Typology- Educational

Completion Year: 2023

Gross Built Area : 26000 Sqft

Project Location: Akbarpur, Uttar Pradesh ,India

Lead Architects: Shaily Gupta

Design Team: Joy zen , Prathmesh wable , Meghna

Structural design: Manjunath & Co

MEP Engineers:- Prifactors engg

Clients: Raghuraji devi foundation trust

Taksila Academy Activity Centre is the third structure of the academy on the campus. It is a sports and cultural facility block for the students. Taksila academy runs on the personal interest of the client to uplift the educational system of the town.

The building houses a sports hall of (18x30m) with multiple courts, activity rooms, conference rooms. The hall equipped with stage (8×12.5m), green rooms and storage, can also be used as a large multi-purpose area facilitating a range of other cultural events such as concerts, plays, etc. The hall is equipped with built-in bleachers for 100 students for the sports hall and 170 students on the first floor looking out on to the football field.

70 % of the total steel required for this project was reclaimed from an old factory, which the client had dismantled. The available material and the functional requirements served as the starting point of the design investigations, driving us to design the project from top to bottom instead of the reverse.  We did the inventory of old style Fink trusses (18m) ,Mono Trusses ( 9.8 m), double Columns (6m, 5m) Purlins and factory louvers. Challenge was to reuse as many elements as possible, demonstrating a real hand on upcycling, but also make the project look contemporary and light.

The roof was designed foremost, as per the available structural elements and catering to the functions coming underneath. It was extended in the front side with help of two twisted columns and retrofitted old trusses to cover the entrance and seating facing the field. The roof not only provides shelter from the wind and sun, but also creates an amalgamated space between the indoor and outdoor zones. The continuous circulation of the first floor and the floating roof adds to the horizontality of the project, practically dematerializing the verticals.

Ground floor is built in conventional RCC frame structure with metal structure on the first floor, dividing the building horizontally into a heavy base made of exposed brick walls contrasting with a lightness of metal roof structure above making it look like a floating pavilion.

Old metal elements provided us with many opportunities like interweaving of the metal structure, long span railings without vertical supports, Old factory Louvers used both as open façade and handrails to harmonise the project.

We feel, in times where circular economy is gaining popularity, this project defines resource efficiency and that an ecological prudent project is also economically prudent one. At the same time, the client saved money by not having to purchase new materials but also by not having to sell his old material to a foundry at a lower rate.

This building is entirely naturally ventilated, the dominant winds from the North, North West for most of the year pick up the moisture from the football field and the orchard before crossing the building and getting exhausted from the top roof. Windows are shaded with deep verandas /gallery on all sides. The hall is naturally lit for daytime purposes and equipped with sports lighting for the evenings and stage performances.