Fact file
Location: Tamil Nadu
Size: 5000 sq m
Principal Architect: A Shanmugam
Photographs by Link Studio
Rane Vidyalaya School by Shanmugam Associates is located in the rural environs of Theerampalayam in Tamil Nadu. This CBSE school serves grades K–12 and is a CSR initiative of Rane Foundation India Pvt. Ltd., a leading industrial conglomerate. The school is situated in Theerampalayam, a rural region with no adequate educational institutions that offer quality learning. The closest city, Tiruchirapalli, a Tier-II city in Tamil Nadu, is 20 km away from the site. Neighbourhood districts comprise small rural villages that primarily employ agriculture and unskilled labour. The project was envisioned as a whole but executed in two phases. Presently, Phase 1 has been constructed for an area of 5000 sq m. The intent was to create an infrastructure that would have a positive social impact on the local community and also showcase the core values of Rane.
Construction techniques from the regional context, the structured pedagogy of the Indian educational system, and a construction cost of $20 per square foot formed the underlying basis for the design development. The walls of the 6th-century Thiruvellarai temple and the layered cross-sections of fifty-year-old houses in the area served as inspiration. A consistent construction methodology was employed—layering, starting with huge random rubble and stone at the bottom, to finer, solid brickwork, mud, and slate on top. Alternating wall layers of red wire-cut bricks from the local kiln and grey fly-ash bricks recycled from industrial cement waste were used. The kindergarten classrooms are designed to have individual gardens that encourage seamless outdoor and indoor integration of space. With every increase in grade, classes become more functional to induce structured learning. The overall design approach was to avoid sharp edges in walls, columns, slab edges, and every other detail possible to ensure safety. Located in the tropical belt of interior Tamil Nadu, the intent was to have the space naturally ventilated with sufficient lighting.
All walls are stopped at lintel height and have openable windows above to allow hot air to dissipate and increase cross ventilation. Terracotta jaali is used as a secondary shading device. Major openings along the predominant SE and NW wind directions and minor wind tunnels in the east-west direction between classrooms are created to create a comfortable microclimate. Taking inspiration from temple mandapams, where huge gatherings took place, there is an enclosed central courtyard planned with perforated light wells on the roof. This courtyard serves as a multifunctional place of congregation for lunch breaks, school assemblies, exhibition space, co-curricular training, and small gatherings. The courtyard is designed to foster visual connection at all levels. All these architectural features, which incorporate red-solid bricks, baked-earth tiles, terracotta jaali, and grey fly-ash bricks, help address the microclimate, create dramatic light and shadow experiences through roof perforations, and provide safe green courtyards and ventilation. At the same time, they also speak the design language of the local region, source material from the surrounding area, create a fun educational environment, and give a wholesome, cost-effective solution.
