Choice School Thiruvalla

PrizeWinner in Architectural Design / Educational Buildings
Firm LocationNew York, United States
CompanyCetraruddy Architecture
ClientChoice Estates & Construction Ltd.
Projecthttp://

Choice School Thiruvalla reimagines school architecture in India, creating a prototype that will help revitalize rural communities and empower future generations. The educational community creates defined and focused spaces for learning and development as well as transitional spaces to encourage interaction and inquiry. The prototype houses grades 1-12 and is divided into three sections: Primary School Block, Middle School Block and High School Block- each containing its own entry, administration offices, classrooms, library, and student commons. These blocks create a progression of independence as students move from a more dependently organized Primary School to a more independently organized High School. Taking cues from the region’s cultural and climatic contexts, the school is embedded as part of the landscape and reinforces the sense of identity. Specific influences include the Kerala House Boat; local materials; the area’s reliance on vibrant color and texture; and the region’s tendency towards dramatic weather. Relying on local materials and building techniques to mitigate costs and ensure the facilities’ durability and resiliency, the prototype’s design embodies the school’s case-by-case educational philosophy – the modularity will allow the Choice School to build additional campuses that easily adapt to varying sites and programmatic differences while maintaining its core principles.