Creating a space that stimulates creativity and innovation at the grassroots level and doing an economically optimal and aesthetically warm workspace, by improvising utilitarian elements to add aesthetic value to the space, was the key principle behind designing the School of Art and Design, at Chitkara University, Punjab. The project uses unconventional elements and construction materials with an intent to act as a source of inspiration for young designers. The dynamics of arched openings combined with glass helps in visual expansion of rooms, creating the impression of an endless, far-reaching space. Large transparent partitions establish visual connect between workspaces and circulation areas, which receive diffused light from all sides through the classrooms. Catenary arches, carved out of ferrocement planes, framing the fenestrations, form a unifying vocabulary to bind the spatial components together. A careful choice of the arch profile – the catenary curve accommodates for the varied span, wide or narrow, of different arches without compromising on the opening height, facilitating juxtaposition of a modern space with a traditional theme.

CLIENT

Chitkara Educational Trust