Read how a school in Thar desert stays cool
A school in Rajasthan’s Thar desert, Jaisalmer, maintains 20-30 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than the outside temp. The Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls’ School is designed uniquely by New York-based architect Diana Kellogg.
The educational institution for empowering females, built from local sandstone, has won numerous accolades for its unique architecture urging sustainability and creativity, including Building of the Year by Architectural Digest India in 2020.
Kellogg about a school in Thar desert:
According to Kellogg’s website, the “oval forms were employed to remember the curvilinear shapes of the local forts and also universal symbols of female strength.”
CITTA, a non-profit organisation in the United States that gives economic and educational support to women in rural and marginalised communities, commissioned the project.
According to CNN, the school is the first phase of a 3 part architectural project that will also have a women’s cooperative centre and exhibition space.
Aspects of traditional architecture:
The architect, who generally creates high-end residential buildings, told CNN that on a trip to Jaisalmer in 2014, she was inspired to build a structure that represents the hope and tenacity of the desert by combining elements of traditional architecture with a modern design.
“There are methods for cooling spaces that have been used for centuries.” “What I did was combine them in a way that worked,” she explained to the publication.
The reason how school is so cool:
Kellogg told Architizer that the local yellow sandstone was used for practically everything. The grates and window transoms, which may have been made of metal or glass, were all stone. She said the stone keeps the heat and coolness out at night.
Other old construction techniques adopted included covering the inside walls with lime plaster.
This porous and natural cooling material aids in the discharge of any stored moisture caused by humidity. According to CNN, she also erected a jali wall.
This sandstone grid allows the wind to accelerate in a phenomenon known as the venturi effect, cooling the courtyard space while providing shade from the sun.
High ceilings and windows in schools allow rising heat to escape, while a solar panel canopy provides shade and energy.
Get all the latest news on Indian daily post.
