Thanks to New Delhi-based interior decor and architecture firm Envisage, the Mann School in Alipur has a new girl’s hostel featuring sustainable elements like all-natural thermal insulation and solar panels. The White Flower Hall girls dormitory boasts all the creature comforts to build a haven for the school’s female students, helping to make them feel at home during their studies.
The firm, started by partners Meena Murthy Kakkar and Vishal Kakkar, specializes in projects from the design process to the building process. The hostel overlooks a central courtyard and features dormitory doors that are positioned to face inward toward central corridors to promote socialization and interaction between students.
Envisage chose to incorporate the main campus color scheme of red and gray for the design of the dormitory, which is located between the executive block and the senior academic wing of the school. Common activity zones, such as the computer lab and game rooms, are located nearby in the basement surrounding the courtyard and the school amphitheater. The ground floor houses grades one to four with shared bunk beds for smaller children, while bedroom windows are positioned to provide outdoor views, ensuring an abundance of natural light and ventilation.
The building’s facade features brick made using local kilns to reduce the project’s carbon footprint, and the terrace houses solar panels to keep electricity costs low. Built in a location known for its severe monsoon season, the central courtyard aligns to the northwest and southeast to catch winds during substantial rain downpours and create proper ventilation.
In addition to using locally sourced brick in the building’s construction, the design also features the mud phuska method for natural insulation. This method combines compacted soil with hay to reduce the ingress of heat by nearly 70%. The property also includes various green spaces via gardens and outdoor terraces to highlight the importance of nature among students.
Images via Envisage
