Learning Corner

The proposed extension is rooted in three themes – Urban Regeneration, Spatial Adaptability and Sustainability. Each theme endeavours to aid the school in navigating crucial shifts in learning pedagogy by focusing on the campus environs and its sensitive development.

The relationship between the neighbourhood, the streetscape and the school is defined through green transitional spaces. Two compact volumes forming an “L” are positioned along the plot’s perimeter. This enhances the front garden and activates the street edge. The open green transitions from the front garden to a central yard connecting the existing middle school and the proposed extension. The flow is determined by the positions of existing trees and the relationships between the various heterogeneous volumes on site. The continuous green determines the nature of the built environment.
The proposed in-situ concrete plinth encourages this fluidity through the campus. Open spaces on ground are reflected on the concrete plinth by green terraces. The yard and the concrete plinth together accommodate outdoor learning, sports and other varied programs that can now function autonomously. The thermal insulation, fire stability and acoustic properties of concrete, ground this space. A new lobby and entrance to the existing middle school define the access points at this level without altering the original characteristics of the school.

The monolithic base of the new extension contrasts with the light wooden pavilions extending above. One pavilion serves the school’s public and shared functions, achieved by demolishing the primary school. The other accommodates the extended middle school programme. They are made by assembling prefabricated wood components (CLT-framed walls, raw wood cladding, joisted floors, and exterior and interior joinery). In addition to reducing embodied carbon, its material properties facilitate large openings that bring in natural light and ventilation. This modular language is also followed in the interior. Flexible furniture and movable partitions result in completely adaptable and customisable spaces. This gives the extension a unique, permeable quality.

The pavilions’ compactness optimises thermal performance. Passive heating, ventilation and thermal storage systems work together to create an energy-efficient extension. Solar panels over the gable roof further reduce its carbon footprint. Sustainable practices are infused into every aspect of the proposal – from preserving green and enhancing biodiversity to specific material use and passive heating technologies.

The proposal’s potential lies in its untiring attitude towards revitalising urban open spaces for the school and neighbourhood. The extension, in the process of enabling this, develops an architectural character that most sensitively responds to a student’s diverse needs.


School complex extension (Learning Corner) | date : 2024 | location : Graz, Austria | surface : 3.415 m2 | team : Madhusudhan Chalasani, Jesús Garrido, Bruno Sirabo, Vamsi Krishna, Rohith Therala, Sivatmika J | client : City of Graz | status : competition