b.

Evolution of design concepts

There was a clear mandate and programme of activities through which objectives were to be
met, however some principles were applied to the design:

Honesty of expression in the form of building materials was a design principle. Employment
of the human scale was used as opposed to the monumentalism so often found in institutions.
No building was designed to dominate the landscape through brute size or heavy
architectonic statements. Continuity and harmony were to be achieved through consistency
between the architectural language and the environment. It was important that common
building systems tied a complex group of structures into an integrated whole . An
architectural language was also evolved through the selection of appropriate motifs, which
included functional components like door lintels, window-shade boxes, ventilators and
waterspouts. These reflected the demands of climate and culture, of lifestyles, customs and
habits. Murals cast in the exposed concrete were used to enrich design. A circulation system
was used that separated vehicles from pedestrians and visitors from students and staff. The
circulation system was also a latticework that allowed a person to choose how they might
move from place to place in the work area. In the living areas there was a tree-like structure
that lent privacy and security to the most basic residential units.

Hierarchy of space played an important role in the organization of the college plan and the
physical plan of the campus is designed to encourage personal development and small group
interactions. The architect thus used a sequence of open, semi-enclosed and closed spaces to
create learning environments and study areas. While the climate ranges from hot-dry to cool-
rainy to chilly-dry in an annual cycle, it is possible to use outdoor spaces and areas year
round; this is exploited in the design as all classrooms have verandahs and extend into
courtyards, allowing activities to spill out into the open areas. Low covered walkways in
teaching areas provide spaces for informal gatherings, while covered porches act as pavilions
for discussions, project meetings and contemplation. A system of lawns, walkways and
gardens enrich the milieu.

c. S t ru ctu re , m aterial s, t ec h nology

The campus is a purely 'stone composition' and stone has been used to support, to enclose, to
shelter and to define spaces in the college, adding colour, texture and depth of composition.
The structure is of local basalt, crafted into 38- and 45-centimetre-thick bearing walls.
Basalt is a brittle material, which splits easily during processing, and therefore, except for
corners and edges, it is finished on only one face. It is an ideal stone for random rubble
work, generating a strong rustic appearance. Spans are achieved using concrete slabs and
lintels. The walls are all tied for earthquake resistance. Where large areas required
unobstructed spans, a coffer system of exposed concrete was employed. To economize on
the cost of the steel coffer shuttering, the same were used in the main dining hall and the multi-
purpose hall ceilings.

Sliding glass panels and pivoted doors provide transparency between interior and exterior
spaces. Floor-to-ceiling panels of fixed glass create atria in the library and administration
Mahindra United World College, Pane, India