Art & Media Centre — The Doon School
25,000 sq. ft. | Dehradun, India
Role: Project Architect (Khosla Associates)
Overview
Co-designed and managed the construction of a 25,000 sq. ft. Art & Media Centre at The Doon School, India’s premier residential school. The project creates a collaborative, climate-responsive learning environment supporting a shift from lecture-based to facilitative education.
Context
The brief called for a bold and contemporary building that would introduce a spirit of creativity into the campus while sensitively engaging with the school’s historic English Renaissance architecture.
The site was located between iconic 100-year-old brick buildings and landscaped gardens, requiring a design that could bridge heritage and contemporary expression within a cohesive campus setting.
Design & Approach
The building is conceived as a composition of sculptural forms organized along a central spine, using a layered material palette of exposed brick, olive corrugated metal, and yellow slate.
Two primary blocks — housing art studios (painting, ceramics, sculpture, textiles) and media functions (lecture hall, film studio, publications, galleries) — are connected through an internal bridge, creating a continuous learning environment.
The design integrates passive environmental strategies, including:
Cross ventilation through courtyards
Filtered north light via skylight systems
Stack effect ventilation to manage heat and humidity
Deep overhangs to mitigate solar gain
Contribution
Worked as Project Architect, co-developing architectural design, presentations, working drawings, and detailing, while managing design development and on-site coordination.
Collaborated with The Energy and Resources Institute to integrate sustainability strategies, including:
Solar-powered exhaust systems within skylights
Rainwater harvesting to replenish a historic aqueduct
Use of locally sourced materials
Impact
Delivered a climate-responsive, GRIHA-rated educational building
Enabled a significant increase in student participation in the arts (from ~20–30 to 180+ students annually)
Created a flexible, collaborative learning environment aligned with evolving educational models
Successfully integrated contemporary design within a historic campus context
Awards & Recognition:
Longlisted — World Architecture News (WAN) Education Awards (2010)
Shortlisted — World Architecture Festival (WAF) (2011)
Featured on ArchDaily
Project completed during tenure at Khosla Associates. All rights reserved.
