Bangalore-based architecture firm Flying Elephant Studio was commissioned to design a new five-room dormitory and a two-level teachers’ residence for the Rishi Valley School. The project was designed by architects Iype Chacko and Rajesh Renganathan. The hostel-residence is a single rectangular complex with the students’ rooms on opposite sides connected by the teachers’ house on one side.
The hostel’s exterior façade appears as if large perfect rectangles have been flawlessly erected vertically to create box-like structures of steel and stone. In sync with the exteriors, the interiors are minimalist and spacious. The rooms are designed to open on two sides allowing for natural cross ventilation.
The two-level teachers’ residence building accommodates two families – one on each level. One end is accessible from the main road while the other side opens to the central courtyard giving a picturesque view of the flower garden and the dorm rooms. The fluid design reveals a continuity of space between the families’ and the dorm rooms, and succeeds in rendering a strong sense of connection and community living.
