Project Perch is a playschool that sits along a busy secondary road in a rapidly growing urban neighbourhood, where noise, traffic and constant movement dominate the surroundings. Designing a playschool in such a setting required the architects to prioritise safety, privacy, and controlled exposure for young children. This informed an inward-facing planning strategy that shields the interior from external chaos while allowing natural light to filter in through carefully calibrated openings.
A Playschool In Chennai Is Designed To Have An Inward-Facing Plan | VOZ Architects & Designers
The playschool building’s form is defined by a concrete volume perched above a sweeping curved base. The contrast between the solid upper block and the fluid ground plane creates an identity that is distinct yet unobtrusive within its context. Around the window openings, a band of reflective ACP cladding introduces a deliberate contrast to the exposed concrete surface, catching fragments of the neighborhood and visually softening the mass.
At ground level, the curved wall and circular columns enclose a covered play area, forming a protective edge while enabling free circulation. Linear slot cutouts along the curved surface maintain internal visual connection without compromising safety.
Inside, the playfulness in colour and form extends into the staircase core. A crude central RCC partition wall, punctured with varied cutouts, animates vertical movement as light shifts through the openings. This transforms a functional area into an engaging spatial experience.
Each floor accommodates classrooms, a staff room, a lobby and toilets. The architects used colour as an organisational device, guiding circulation and defining transitions. They anchored every lobby by a brightly tiled feature wall that adds vibrancy while aiding orientation. The material palette is intentionally restrained, exposed fluted concrete, raw RCC ceilings, polished concrete flooring and terracotta tiles define the tactile experience of the spaces.
The design intent was to retain a raw façade. Rather than applying RCC cladding panels, the architects cast the wall directly using profiled metal shuttering. This technique produced a uniform linear texture and articulated the concrete surface without additional finishes.
A floor-level ribbon window in the first-floor classroom offers children a scaled view of the outdoors, reinforcing the project’s sensitivity to child perspective.
Project Perch ultimately offers a protected, stimulating environment for early learning within a challenging urban setting, balancing robustness, openness and play.
Fact File :
Designed by: VOZ Architects & Designers
Project Type: Institution Architecture Design
Project Name: Perch
Location: Kolathur, Chennai
Year Built: 2025
Duration of the project: 2 Years
Plot Area: 6970 sqft
Built-up Area: 14700 sqft
Principal Architect(s) / Designer(s): Ar. Dhivya Ravishankar
Team Design Credits (for Particular Project): Ar.Abdul hameed , Ar.Anwar & Ar.Aravind , Parvati.R
Photograph Courtesy: Space Anecdotes
Finishes – Construction Materials – Exposed Concrete corrugated pattern concrete wall. / Lighting – Philips / Sanitaryware -Parryware / Windows -UPVC / Furniture – Inspace / Flooring – Polished Concrete Flooring / Paint -Asian Paints
Consultants for the Project: Civil – Civil – Sakthi Constructions / Interior Designers – M.P Decors / MEP & HVAC Consultants – Laksar Design Consultancy LLP / Structure Engineers – SKC Structural Consultants
Firm’s Instagram Link: VOZ Architects & Designers
Firm’s Website Link: VOZ Architects & Designers
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