Project sponsor: Rural girls’ school Khadigram e.V.
Project partner: Gramin Bharat Foundation, India
Project: Construction of a new boarding school
Architect: Michael Grausam
Period: 2009-2011
Location: Sabukpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
Plot dimensions: 59 m x 76 m
Floor area: 878 m² (phase 1), 1394 m² (total)
“Educating a man is an investment in a lifetime.
To educate a woman is an investment in an entire generation.”- Mahatma Gandhi
This sentence by Ghandi has lost none of its relevance. There are still many girls from the lower castes or even outside the caste system in India who have no access to education. The school project in Sabukpur, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, involved the construction of a campus consisting of six buildings to form a boarding school for up to 90 schoolgirls. The client is the German association “Mädchenschule Khadigram e.V.”. The construction was planned in several phases so that the newly founded school can gradually grow in line with demand. Construction phase 1 was completed in 2012 with the first 4 buildings. It will continue to grow over the next few years.
Other aspects of sustainable construction were also taken into account in the planning: The buildings themselves are adapted to the local climate. Overhangs on the upper floors shade the first floors. The floating metal roofs above the insulated flat roofs protect the building from the hot summer sun. In combination with the orientation of the buildings and windows, which enables optimal cooling cross ventilation, this leads to pleasant temperatures in the interior, even in summer temperatures of over 45°C. In winter, which can be very cold with night-time temperatures just above freezing, the sun’s rays touch the façade. This heats up during the day and releases the heat into the rooms overnight. This creates a comfortable climate in the bedrooms without the need for technical aids.
Link to the website of the “Khadigram Girls’ School” association.