UGGAHA – Triggers of Change | Architecture Thesis

Site Context

With the addition of large educational institutions, such as Nalanda University, Rajgir is rapidly becoming more urbanised; however, the local community is finding it difficult to adapt to this change. Bihar, the Indian state where Rajgir is located, has some of the lowest rates of employment and literacy in the country, especially among women and children.

Once a shining example of education in Bihar, Nalanda was home to an 800-year-old university that successfully blended learning with rural life. However, there is a lack of continuity between the 400-acre campus of Pilkhi village’s modern international Nalanda and its historical roots. Despite the collaboration of more than 20 nations, it disregards the traditional sharing of knowledge and resources with nearby villages, depriving the surrounding communities of even the most basic form of education.

This triangular site is bounded on three sides by the new Nalanda University campus boundary wall, agricultural lands, and a national highway. The site would have been used for the new campus’s construction, but there are two villages that are very densely populated and are divided by a national highway. The site has an extremely high water table.

Making the most of these variables was essential to creating architecture that met a variety of needs in a site that was diverse and subject to different influences. The vision was to use architecture to support and encourage growth in response to the contextual complexities, with its roots in the metaphor of a mother-child relationship.

Design Process

The focus of the village cluster study exploration was on incorporating spaces for a variety of activities. The concept behind the design is to provide children with a space where they can constantly go on an exciting and educational journey that will stimulate their senses as they run, play, and explore as the seasons change.

To promote connectivity between spaces and nodes, the design incorporates a public edge for a seasonal market along with areas designated for public functions, such as the innovation centre and technology lab, where mothers and kids congregate.

The movement strategy aims to create a smooth transition between the two villages and the village centre. With areas focused on the teacher, areas for groups, and private areas, every classroom is meticulously designed to meet individual needs.

A new approach to rural education is introduced with the development of several education modules after a thorough analysis. These modules provide children of all ages with opportunities for interaction, creativity, and growth in addition to introducing them to a variety of daily activities.

FInal Outcome

The main goal of the thesis is to create learning environments that foster community, play, and nature while fostering learning. The design incorporates spaces that merge into one another and connect different people’s activities revealing distinct spaces serving various functions.

The final outcome is a space with no edges that gives the user the freedom to run, stroll indefinitely, and experience natural spaces cognitively—architecture that triggers a change in thought. The design approach for the architecture thesis emphasises the value of nature and traditional materials, to create a campus that faces the public and includes a market to encourage interaction with the site’s edge.

Four primary nodes comprise the site: the library, technology lab village, innovation centre, and a sacred Bodhi tree that will serve as the anchor for these nodes. The design focuses on framing experiences towards the Rajgir hills while blurring the boundaries of the campus walls that the site faces.

The space makes it possible for various activities to occur at various times of the day, allowing the site to change with the seasons. By developing an innovative method for building construction using earth, stone, and bamboo, the design approach adheres to a completely no-carbon approach to meet sustainable development goals.

The local community can construct the entire structure, and growth can be adapted appropriately. If there is a rapid increase in urbanisation, the spaces have been designed to be sufficiently flexible to allow for future road expansion.

Conclusion: Using architecture as a canvas for knowledge and growth, the thesis offers a unique perspective on learning environments by integrating community, play, and nature with learning. The project succeeds in triggering a change and creating a sustainable hub that will allow the village to grow and regenerate into nearby villages.

[This Academic Project has been published with text submitted by the student]