School Façade and Campus Design: Creating Identity through Architecture in Newtown, Kolkata

This school project in Newtown, Kolkata, began at a stage when two six-storey academic blocks were already under construction. The architectural challenge was to transform these generic structures into a vibrant, unified campus that reflected the school’s identity.

With the locality’s radial layout and the school’s curved plot, the design team introduced a custom Fibre-Reinforced Plastic (FRP) screen façade, inspired by educational symbols such as alphabets and numbers. This screen provided both sun shading and visual distinction, creating a bold presence within the urban fabric.

A total of 488 FRP panels (each 3.2 x 3.2 meters, weighing 70kg) in 13 stencil patterns were mounted on a mild steel framework aligned with structural slabs. Arranged in varying orientations, they created a dynamic, randomized façade that visually tied the two blocks together.

The courtyards were redesigned with curved slab projections and colourful soffits.

Junior Courtyard: Tot-lot play area.

Senior Courtyard: Landscaped social hub with artificial greenery for low maintenance.
Both spaces were covered with translucent polycarbonate roofing to ensure ample daylight.

The service block was masked with vertical grey aluminium fins for a seamless look. Inside, corridors featured colour-coded tile panels adjacent to classrooms to help spatial navigation.

Junior School Interiors: Soft boards, colourful furniture, patterned floors for playful learning.

Library: Floating ceiling effect with mesh and dark tones for a calm environment.

Cafeteria: Wave-like acrylic ceiling for vibrancy.

Landscaping integrated educational and environmental features — fruit trees, renewable energy lighting, and sensory elements — to encourage exploration and sustainability awareness across the 2-acre campus.