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
Redefining Indian temple architecture, the relocation of the existing shrine due to a new residential project presented an opportunity to design a space that seamlessly integrates tradition with contemporary needs. The given 400 sq. ft. site was envisioned not merely as a shrine to Lord Datta, a local deity, but as a vibrant community space, […]
Hotel Grand Shaurya is a landmark hospitality and a fine example of modern hotel design. The project envisioned and executed with a deep sensitivity toward spatial aesthetics, user comfort, and modern functionality. Rising elegantly across six levels (Ground + Five Floors), the building encapsulates a holistic approach to luxury, blending contemporary design with timeless sophistication. […]
This brutalist architectural style house perches along a scenic waterfront. ‘The House that Meets the River’ subtly emerges, blending into its verdant surroundings while gracing what could arguably be Thiruvalla’s most captivating locale. Embracing a brutalist architectural style, yet characterized by the elegance of simplicity in its choice of materials, this residence embodies a profound […]
Nestled within a 30×40 ft plot is the compact house design in Banashankari 6th Stage, Bengaluru. This residence for the Ellappans, reimagines traditional Indian living in a contemporary, spatially dynamic form. Designed for a family of three- Mr. Ellappan, his wife, and their teenage son- the house expresses a deep connection to vernacular roots while […]
This contemporary courtyard house is designed within constraints that often give rise to the most creative solutions. This residence, nestled in a landlocked plot flanked by development on three sides, represents a unique architectural intervention that turns limitation into opportunity. The client’s vision was both unusual and ambitious: to create a twin house under one […]
This multi generational home is a testament to the ability of the design practice to blend aesthetic appeal with practical functionality. Keeping environmental sustainability and the welfare of the community at the forefront, Bhowal designed a home that was truly ahead of its time. His visionary approach and the Design Consortium’s expertise in providing a […]
In this modern luxury home, courtyards spill into living spaces, and the lines between inside and outside dissolve into a seamless whole. This 17,800 sq. ft. bungalow in Anand, by Hiren Patel Architects, blurs the boundaries between landscape, architecture, and interiors, creating a home where nature isn’t just the backdrop but an integral part of […]
Nestled in the foothills of the Shivalik range, the Himalayas is our latest project, Ekasham — a private residence refurbishment and redevelopment project, spread across an area of 2177 sqm. The monolithic home, through its volumes, composed of old and new structures, merges into a singular silhouette evoking the presence of a monolith from which […]
This single-story sustainable home in Ezhupunna blends traditional Kerala architecture with tropical, eco-friendly design. Inspired by the “kullakadavu” concept, a central pond encourages family interaction while enhancing the landscape. This Ezhupunna Home is Rooted in Eco-friendly Design | Judson Associates Architects & Interiors Despite being near lakes and beaches, adding a pond improves year-round moisture […]
The Indian farmhouse accommodation goes on to capitalize on a mature evolutionary synthesis of ancestral aesthetics and contemporary features. With this, the outside and the inside of farmhouses became places of comfort with nature. In this blog, we delve into 15 incredible farmhouse designs that entail a harmonious blending. While they exhibit different spaces in […]