The Samundra Institute of Maritime Studies (SIMS) near Mumbai is a world class green campus for pre-sea and post-sea studies. Its sculpturesque buildings appear to float on the grass lawns, akin to ships floating upon a vast undulating sea. This post-modern ensemble of statuesque objects, floating on a green sea carpet, are held into a visual pattern by the landmark water tower, axial pathways, River Indryani, NH-4, and the directional movement of the objects in space. SIMS was initiated by Executive Ship Management (ESM) Singapore to cater to the demand for qualified personnel in the industry. The result is not just a state of the art campus which imparts world class education but also a campus that has set impressive benchmarks in the realm of ecologically conscious architecture. Cutting-edge concepts have been incorporated throughout the planning and construction of this Institute. Ecologically beneficial elements have been seamlessly woven into the campus right from the conception stage, such that they appear to be integral to the design elements of the buildings. Steel and glass were employed simulate for the cadets the sea life, where existence is in a machine called a ship!

Perhaps, for the first time a campus plan evolved with the students residential facilities became the central focus of the plan while the academic functions spread around this key facility in a residential campus, unlike the traditional form of a segregated academic and residential areas. The 250 m long Students Hostel, for 400 cadets and post-sea officers is anchored at either end by the Auditorium (South) and the Catering Center (north).

Upon entering the campus one comes about initially  to the three Dining Halls of the catering centre, that resemble glass prisms facing north. The large glass walls open on to the verdant landscape while housing concrete walls with several murals as canvas spread over on the walls. On the other side of the dining halls is the Administration Building that cleverly exploits northern light through its wavy glass atrium wall, while generating 30 KW electricity through the grand photovoltaic south-facing façade. The structure is made of two walls, like a ship, that falls apart in the middle and then rejoins back in the end.

The Academic Building is a composition of fourteen large classrooms, with a lineal atrium connecting them all into one composition, with pointed, ship-like porches at either end. In the Academic Building, aluminum louvers keep the bright south west sun off of the fenestrations. Louvers are also employed in students hostels as-well to regulate the sunrays. This creates a natural air conditioning system by blocking out the heat but at the same time permitting daylight and natural ventilation into the building, as one would notice in traditional buildings of Kerala where the wooden louvers shade the veradahs while allowing cool breeze from the backwaters.

SIMS’ pièce de résistance is its 90 metre long solar wall which forms a part of the Maritime Workshop building. This very long wall produces 90 KW of energy daily. The wall is made up of a network of transparent and opaque photovoltaic cells, which allow natural light to filter into the interiors but at the same time, block the heat out mimicking modern day Indian ‘jaalis’. This heat is used by the solar cells to generate electricity. This wall is a unique example of the role that ecological consciousness has played in the design element rather than simply the aesthetics.

SIMS is located in a drought prone area and thus innovative systems have been put in place to make the campus as water self-sufficient as possible. An aquifer system in the form of a water collection pool near the river has been designed. Water held in this pool is transported to various corners of the campus through canals and other water management tools. Hot water requirement of the entire Institute is fulfilled by means of solar panels. Circular hot water tanks placed above the circular stairs form a part of the intricate water management system at SIMS. An 82 feet tall central water tank has also been constructed on site. The two bio-sewerage treatment plants on site treat the used water and divert it towards the gardens and water sinks. As much as eighty percent of the water on campus is recycled. Catchment canals have been built around the campus to capture ground and rain water. The water thus collected is stored in a two acre pond on campus. This ‘pond’ is home to a part of a real ship which is known as the Ship-in-Campus. This eight storey structure includes a desalination plant, sewerage treatment plant, generators, full scale engine, air- conditioning plants and fire safety systems, as well as tanker pumps. The SIMS campus also houses some compost banks which produce organic fertilizer.

A sincere belief that the essence of architecture transcends the material objects and is in effect about the experience that it creates and conveys is expounded throughout the campus