Designer's Insight - Yatin Pandya.pmd - Insiteindia.in

To educate, is to develop mentally,
morally and aesthetically. Holistic
learning therefore is about
information, exposure, analysis,
understanding and explorations. It is
about learning more than teaching.
This calls for self-indulgence and
initiatives from the students. How can
the built environment contribute to
the same
At India First Foundation (IFF) school
campus in Karjat, an attempt has
been made to overlay spatial
installations on to the basic physical
envelope in order to inculcate the
habit of inquiry, to raise the level of
exposure and to make education
interactive. At IFF, the court, the
corridors and the classes are
animated with diverse installations in
consonance with their space
conditions, designated functions and
the desired format of conduct. These
multimedia 3D display collages consist
of curriculum-related information in
an interactive and exploratory
format. Retained as teaching and
learning tools within the framework
of the course curriculum, they
extend beyond the text book with
their dynamic formats for higher
intensity of interactivity in order to
sustain interest, ease
comprehension and inspire
explorations and self-indulgence.
These learning tools not only help
imbibe understanding of subject
matter first hand, but also go beyond
to inculcate lateral thinking.
Installations such as these have
morphed spaces into places with
vitality and voids into virtual labs with
virility. For example an open-to-air
amphitheatre is transformed into an
open book on space sciences by
turning spatial elements such as the
floor, amphitheatre steps, walls,
lighting elements and landscaping into
thematic spatial installations. The
centre of the circular amphitheatre
is punctuated with a sundial. The
floor landscape is defined by 12
radiating stone petals alternated by
the soft grass cover. Each stone petal
has hand carved, laser burnt and
inlaid stone and steel elements
representing twelve ‘Rashis’ with
accurate depiction of constellation
of stars as per the zodiac calendar.
Reference to three seasons is made
in three amphitheatre steps with
natural stone rendering each in red,
green and black, depicting summer,
monsoon and winter respectively.
The seasons are also pronounced by
planting trees along the outer
periphery of the wall – alternately
blooming and fruiting in respective
seasons. The foliage of these large
trees creates a natural green
backdrop to the amphitheatre,
muffling unwanted sounds. Shrubbery
consists of fragrant plants for their
lingering aroma at nights, when the
amphitheatre is in use.
Lighting elements are designed in
steel and glass with the scientific, at
glance, information on nine planets
and Sun and Moon etched and
digitally printed. The cultural
geography of the world is depicted
by the back-lit digitally printed glazed
parapet, depicting wonders of the
ancient, medieval and modern world
along with flags of all the countries
of the world. Digital craft is
juxtaposed with vernacular art. A 200-
feet-long opaque parapet wall with a
terracotta backdrop and white
designer’s insight
Dining hall animated with installations of
world atlas showing the spice route with
live samples and India map overlaid with
cuisines of India
Water body in front of the stage depicting
the world with fountains depicting the
continents
yatin pandya
Metal fabricated ‘jali’ on the façade, rendering play of shadows inside
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