Architecture of Bandhyali School

Courtyard of Bandhyali School

The building of the Bandhyali School is indicative of the school environment. The concentric circles of the school building were a result of serious budgetary constraints but also reflect a lack of hierarchy in the school as well the approach to education that expands on the core of the child’s understanding. It was built in 1993. The Ministry of Human Resource Development had sanctioned Rs 50,000 for the building. It was obvious that a school building, even for the primary level would cost much more. The building was designed in such a way that eliminated the need for doors and windows – a major expense. With all the classrooms having low inner walls to provide adequate light and ventilation, the need for doors and windows was eliminated thereby reducing costs considerably. The building had to have a thatched roof as a reinforced cement concrete (RCC) roof was way beyond our budget. A thatched roof meant a round building as an earlier experiment with joining thatched roofs in square structures had proved their futility.

Entrance to Bandhyali

The cost of bricks alone for a building this size was also too much and so we contacted a nearby brick kiln and settled for brick-bats or pieces of bricks. The Bandhyali School building is therefore a reflection of necessity being the mother of invention strongly motivated by our approach to education.

The building is built on land identified by the community. We informed the Collector of the community decision and sought allotment of the land before commencing work. We did not receive a response from them and so we had no choice but to build the school with the approval of the community while seeking official permission.