structure with concrete in between layers of brick on the top and bottom.
All the modules are designed to create repeated use of shuttering material made in waste steel and can be arranged in various patterns as deemed fit.
The classrooms have skewed beams with irregular jack arches, a unit of which protrudes to come to a skylight. The roof is waterproofed with a thick layer of brickbat coba in the profile of the arches forming a playful broken brick landscape even on the roof.
We have stayed true to one material: terracotta – bricks and only bricks in walls, floors, and roofs. Sourced from a kiln close to the site, it is the love of labor from around the town and the craft they bring with themselves that lends the building its immaculate semantic and precision.
Light for us is a tangible building material. We often tend to use it like a needle to embroider moments and experiences in our architecture.
The sharp dark shadows of the irregular arches in the corridor, the soft glow of tangerine through the lopsided vaults, beams of light through the slits and skylights in the classroom add to this experience, generating intrigue. A building; a school; where the play of hiding and seek is perpetual.
Fact File
Designed by: Samira Rathod Design Atelier
Project Type: Institutional Buildings
Project Name: School of Dancing Arches
Location: Bhadran, Anand, Gujarat
Year Built: 2019
Project Size: 18000 Sq.ft
Principal Architect: Samira Rathod
Photograph Courtesy: Niveditaa Gupta
Structural Consultant: Rajiv Shah and Associates
Client: English Medium School
Project Team: Samira Rathod, Akshara Verma. Varun Goyal, Jay Shah
Site Supervisor And Consultant: Jitendra Ray, Radhesh Ray
The Firm’s Website Link: Samira Rathod Design Atelier
Firm’s Instagram Link: Samira Rathod Design Atelier
Firm’s Facebook Link: Samira Rathod Design Atelier
Source: Archdaily
For Similar Projects >> The Rajakumari Ratnavati Girl’s School – An Architectural Marvel
Located in the coastal village of Pererenan, Bali, House Terra is a contemporary response to tropical living, designed by Biombo Architects as a family retreat. The project balances built space and landscape, creating a strong connection between architecture and nature while offering shelter from the island’s monsoon climate. Editor’s Note: “House Terra, more than a […]
Located on a 15′ x 95′ ancestral plot in a pal village, Surat, India, this residence is designed for a multi-generational family of seven. This minimal home interior design solves light and space challenges within a narrow plot. The family wanted to stay connected with their community and preserve their cultural roots. The site has […]
“The sky’s ever-changing canvas, painted with hues of blues at dawn and greys and blacks at dusk, seamlessly weaves itself into the very fabric of this home’s architecture and interior.” Located in a comparatively narrow lane of bungalow plots, this modern exterior house design borrows its modern straight-line form and color from the sky. A […]
Timeless architectural features, such as courtyards, are always associated with bringing the naturally public forms to the world’s heart, building the most peaceful, secluded outdoor areas. These outdoor spaces maximize the living experience with their private space feature, which gives one the option for leisurely relaxation, recreation, or gardening. Furthermore, it has also been a […]
The residence is sensitively designed and compatible with the neighborhood. Distinct from neighboring structures, the building creates a strong relationship to the streets by virtue of its large windows in facades. While there are dramatic and larger scale elements that define the building, it is also broken down into comprehensible human scale blocks with an […]
This contemporary residence, covering 7500 square feet, combines modern design with timeless elegance to create a peaceful and luxurious retreat within a busy urban environment. The home is built around large frames that open up to nature, blending the interior with its surroundings. The design focuses on craftsmanship and harmony, making the simple contemporary house […]
Imagine walking into a sunlit room with high ceilings, warm wooden floors, and a view of a leafy courtyard. How do you feel? Calm? Inspired? At ease? That’s not just your mood—it’s your brain responding to the space around you. Neuroarchitecture is an evolving domain that merges the understanding of neuroscience, psychology, and architecture to […]
Architecture is more than just the construction of buildings, it is a reflection of our values, art, culture, and society. It is a movement towards new, promising, and philosophical design strategies. One such movement that significantly influenced the architectural landscape is Postmodernism architecture. In this research article, readers will find a comprehensive guide for Postmodernism […]
Mango Tree House is an artfully designed personal residence that seamlessly integrates traditional architectural elements with the comforts of modern living, embodying the essence of traditional modern home design. Some houses are more than just structures; they hold stories, memories, and a deep connection to the land. Mango Tree House is one such space—one that […]
What if the home of the future didn’t have walls? Modern architecture homes aren’t just about aesthetics – it’s a rebellion. A conscious break from tradition. In a world obsessed with innovation, our homes are becoming laboratories of design, sustainability, and radical thought. Modern architecture homes are sharp-edged, glass-wrapped, tech-infused sanctuaries that defy the standard. […]