R. k. Charitable Foundation was given land by the government of Rajasthan to build and run an institute for girls who find it difficult to move from villages, and later face difficulties in getting admission in colleges in bigger cities like Ajmer, Jaipur, etc. The basic intent given to us as a designer was to have a built environment most suitable to accommodate present and future requirements and challenges related to academics. At the same time, it was expected that the built environment should provide the girl students a sense of pride, belongingness, along with physical and psychological security.
Before putting anything on the drawing board, we decided to have a well-defined "building program" through discussions with a group of academicians to work out the physical requirements and the underlying philosophy and intent of the institute. This made the design concept very easy for us, because we strongly believe in the power of space and its physical and metaphysical integration.
To give a scale to the façade, we decided to have a linear lay-out, and placed the administrative block right in the middle of the other two major science and humanities blocks. We also believe in informal education outside the formal classroom, so we worked in getting the open left out spaces as activity spaces, as a result of which, these spaces became an integral part of the "form" of the building.
From the entrance to the back of the building and also at the centre as a courtyard - small to large fragmented designed negative spaces are now functioning as positive spaces for students and faculty to connect and learn from each other. This has brought the human element as part of the building as form and space both.
The design sensibility of designer and user play a bigger role is making a building sustainable rather than use of innovative materials claiming to be greener and sustainable.
Principal Architect, Sanjay Kothari
I believe that whatever we do has to flow with the contemporary needs and skills for the survival of society as a whole for a longer period. The term sustainability has more to do with the ways of human living in order to connect with nature, naturally. Sustainability is a much more serious term to internalize as a system rather than its appearing and being used by external forces which we might call "the market".
Climatic considerations, orientation of the structure as per wind direction and solar movement while designing, shaded verandahs, deep recessed windows, courtyards, active outdoor unbuilt spaces, are things that relate to culture and contemporary use and to make them sustainable as a user across the timeframe.
