Schools of Tomorrow, Icchawar

The Schools of Tomorrow are a cluster of new-age schools aimed at redefining the government education infrastructure in Madhya Pradesh.

The school in Icchawar has an inward planning layout with the classrooms on the outside and the common spaces and courtyards on the inside. The design has a strong emphasis on sustainability, ensuring the existing landscape is protected.

• The single grid ramp is cantilevered on the outside and envelopes the school blocks within, providing free flowing spaces underneath for the students to play and explore. This also ensured the efficient use of materials during the construction process.
• Protecting the existing site trees was important to us and our school blocks were designed to freely flow around them on the site.
• Other spaces like: Multi-purpose halls for sports, gatherings, and community events. Vocational training centers for skill development. Playgrounds and landscaped courtyards for recreation and informal learning. Library spaces that encourage reading and independent learning.

The design ensures that classrooms and learning spaces are flexible, naturally ventilated, and well-lit. The schools are arranged in clusters of different blocks, like a Nursery-Primary Block, a Middle-High School Block which divides the spaces to the needs of the respective age groups.

Given the extreme climatic conditions of the region, temperature regulation was a key design consideration to ensure a comfortable learning environment for students and staff. The school has incorporated several passive cooling strategies like the use of fly ash bricks and AAC blocks for improved thermal insulation. The windows to the classrooms are specially designed recessed windows to control daylight ingress, eliminating the need for external chhajjas. The windows will reflect harsh sunlight and allow diffused light to enter the classrooms, and prevent any harsh shadows and excessive light from entering the areas. This in result creates a well curated and learning conducive environment for the students and will improve overall focus and attention spans.

Ensuring equal access for all students was a fundamental aspect of the design. Vibrant color schemes in shades of yellow and orange have been used to stimulate creativity and make learning spaces more playful and approachable for the students. Ramps on all floors for seamless movement between the blocks and for ease of accessibility for all students. The ramps envelope around the school blocks and creates a distinctive visual feature for the school. Tactile flooring and clear signage for differently abled students.