Projects — Educational/Institutional — Education Training Centre - Vashi, Navi Mumbai

Client - NAVI MUMBAI MUNICIPAL CORPORATION

The local corporation of Navi Mumbai, India has initiated the project ‘Education Training Centre’ (E.T.C) to cater to the special needs of Persons With Different Abilities (PWDAs) and approached THE FIRM to design this facility in a phased manner.

The approach to this project was different in terms of the involvement of human emotions of the end users. The objective of the design was to have a place which is welcoming and assuring to the pupils and their families by lieu of its over-all look and feel.

Studies have proven that there is strong correlation between students’ performance and quality of natural light in a school. Daylight and un-obstructive views to the exterior landscapes are helpful for learning and overall well-being and the architectural design has attempted to provide the pupils with such conducive environment at E.T.C.

The North-South orientation of the building plan, shallow depth of the rooms and the light shelves contribute to achieve the goal of hundred percent day-lit rooms. The 4m wide passages are very generous in comparison with the conventionally accepted corridors of a school building; but the same was included in the design purposely to lend the openness to the plan that was considered quintessential to the design as conceptualized.

Designing a facility like ETC has revealed important lessons about how people are impacted by architecture and it has been a truly enriching experience for us to learn from. The project also got the Prime Minister’s award for being an exemplary role model to be followed by all corporations across India.