The Mahindra United World College in India features a campus designed by architect Christopher Charles Benninger, blending traditional materials with modern architecture to create a cohesive learning environment. The design incorporates local stone, exposed concrete, and glass, emphasizing transparency and interaction with the natural landscape while promoting sustainability and low maintenance. The campus, which won multiple architectural awards, includes diverse facilities such as residential areas, academic blocks, social spaces, and amenities that foster community and engagement among students and staff.

1. MahindraMahindra
United WorldUnited World
College,PuneCollege,Pune
Harshita BatraHarshita Batra

2. •The buildings are, a reflection of the mountains surrounding the campus, a kind of miniature model reflecting the jagged contours. But
they are also like a village.
• Indeed, Benninger chose to break down the scale and articulate the units as in a small town.Benninger centered the plans of this highly
diverse little world around a quadrangle with passages radiating out from it.
•In other words, the plan is conceived as path driven.
•Professor Benninger has been concerned about the materiality of his works.
•He believes in " honesty of expression" wherein materials are expressed in their natural form.
•His work in India is characterized by brick and stone bearing walls, exposed concrete work and glass panels.
•He often uses sloped tile roofs.
•Through the years Professor Benninger has evolved a consistent way of using materials, which he calls LANGUAGE.
•This language uses a group of " motifs" as words.
•On the other hand he contrasts PATTERN from LANGUAGE, describing PATTERN as the order through which a building's plans,
sections and elevations are structured.
•The Mahindra United World College of India uses the same LANGUAGE as the earlier projects, the PATTERN is born out of
Benninger's perception of movement through space, or what he describes as the " Experience of Space".
•The design clearly seeks to explore and find a "regional architecture. It attempts to use traditional idioms. It is bound into local crafts
and materials.But the project does not attempt these objectives by reverting to trivial 'ethnic architecture.

3. •The architect caste numerous "relief" murals into the ceilings of the form finished slabs.
•An interesting feature of the composition is the manner in which murals are cast in the concrete ceiling slabs.
•Using plywood cut-outs, the architects have exploited the potential of their building system creating the Yin and Yan over the Board
room, Birds in a Flight in the Art Centre ceiling, a Mystical River which makes a full circle around the Academic Quadrangle and
Primordial Reptiles and Snakes in the verandah ceiling of the Student Centre.
Rubble wallA wall mural
Aerial view of the academic area
as seen from the top- the built resting in a space
of its own
murals designed at the student center
The Student Centre Design

4. LEGENDS:
1.Mahadwara
2.Security check
3.IT department
4.Administration
5.Science centre
6.Academic quadrangle
7.Catering centre
8.Multipurpose hall
9.Art centre
10.Library
11.Toilet
An aerial view of the campus amidst the verdant mountains of
western ghats of India
Administration and Academic block
Residential block
KNOWING THE
SITE

5. ZONING

6. •The material system is one used in the local region over the past five
hundred or more years.
•But these old systems are used in new, innovative ways to focus on hills; sun
sets and capture views.
• A major visual concern of the project was the integration of the geometric
"construction" ensemble into vast angular geometry of the overpowering
mountainous landscape.
• Thus, silhouettes of the stone walls were inspired by the angles of the
surrounding mountains.
•Stone bearing walls and concrete slabs, insulated and waterproofed with
tiles, were formed in a plastic manner to provide a variety of interior rooms
and also to merge with the landscape.
•The use of local stone and traditional materials aided the integration of
these two systems.
• Another material, glass, was used as an "enclosing element.“
•Sliding glass panels and pivoted doors provide transparency between the
interior and exterior spaces.
•
•Floor to ceiling panels of fixed glass create atria in the Library and
Administration Building which bring light and greenery into the centre of the
masonry spaces.
• Large structural glass walls are restricted to the north, northeast and
northwest facing studios in the Art Centre.
•Finally, it is the use of stone to support, to enclose, to shelter and to define
spaces, which adds unique colour, texture and depth to the composition
•It rejects 'machine centred' construction techniques in favour of labour intensive methods, which enhance income amongst the local
population
• Construction of the college employed more than one thousand masons, who camped on the site.
•All materials are energy efficient and techniques
demand nurture and respect the skills of craftsmen.
The fabric of the buildings is also low maintenance and
climate friendly, giving insulation from extreme heat
and shade from the sun.
•These traditional craftspeople are devoted to their work and the artefacts
they create.

7. The campus is generally divided into two separate parts.
• One of the parts is the residential area.
• The residential area has five separate living areas called 'wadas'.
•Each wada houses students as well as faculty.
• This area also has the social center, the medical center, the gymnasium and sports
facilities.
•The social center has a pool table, two ping-pong tables, a student run shop, called
'the Dukaan', and a coffee shop.
• The medical center has 16 beds.
• Among the sports facilities is a swimming pool, a football field and a tennis court, which
doubles up as an area for playing 'Cage Football', a popular student-run activity.
• There is also a basketball court and nets for cricket practice.
The pool overlooks the valley beyond
Playing football, with the valley
forming a dramatic backdrop
Playing basketball
A typical section of a residential
area, known as a ‘wada’, where staff
and students live
THE CAMPUS
•The academic area consists of classrooms, laboratories, administrative offices, art studios,
the library and a number of lawns.
• Most of the classrooms are located in a building known as the Academic Quadrangle,
which also houses four staff rooms.
•There are five laboratories, which are located in the science block.
pedestrian pathways at Mahindra
United World College

8. the admin block
Bank block in the
administration building
with water sprout
Administration building-a unique rubble
finished wall.
the multi purpose hall
Coffered triangles span the six
thousand square feet multi
purpose hall.
•The administrative area houses the offices of the Head of College, the Director of Studies, the finance department, the administration
department and the transport department.
• The main administrative building also houses the reprographics section and the conference room.
• The Multi-Purpose Hall, which is the venue of social events and examinations, is located in the Academic Area.
Pathways creating hierarchy in
the building structure in the
academic area.
•In between both the areas lies the cafeteria.
•The cafeteria provides lunch, breakfast and dinner to all students, faculty and staff in the
school.
•Various hang out spaces have been created.
•Links between structures are activity areas themselves, like the Amphitheater steps linking the Academic Quadrangle with the
Multipurpose-Hall, or the sunset lawn which allows a view over Mulshi Lake in the evenings, framed by the Art Centre and the Library.
The central part of the campus

9. •One enters the campus through an entrance gate, or 'Mahadwara', which frames an ancient wooden door, and delineates a movement
corridor along the auspicious north-south axis, which intersects the solar east-west axis.
• Along these cardinal lines the Administration, the Science centre, the Amphitheater and the Multipurpose Hall are laid out.
• The Catering Centre, Library and the Art Centre fall on the east-west axis, welcoming sunrises, framing sunsets and catching the daily
clock of shadow movement. A number of connecting devices like ramps, seating 'ottas', 'Kund' like steps are drawn from traditional
Indian settings and encourage informal meetings and interaction.
View of the mahadwara from the
administrative building
The three wings of the art center
overlooking the landscape terrain at
the Mahindra United World College
The library twists around to provide a lit
up atrium at the center of the structure,
an atrium design
A view of the staircase.The mahadwara
•The self-sufficient campus is located in the Sahayadri
Mountains, about one hundred kilometers southeast of
Bombay on a plateau three hundred feet above the Mula river
basin.
•The campus infrastructure includes a two kilometer long
access road up the mountain side; tube wells and water lift
system from the river; a water purification plant; a rural
electrification grid, backed by transformers and generators,
internal distribution cables; a sewage treatment plant; and an
independent satellite link for communications.

10. Looking along the walkway
between the classrooms and the
canteen
Walking through the central part of
the campus, near the
Administration Centre
The College Canteen
•All the students have their own small spatial domain and an individual sleep and study area.
• Like small wadas, the traditional courtyard houses of the region, eight students have to manage a small cottage surrounding a small
courtyard, which is the social and spatial focus of each house.
• Just as traditional villages of the area are divided into clusters or wadis, so are the five faculty cottages.
•This vast network of crossing paths serves to bond the entire collage.
• The students’ and teachers’ units gravitate towards amenities for the entire campus which include a student centre, a swimming pool, a
medical centre, a landscaped mall, a studio for graphics and music studio, as well as studios for dance and drama.
The light towers are designed to receive
light along the movement of the sun
The Academic quadrangle is
penetrated at its four cardinal
quadrants to provide for portal
The passageway leading to the main
gate

11. •The climate of Mulshi ranges from 'hot-dry' in the Spring to cool-rainy in the Fall, and chilly-dry in the Winter. In such a climate one can
use door spaces and areas year round.
•This temperate context is exploited in the design.
• All classrooms have verandahs and extend into courtyards, allowing activities to spill out into the open areas.
•Low-covered walkways in the teaching areas provide hangout areas. Covered porches in many buildings act as pavilions for discussions,
project meetings and contemplation.
•The Mahindra United World College
of India won international recognition
as the recipient of the Business
Week/Architectural Record Award for
Excellence in the year 2000
•.The project also won the Designer of
the Year Award in 1999 and the Aga
Khan awar for architecture in 2001
•The campus of the school was designed by architect Christopher Charles Benninger. The design
incorporates traditional elements and local building materials and won him theDesigner of the
Year award in 1998
•It is located in the cool western Sahyadri hills near Pune, about three hours by road from Mumbai.
•The college campus occupies an area of approximately 175 acres near the village of Paud in the Mulshi region of Maharashtra in India,
roughly 40km from the city of Pune.
diffused northern light at the
art centre
North facing studio windows
provide light and views in the
art center
Site plan

12. Harshita BatraHarshita Batra
Pearl AcademyPearl Academy
OfOf
Fashion,JaipurFashion,Jaipur

13. Type of building use: Institutional
Year of completion: 2008
Built-up area: 2,15,278 Sq ft
Plot size: 12, 250 sq m (3 Acres)
Location: Jaipur
Size:2, 15, 278 Sq Ft
Climate: Hot and Dry
Cost:Rs. 1300/sq ft
Awards
•. The campus won the ‘Best Learning Building’ award at the
World Architecture Festival Awards, 2009.
• Highly Commended Seal of Distinction, Cityscape
Architectural Awards, 2009
•Best Sustainable/Green Architecture, ArchiDesign Awards
2009
• The Institutional Architecture Award 2011
•A+D & Spectrum Foundation Architecture Awards 2009
•Cityscape Architectural Review Special Award for
Environmental Design, 2007
In and Around Jaipur Campus
•The Pearl Academy Jaipur campus is nestled amongst the
majestic Aravali hills on the Jaipur Delhi Highway.
•The campus is less than 6 Kms. away from the Historic fort
of Amber and 15Kms. from the Jaipur City centre.
•It is well connected with the major …. Of the city and Taxis,
Autos and Buses are easily available to reach the campus.
Getting here
•Jaipur International Airport
Travel Distance: Approximately 25.0 Kms
•Bus Station
Travel Distance: Approximately 14 Kms.
•Railway Station
Travel Distance: Approximately 14 Kms.
•City Center
Travel Distance: Approximately 15.0 km/9.32 miles
INTRODUCTION

14. The Pearl Academy of Fashion is located in a typical hot, dry, desert type climate on the outskirts
of Jaipur in the soulless Kukas industrial area, about 20 kilometers from the famous walled
city.
The architecture of the academy needed to be a confluence of modern adaptations of traditional
Indo-Islamic architectural elements and passive cooling strategies prevalent in the hot-dry
desert climate of Rajasthan such as open courtyards, water body, a step-well or baoli and
jaalis (perforated stone or latticed screen).
All these elements have been derived from their historic usages, but will manifest themselves
through the built form and become an intrinsic part of the daily life of the design student.
The institute creates interactive spaces for a highly creative student body to work in
multifunctional zones which blend the indoors with the outdoors seamlessly.
The radical architecture of the institute emerges from a fusion of the rich traditional building
knowledge bank and cutting edge contemporary architecture.
Pearl Academy of Fashion is an exemplar of an inclusive architecture which intends to
accommodate all the heritage values while positioning it within the contemporary cultural
and architectural paradigm.
Site plan
Perforated jaalis or
latticed screen
Irregular courtyard

15. Program: Programmatic requirements enabled the conception of a whole level of functions in the underbelly which would operate in a
passive environment without the employment of any mechanical means of heating and cooling.
• This enabled the elimination of a complete storey which would otherwise use artificial techniques of cooling thus making the building
extremely efficient in its energy consumption
Form Optimization, Morphology, and Orientation: An industrial site context along with Form Optimization led to the formation
of a perfect rectangular Volume with minimum exposed surface area.
• The site was excavated to a depth of four meters, to create an underbelly and the two stories of classrooms, studios and offices were
raised on pilotis above this void.
•Being a fashion design institute, the underbelly, which is thermally banked on all sides, has a ramp designed to be used during fashion
shows and forms the anchor for the entire project.
•It also serves as a large recreation and exhibition zone, houses the cafeteria and spill out areas for the student population and is in active
use throughout the year including the summer months, given the significantly tempered environment created.
•Orthogonal perimeter offices frame a biomorphic configuration of classrooms and studios, drawing in natural light from all sides.
•Open and glass-walled walkways surround these undulating blocks, which define openings to the lower level.
•The second storey juts out above the first and both are clad in fretted panels attached to a metal frame.
•The traditional courtyards take on amorphous shapes within the regulated form of the cloister-like periphery.
•This curvilinear geometry is generated through a computerized shadow analysis that tracks the precise movement of the sun through the
day and across the seasons.
•The self-shading sliver courtyards help to control the temperature of internal spaces and open step-wells, while allowing sufficient day
lighting inside studios and classrooms.
Curvilinear geometry
Passive cooling
Jaali

16. Evaporative Cooling: The entire building is raised above the ground and a scooped out under belly forms a natural thermal sink which
is cooled by water bodies through evaporative cooling.
• The underbelly is a microclimate generator, and the step well section cools the building from within and the air coming inside.
Sectional view showing evaporative cooling

17. Courtyards and Stepwells: The scheme relies on self-shading sliver courts to keep the solar ingress out and control the temperatures
of internal spaces and open stepped wells while allowing for sufficient day lighting inside studios and classrooms.
•The resultant scooped-out shaded underbelly forms a natural thermal sink by way of a water body.
•This step well is reminiscent of the traditional baolis that are scattered all through the hot and dry region.
• Thermally banked on all sides, the underbelly is a grotto-like space, a space for sacred congregation within an academic institution: for
students, for activity and chance activity, for recreation, exhibition, and interaction amidst the organic setting of green and water.
•The water body is fed by the recycled water from the sewage treatment plant and helps in the creation of a microclimate through
evaporative cooling.
Daylighting, Ventilation and
Structural grid: The courtyards get
indirect light into classrooms and helps
in the creation of naturally ventilated
and lit singly- loaded corridors.
•The entire building is on a 9m grid,
single bay, naturally lit and cross-
ventilated.
•The configuration of this grid allows
for day lighting, ventilation and
alongwith a flexible system of
partitioning for the years to come.
Stepwell –reminiscent of
traditional baolis
Stepwells and
courtyard
The traditional courtyards take on
amorphous shapes
the contemporary cultural and architectural paradigm

18. •This curvilinear geometry is generated through a computerized shadow analysis that tracks the precise movement of the sun through the
day and across the seasons.
SOLAR STUDY

19. Insulation: A traditional Indian technique of thermal insulation was employed: Earthen pots (mutkas) about 35 cm in diameter are
placed on flat roof, 2.5 cm apart, and the spaces between are filled with sand and broken bricks and covered with a thin layer of concrete.
• The fill and the air within the mutkas provide insulation.
Shading: The building is protected from the environment by a double skin which is derived from a traditional building element called
the ‘Jaali’ which is prevalent in Rajasthani architecture.
• The double skin creates a thermal buffer between the building and the surroundings.
•The density of the perforated outer skin has been derived using computational shadow analysis based on orientation of the façades.
• The outer skin sits 4 feet away from the building and eliminates the direct solar ingress through fenestrations, yet allowing for diffused
daylight.
•The jaali thus, serves the function of 3 filters- air, light, and privacy.
Landscape floor plan
Sectional detail
Landscaping: The water body which is fed by the recycled
water from the sewage treatment plant helps in the creation
of a microclimate through evaporative cooling.
•Green spaces and water bodies are designed as per
orientation to be in shaded areas in order to lower the water
evaporation and aid evaporative cooling.
•During the night, when the desert temperature drops, this
floor slowly dissipates the heat to the surroundings, keeping
the area thermally comfortable
•The materials used for construction are a mix of local stone, steel,
glass and concrete chosen keeping in mind the climatic needs of the
region while retaining the progressive design intent.
•The exterior is painted orange to set off the white jaali, but the
interior surfaces are white, to reduce heat absorption and create a
cool backdrop for the bustle of activity.

20. UNDERSTANDING
THE PLANNING