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Architects: Designhaaus Solutions
- Year: 2017
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Photographs: Ricken Desai
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Manufacturers: Holcim, Saint-Gobain, Armstrong Ceilings, REHAU
Text description provided by the architects. Situated in a serene location on the Hyderabad-Mumbai National Highway, Woxsen School of business is an ambitious project sprawling an area of almost 200 acres. With an aim to be in the league of extraordinary business schools globally by 2020 Woxsen attempts to extend beyond the set of educational standards and reanimate the concepts of entrepreneurship, pedagogy and sustainability. Equally keen on creating a strong identity for the institution they felt that it should reflect their own creative approach to the curriculum and their teaching style.
The project stretches its domain to barrier free environment, self-sustainability & green design. It envisages on minimizing the carbon footprint and providing its residents with a green adobe which facilitates a participative environment and enriches the learning and living experience. The architecture of the campus is minimalistic yet bold with exposed concrete as the prima facie material. The result is solid geometries and playful open spaces amalgamating with the landscaped terrain and architecturally promoting the need for pursuit of excellence.
The modular approach followed through the campus design, including services, enables us in taking decisions as per the campus occupancy without any compromises. The services planned are in accordance with the site topography, which minimizes overhead costs. The campus ensures a 100% barrier free environment. Breakout green zones provide natural outdoors for socializing and act as comfort zones between buildings congruous with sunlight and ventilation.
The admin block formed the bulk of the design program. It had to act as the focal point for all activities and also create the aspirational identity for the visitor. It stands out with a triple height atrium space, which acts as a gathering space for any kind of formal/informal events. The oval cut with major to minor axis ratio of the ellipse is 1:1.6 (the golden ratio), which are splendid identities. The expansive skylight adds to the grandeur of the space with the low-e glasses maintaining high solar performance. The long and linear approach to the building flanked by water body and manicured lawn evokes a welcome feeling and provides a softer foreground to the exposed concrete and glass façade. The bright furniture makes the internal spaces playful yet sublime. The exposed HVAC ducts extend the design intent of being honest and truthful with the structure and services.
The program extends on the east with the faculty rooms and lecture theatre blocks juxtaposed with structural grid system of interconnected spaces such as verandahs, open corridors, terraces and courts at various levels establishing a link with the outdoors. The lecture theatre is unique in being oval shaped in plan with appropriate raked seating arrangement, which ensures complete focus and attention of students and teachers alike. The monolithic exposed concrete look is continued as a unifying element.
The student’s accommodation has been planned at a comfortable distance from the main building. Students are encouraged to walk or cycle. At the center of the students housing is the activity center with am entities like restaurant, gymnasium, swimming pool, spa and salon.
The campus keeps growing in phases with an intent of creating spaces, which evokes fond memories centered on the idea of place, teaching and growing experiences, which are integral to the notion of an institution.
