"An institution with a strong design identity, focused on moving learning to the outdoors”

The Sona College of Technology at Salem, Tamil Nadu continues to be one of our notable educational projects. With the first phase completed in 2014, its 3,382-sq.m academic and residential blocks focus on promoting interaction between built forms, between students, and between the indoors and the outdoors. The design incorporates strategically planned courtyards that manifest as green plazas landscaped with multilevel outdoor seating. Residual spaces, stepped walkways, and pathways connecting buildings are further used as interactive landscaped platforms for student activity. Apart from vibrant social spaces, the campus also offers spaces for privacy and contemplation. Niches in corridors serve as informal seating while recessed areas between the classroom and corridors and landings of staircases serve as quiet, intimate spaces. The open-air theatre, nestled between built forms acts as the cultural centre of the campus.

The institution has a strong design language that ties the campus buildings together – the use of oversized cornices, overhangs, beautifully designed jaalis and trellises, work together to create a play of light and shade whilst giving the campus a distinctly Indian aesthetic. The building is further designed to respond to climate and context. Double walls in the south provide complete shade in the summer improving energy performance while north-facing classrooms with deeply recessed shading devices cut off glare and contribute to the thermal comfort. Light wells provided allow for well-balanced illumination throughout the day and avoid overheating while maximizing daylight.

The Sona College of Technology is conscious of its context and climate, and responds to the environmental concerns besides a tectonic structuring of spaces and elements. With its sustainable site planning, passive design strategies, use of low-energy materials and renewable energy of 10kW solar panels installed on site, the college has a GRIHA provisional rating of 5 stars – with a 55.79 % reduction in energy consumption compared to the GRIHA benchmark.