The Physical Infrastructure
THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
Visualised as a “school for learning” for children, teachers and parents, the physical space of Shikshantar reflects beauty, thoughtfulness and interaction with the elements. For a child, it represents a place where a variety of modes are available to weave in and out of large and small groups and individual places of learning; a space where children feel a sense of belonging.
Well-ventilated and well lit classrooms with large windows are designed for comfort in varying weather conditions of North India. The positioning of the rooms allows breeze to blow through the east-west and north-south air corridors. Shikshantar is situated on two separate plots of land, separated by a distance of fifty metres. The infrastructure for each site is self-contained and as per the requirements of the specific age group.
The Pre-Primary School is built on 1.2 acres of land and houses Sprouting Seeds, Nursery and Kindergarten, Srija (art room) and Tarana (music room), a central hub for various school activities, Nachiketa (Pre primary library), Vanar Vatika, sandpits outside every group, Nandanam (large front lawn), turtle and fish ponds and a hugely attractive slide.
The large school campus is built on 6.2 acres of land and contains the Primary School, Middle School, Senior School, playgrounds and an extensive infrastructure.
The Primary School houses Classes I to IV, a library, playgrounds, open terraces for group activities, Trinachiketa (Primary school library), an art area, a dance area, a music room and the children’s favourite, a big slide.
The Middle and Senior School houses Classes V to XII; well equipped laboratories for Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Home Science, Geography and Computers; Jigaysa (library), art and pottery rooms, Indian and Western music rooms, dance rooms, AV room, meditation room, resource room, medical room, dining hall, butterfly garden and a large amphitheatre. Sports facilities include a multipurpose hall with badminton courts, a football field, cricket nets, basketball court, table tennis, volleyball court, equipment and floor space for gymnastics.
Balconies and terraces are used extensively in the Shikshantar campus for circle time, project work, small and large group interactions. A diverse ecosystem that houses many trees, bushes and plants, a large snakes and ladders floor, rock garden, butterfly garden and vegetable garden – all contribute to creating spaces that evoke enduring sensory and interactive experiences.
The school landscape has been extensively redesigned to match the ethos so as to allow outdoor spaces to also become age-appropriate learning spaces “living laboratories”, whether it is in the fields of sensory motor perception, or for older children academic subjects like, Geography, Mathematics and Physics.