Yellow Train School
The brief was to follow the intent of Waldorf system of Education but be within the bye laws laid by the Tamil Nadu Board of education. Waldorf system stresses hugely on child centric education wherein more impetus is given on mental, spiritual, physical and psychological than only the academics. So while conventional classrooms are provided there is ample space and details added to make the kindergarten and primary wing, which is the present first phase, to accommodate and encourage activity based group learning. An individual classroom has three spaces- a space where teacher leads with the blackboard and seating, circled areas where group activity occurs with walls provided with facility to hang works of children and nooks which allow for individual contemplation. Play is a very important part of the system. Coimbatore being a hot climate play spaces have been brought in within the building too thereby making them accessible to children at all times. Caves and unusually lit spaces like through jalis allow for explorations and creation of fantasy. An open air theatre within the interior environs encourages the children to create impromptu acts.
The codes also required that the classrooms be 75 cm above the ground, though the patrons and us wanted to have some part of the premises below ground. This was achieved by placing the rooms 60 cm below the entrances and then cutting away the play spaces around them by a further 75 cm. This therefore allowed for children to not be at the same level as the road next door and created a sheltered play space, also shaded in part by the height of the compound. It’s greater positive impact was to provide earth for construction. All the earth so excavated was used in the making of C.E.Bs, for walls, jaalis, sill/lintel blocks and for arch panels. This made the ecological footprint of the building material very low and due to the employing of pre-casting processes, faster execution was achieved too. Close to 1500 square meters was constructed and finished in one year’s time
The roof and floors are also arched, being made of Compressed Earth Block (C.E.B) precast arch panels. Thus, the whole space is made extremely gentle and playful by the use of structural elements. The walls too are of C.E.B and have a combination of steel windows and jaali walls which allow for both light through to the end of the room as well as light breeze over the body of the children, an essential in the hot, humid climate of Coimbatore. The entire roof's water is harvested and stored as well as recharged. The building is completely accessible by a ramp. It is day lit and ventilated passively.
