Architects: Morphogenesis

Location: Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

Architects: Morphogenesis

Design Team: Sonali Rastogi, Rudrajit Sabhaney, Anna Kristiana Bergbom, Shruti Dimri,
John Alok Decruz

Structure: N M Roof Designers Ltd.

Client: Pearl Academy of Fashion

Electrical: Integral Designs

Plumbing: Tech Consultancy

Hvac: Design Centre

Contractors: R G Colonizers Pvt. Ltd.

Area: 11745.0 sqm

Project Year: 2008

From the architect. The Pearl Academy of Fashion, Jaipur is a campus which by virtue of its design is geared towards
creating an environmentally responsive passive habitat. 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.
The institute 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. It ranks third in the top 10 fashion design institutes in India, and its
design needed to represent the seriousness of its academic orientation through its formal geometry. Given the nature of
an institution, budgetary constraints on the project necessitated the use of cost effective design solutions to keep within
the price points set by the client and yet be able to achieve the desired functionality and effect. The adverse climate makes
it a challenge to control the micro climate within the project thus incorporating various passive climate control methods
becomes a necessity and also reduces the dependence on mechanical environmental control measures which are
resource hungry. The architecture of the academy needed to be a confluence of modern adaptations of traditional IndoIslamic 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 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 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 acts as 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 faades. The outer skin sits 4 feet away from the building and reduces the direct heat gain through
fenestrations. Drip channels running along the inner face of the Jaali allow for passive downdraft evaporative cooling, thus
reducing the incident wind temperature.
The scheme relies on self shading sliver courts to control the temperatures of internal spaces and open stepped wells
while allowing for sufficient day lighting inside studios and class rooms. 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. This
under belly which is thermally banked on all sides serves as a large student recreation and exhibition zone and forms the

anchor for the entire project. During the night when the desert temperature drops this floor slowly dissipates the heat to
the surroundings keeping the area thermally comfortable. This time lag suits the staggered functioning of the institute.
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. Energy efficiency is a prime concern and the institute is
100% self sufficient in terms of captive power and water supply and promotes rain water harvesting and waste water recycling through the use of a sewage treatment plant. Besides having become a very successful model for cost effective
passive architecture in desert regions the design and facilities of the campus complement the ideology of the Pearl
Academy of Fashion a cutting edge design institute with a sustainable approach. The 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.

Type of building use: Institutional

Location: Jaipur

Year of completion: 2008

Climatic Zone: Hot-Dry

Built-up area: 2,15,278 Sq ft

Actual Occupancy: Not

Plot size: 12, 250 sq m (3 Acres)

Available

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.

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.

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.

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.

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
cmAPART , 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
faades. 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. (Attached
Diagram)

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.

PEARL ACADEMY OF FASHION JAIPUR

The Pearl Academy of Fashion, Jaipur is a campus which by virtue of its design is geared

towards creating an environmentally responsive passive habitat. 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.
Read more...

Morphogenesis is recognized globally as one of the leading Architecture firms from India.
Founded in 1996, the firm is based out of New Delhi and is a collective offering
specialized services in Architecture, Interior design, master planning , Urban design,
Landscape design and Environmental design consultancy. At Morphogenesis, we
understand that we are working in an environment with limited resources. Hence, design
is viewed as a process that is a resultant of different stimuli, ranging from climatic
conditions, financial and market forces, globalization, local conditions, prevalent
traditions and technologies, and the community. It is this all-inclusive nature of design
with a unique focus on passive and low energy architecture that we believe, will define
the new emergent Indian architecture.

Architecture

FutureArc Green Leadership Award, Singapore 2011

Winner, 20+10+X World Architecture Community

by: N M Roof

Awards, 2010

Designers Ltd.

by: Morphogenesis
Structural Design

Winner, International Design Awards, 2009

Best Learning Building, World Architecture Festival

Awards, 2009

Cityscape Architectural Review Special Award for

Environmental Design, 2007

ArchiDesign Awards Best Sustainable/Green

Architecture, 2009

Contractor: R G
Colonizers Pvt

Name of the Architectural Practice:Morphogenesis

Manit Rastogi,
Managing Partner
Sanjay Bhardwaj,
Senior Partner
Sonali Rastogi,
Senior Partner
Vijay Dahiya,
Partner
Address: N 85 B, Panchsheel Park
New Delhi 110017
Tel: + 91 11 41828070
Fax: + 91 11 26490351
Email: pr@morphogenesis.org
Website: www.morphogenesis.org
External Links
Video
morphogenesis96's channel
Interview
Contemplating Consumption
Types of services offered. (Architecture, Structural, Services,
Project Management, Contracting, Green Rating Facilitation,
Energy Performance Simulation, Energy Audit) Architecture,
Interior design, master planning , Urban design, Landscape
design and Environmental design consultancy

Category :
Institutional
Area :
20000 SQ.M

Client / Owner :
Pearl Academy Of Fashion
Project status :
Completed
Period of Project :
28 month(s)
Project / Company Website :
http://www.pearlacademy.com

Structure Type :
RCC (Reinforced Cement Concrete)
Materials Used :
Natural Stone, Concrete, Bricks
Climate :
Hot and Dry
Topography :
Flat Land
Analogy / metaphor / Concept :
Sustainable building
Form of project :
Rectangular
Spatial configuration :
Linear
- See more at: http://www.architecturelive.in/project/88/pearl-academy-JaipurMorphogenesis/#sthash.XzEQhYBH.dpuf