Architectural Case Study on Druk White Lotus School

An architectural case study on Druk White Lotus School, Ladakh India, conducted by a group second year architecture students.

1. CASE STUDY ON
DRUK WHITE LOTUS
SCHOOL
PRESENTED BY: GROUP E

2. Site features, climatic conditions, concept origin, relationship of
design with site,
DESIGN CONCEPT01
Building materials, building construction techniques, technical
features, vernacular architecture
BUILDING TECHNIQUES02
Passive design, green architecture, use of renewable sources of
energy,
SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE03
History of the site, relationship between the concept and the socio-
cultural aspects
SOCIO-CULTURAL ASPECT04

3. DRUK WHITE LOTUS SCHOOL
Known locally as the DrukPadma
KarpoSchool. Karpomeans White
and Padmameans Lotusin the local
language Bodhi.
OBJECTIVE:The school was started
at the request of the people of Ladakh
who wanted a school that would help
maintain their rich cultural traditions,
based onTibetan Buddhism, while
equipping their children for a life in the
21st century.
INTRODUCTION
Jonathan Rose, ARUP Associates
HEAD ARCHITECT
Shey,Ladakh, NorthIndia.
LOCATION
Total Cost-INR 3.40 Cr.
TOTAL COST
Educational Complex
BUILDING TYPE
The GyalwangDrukpa
• Cost per square meter-INR 15976.
• Infrastructure-INR 41 lacs.
• Labor-INR 38 lacs.
• Materials-INR 71 lacs.
• Landscaping-INR 6.21 lacs.
• Professional fees-INR 1.53 Cr.
• Other-INR. 27 lacs.
TOTAL COST-INR 3.40 Cr.
FOUNDER

4. 840 2015350
YEAR THE SCHOOL
FACILITIES
COMPELTED
PUPILS
AVAILABLE
ACCOMODATION
SPACE

5. L O C A T I O N

6. CLOSEST VEHICULAR ACCESS TO THE SITE
Manaliand Jammu And Kashmir
BUS STATION
Nearest Airport-LehMilitary Airport
(16 KM.)
AIRPORT
Pathankot
TRAIN STATION
Theschoolpremisescanbeaccessedviatworoads:
PRIMARYENTRANCE:leadingtoadirtroadthatfinallyconnects
tothemainroad
SECONDARY ENTRANCE:directlyconnectstothemainroad,
i.e.Leh-ManaliHighway

7. SITE CONTEXT
•The gently south sloping site of the school is in the village
of Shey(the site of the historic Sheymonastery of Ladakh) ,
close to the River Indus and its irrigated fields.
•The school is at the edge of the village on the main road that
leads from the village to other Gompasites.
•Next to the site is another school complex of humble quality.
•Houses and monasteries (Gompa) are built on elevated
south-facing sites using a combination of stone, wood and
earth (mud brick).
•The traditional vernacular is characterized by glazed
windows divided into small panes, wooden decorations
at lintel level and eaves below the gutter.
•Architectural varies in religious structures for different
communities, but residential architecture remains the same.
•New buildings are mostly reinforced concrete structures.

8. WIND FLOW ANALYSIS SOLAR ANALYSIS

9. SITE FEATURES
•The old town is located on the southern
slope of the mountain terrain allowing
the settlement to face the sun.
•The newer parts are extending in the
plans in the south west direction.
•The highest point of the Lehtown so
occupied by the TsemoGompafollowed
down the slope by LehPalaceand then
the houses of nobles.
•The lower partof the settlement is
occupied by commonersand then the
main market
URBAN PLANNING OLD LEH
Site Area-130,000 square meters
(13 hectares)
Ground floor area-1200 square
meters
Total covered area-1240 square
meters
Nursery and Infant School-800
square meters
Residence-440 square meters
All buildings are single storeyexcept
for Junior School which has partial
second storey.
BUILDING DATA
It has High Altitude Desert (3700
m)/Cold Desert climate, especially from
October to March with dry winds blowing
throughout the day
•Summers are short and humid with
temperature between 10°C and
20°C.
•Winters are extreme in, dipping
below freezing point. However,
winter days are sunny and bright.
•Main source of water-Snowfall
•Lack of oxygen because of lack of
vegetation.
CLIMATIC CONTEXT

10. CLIMATIC FEATURES
Wide diurnal and
seasonal
fluctuationsin
temperature with -
30 Cin winter and
+35 C in summer
SKYFairly clear
the year with cloud
cover less than
50%
SOILThin, sandy
and porous
VEGETATION
Devoid of any
natural vegetation
Summer midday:
17 to 24 deg.C
Summer night:
4 to 11 deg.C
Winter midday:
-7 to -8 deg.C
Winter night:
-14 to -20 deg.C
03
Solar Radiation
Due to high altitude
and low humidity the
radiation level is very
high. The global solar
radiation is as high
as 6-7 kwh/mm
Dust Storms very
common in the
afternoon
Air : Very dry
Relative humidity
Ranges from 10%-
50%
Precipitation:
Very low with
annual pptof 10 cm
mainly in the form of
snow

11. C O N C E P T
M A N D A L A
“The idea of having a modern school which lays equal
emphasis on the importance of preserving the valuable aspects
of a traditional culture is very encouraging”-Dalai Lama

12. C O N C E P T
•CombiningtheconceptofMandala&Key,
theschoolbecomesthejunctionof
education&spirituality
•Theschooldesignwasbasedonadiagram
madebythespiritualleaderoftheDrukpa
Lineage,theGyalwangDrukpainanomadic
tent.
•Thelandscapedesignisconceivedasa
GardenMandalawithinalandscape
Mandalawhosecomponentsare
Awhitelotuscourtattheheartoftheschool
Agardenmandalainwhichtheschool
communitycangrowasaplacetodevelop
wisdom,virtueandconcentration.
ThesethreequalitiesinSanskritarecalled
Prajna,SilaandSamadhi

13. •Thesceneryoutsidetheschoolcampuswouldbe
interpretedasaMandalalandscape,itcanbea
visualaidtounderstandingthenaturalandmade
featuresofthelandscape.
•NaturalofIndusValley:Sky,TheMountains,Rivers
•Manmade:Thefarmsandthefarmlasnd,thestupa
andstupafields,theGompas
•Inmakinggardenwithinthislandscape,thedesign
teamdrawsinspirationfromtheemblemofthe
DrukpaLineage.DrukpameansDragonandthe
emblemshowstwodragonsprotectingthetreasures
ofBuddhism,i.e.Adharmawheel,alotusanda
Triratna.

14. I II III

15. SOCIO-CULTURAL
IMPACT
•ConstructionoftheDrukWhiteLotusSchoolmeans
childrenlivingintheareacannowgetaccessto
educationtheymightnototherwisehavehad.
•Thecomplex’sstudentresidentialblocksallowpupils
fromLadakh’sremotestareastoattendtheschool.
•Aprogramofstudentsponsorshiprunbythe
institutionallowschildrenfromthepoorest
backgroundstotakeupplaces.
•Itoffersaneducationthatgroundsstudentsfirmlyin
theirowncultureandequipsthemtothriveinthe
modernworld.
•StudentslearnBodhi(thelocallanguage)-local
culturebeingpreserved
•BesideslanguageslikeEnglishandHindi,aswellas
sciences,socialstudiesandcreativeartsarebeing
taught
•Studentsalsolearnpresentationandleadership
skillsandproblemsolving.

16. ALSO….
•It is inspired by the Buddhist tradition in
Ladakh
•By laying out the school buildings in the
traditional form of a mandala -a series of
symmetrical geometric shapes with
significant spiritual resonance -the
design itself honors the culture of the
community.
•It is the focal point of the area and the
pride of the people of the community
•Preserve the LadakhiCulture through
teaching the students the Ladakhi
language, art, songs and folklore as
well as Ladakhifood.
•The students sing Ladakhisongs and
prayers in the courtyard of the school.

17. Z O N I N G
SITE PLAN
•The academic blocks-infant, junior and senior,
are clustered together with communal courtyard
(amphitheater) placed at the center.
•Sports areas are kept on the outer area of
academic section, integrating them into the main
schooling area nicely.
•Residential area is kept away from main school
allowing privacy.
•Dining hall is nearer to dorms as apposed to
academic block.
•Laboratories and amphitheater are separate
buildings preventing noise and other disturbances
to classes.
•Dry latrines are in separate
buildings(differentiated into male and female
blocks)which are placed near every academic
block.
•The amphitheaterfunctions as a multi-purpose
hall where prayers, assemblies, functions take
place.

22. BUILDING
FUNCTIONS AND AREA STATEMENT

23. Agenda
Style
ANALYSIS-ACADEMIC BLOCK
•The individual blocks (e.g. Junior block) are a
complete entityin themselves with
classrooms,washrooms,courtyards,stupas
etc.integratedinto each of them.
•The classroomscontainremovable partition
wallsmaking each of them a flexible space.
•Flower beds are placed in front of each
classroom which creates a beautiful and
peaceful atmosphere.
•Latrines are kept as separate buildings yet
not far away from the main buildings

25. •Thelobbiesleadtooneormax.2classes,
actasbufferspacesandcontainlockers.
---Advantage-duringemergencieslike
earthquake,lobbywillnotbeverycrowded.
---Disadvantage-gettingfromaclassonone
endtoanotherendisdifficult.
•Almostallclassroomshaveawarmquite
cornerwithasmallstoveonastone
floor.
•Classrooms have basic
woodenfurniturewithflexiblecushions
andmats.
•Acommoncourtyardatthecenterof
eachacademicblockforplayingandlearning

26. DINING HALL
•Clerestory windows provide on both
sides.
•Designated area for parking and
kitchen deliveries.
•Kitchen and dining area are placed
side by side and both have direct
access to the outside.

27. Junior Block
•Lackofassignedteacher’s/adminspace.
•Storageroomsarekeptfacingnorthasaresult
classroomswhichareplacedinfrontofthem
facethesoutheastsideandgetadequate
daylightyear-round.
•Theclassroomsgetenoughsunlightduring
winterandduetoshadingdevices,remaincool
insummer.
•Roofterraceon1
st
floorisauniqueelement.

28. Residential Block
•Common lobbyleadstocommon
livingroom,corridor(whichleadsto
students’bedrooms)andteacher’s
bedroom.
•Commonwashroomprovidedineach
building,nearthestudents’bedrooms.
•Courtyardascommonareabetween
dormbuildings.

29. INFANT/KINDERGARTEN
BLOCK
•Distinctteacher’s/adminspacelocat
edatcornerofbuildingprovidingpeac
eandquiettoteachers.
•Designatedoutdoorteachingand
learningareaatthecenterofthe
block.
•The‘butterflyroof’whichisMshaped
allowsforwideclerestorywindows
ontwosides,allowinginextralight
andheat.

30. S E C T I O N A L V I E W S

31. MATERIALS
•Inthisbuildingaplethoraoflocal
materialsareused:
•Solidgraniteblocks,foundinandnear
thesite,havebeenusedfortheouterwall.
•Mudblocksfortheinnerwalls,madein
Shey,toformacavitywallforsignificantly
improvedinsulationandhighdurability.
•TheroofisofatraditionalLadakhimud
construction,withsoilfromthesite
includingpoplarandwillowfromlocal
monasteryplantations,andprovidesgood
protectionfromthecold.
•Lowmaintenancecostduetouseoflocal
materials.

32. SUSTAINABLE
DESIGN

33. SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
Use of natural heating methods through
orientation and use of building construction
techniques.
1. Passive Heating
Use of various alternate sources of energy to
avoid use of non-renewable sources of energy.
2. Energy
Use of advanced seismic safety design measures as
this region experiences a severe climate and seismic
activity comparable to that of California.
3. Seismic Safety Design
Due to presence of desert-type climate, there is
massive scarcity of water thus advanced
techniques to compensate that.
4. Gravity feed water
Use of the solar-assisted dry latrines help solve
problem of lack of water and odor problems.
5. Ventilation-Improved Pit Latrines

34. •DrukWhiteLotusbuilding
structuresusetimber
framestoresistseismic
loadsandensurelife
safetyintheeventofan
earthquake.
•Thetimberframesare
independentofthewalls,
andsteelconnections
•Cross-bracingprovide
earthquakestability.
.
SEISMIC DESIGN
AND SAFETY
•Thesolar-assistedlatrineshavea
solarwallthatfacesdirectlysouth
formaximumsolargainanddoesn’t
requirewateratallwithoutodor.
•Theschoolaimstomanagethe
electricitydemand withinthe
constraintsofsolarenergy.
•Astheschoolexpandsand
electricitydemandincrease,they
willneedtoincreaseinstalled
capacityofbothphotovoltaic
panelsandinverters.
•Aroundhalfoftheinitialinvestment
insolarenergywasco-financedby
carbonoffsetfunds.
.
ENERGY
•WaterisscarceinLadakh.
•Thissystempumpssnow-
meltwaterfromadepthof
about30mtoreservoirsnear
thetopofthesite.
•One reservoirprovides
drinkingwaterundergravity
feedtotheschool,whilethe
otherreservoirprovides
irrigationwater.
•Wateravailabilityisakey
aspectofthehygiene
promotionprogramthat
formsanimportantpartof
theeducation.
GRAVITY FED WATER

35. •Ladakhishotinsummerandverycoldinwinter.
Buteveninwinter,thereisoftenintense
sunlightandtheteachingspacesheatquickly
thankstotheiroptimal30deg.South-east
orientation,combinedwithfullyglazedsolar
facadesthatgatherthesun’senergyandstore
heatinhighthermalmasswalls.
•Theclassroombuildingsareoriented30°eastof
truesouthwithanelongatedeast-westaxisto
assureearlymorningwarmup.
•Trombewallsmadeofventilatedmudbrickand
granitecavitywallswithdoubleglazingare
usedtoprovideeveningheatinginthe
dormitories.
•Allthebuildingsintheresidentialareaare
orientedonatruenorth-southaxistomaximize
solargain.
•Photovoltaicsolarpanelsforelectricityand
heating..
.
PASSIVE SOLAR HEATING
S U M ME R
W I N T E R
TYPICAL SECTION OF A CLASS-ROOM

36. P A S S I V E H E A T I N G T E C H N I Q U E S

37. •Theseeliminateflyandodorproblemsand–most
importantlyinadesertenvironment-donotrequire
water.
•Adoublechambersystemwithanintegratedsolar
flueallowstheiroperationascompostingtoiletsand
produceshumusthatcanbeusedasfertilizer.
•ThedesignofthetoiletSystematDrukissimpleand
effective.
•Aminoradaptationtothetraditionalstyleisan
innovativesolutiontoremovesmells.Alargesheetof
steel(2-3mmthick)formsthebackwalltothe
compostingspace,thisispaintedblacktoheatthe
airbehindcreatinganupdraft.
•Asthecoldairfromthebottomofthecompostpit
risesitdrawsthesmellsupandoutofhorizontal
ventsatrooflevel.
VENTILATION IMPROVED PIT
LATRINES

38. COMMENDABLE FEATURES
WATER SUPPLY
Allthewaterneededfortheschoolis
madeavailableontheschoolpremises
withdedicatedboreholesandsolar
pumpssupplyingthemdespiteacute
shortageintheregion
AIRLOCKS
Theentriestotheclassroombuildingsare
allairlockstoactasabufferbetweenthe
wintercoldandthewarminteriors.
NATURAL LIGHTING
Theschoolstrategicallyusesavailable
sunlightandclassroomsaredesignedto
gainmaximumsunlightmakinginternal
lightingredundant.
SOURCE OF ENERGY
Theschoolformajorpartdoesnotrelyon
externalenergyandpower.Itexploitsthe
amplesunlightusingphotovoltaic
panelsforenergyandisselfsufficient.
SUPERINSULATION
•The roofs are constructed of local
poplar rafters, willow sheathing
topped with mud androck wool and
feltinsulation.
•The weather skin is sand and
aluminum sheets.
DRIP IRRIGATION
•A dragon of rivers transports water to the
DrukCampus, helped by an underground
river -bore holes and drip irrigation.
•Irrigation is done mainly with the help of
melted snow
•The school used flood irrigation before
where most of the water was lost in the
coarse grain

39. T E A C H I N G M E T H O D
Thoughithasn’tbeenexplicitlymentioned,throughthe
casestudyandouranalysis,itcouldbeconcludedthat
theteachingmethod(besideskindergarten/nursery)
adoptedhereis:
Low-TechApproachsince
•Theschooldoesn’tuseanytechnology(computer
andotherelectronics)inteachingandlearning
process.
•Theschoolteachestraditionalvaluesandlifeskills
whichisattainedthroughtheactionandexperience
ofastudentinthefield
TeacherCenteredApproachsince
•Themodeofteachingissuchthatinsteadofa
studenttailoredcourse,thereisasetsyllabusand
teachersinstructthestudents.
•Thestudentstablesandchairsarelaidoutinaway
tomaketheteacherthefocusasiscommonin
teachercenteredclassrooms.

40. GALLERY

41. AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
2002
2005
2009
2013
•British Consultants
and Construction
Bureau –
“International
Expertise Awards,
2003”
•“Large Consultancy
Firm of the Year
2003” ( Arup
Associates)
“Sinclair Knight Merz
Award for Achievement in
Development” by
Australian National
Association of Women in
Construction, 2005
•Design for Asia
Grand Award, 2009:
•Award for ‘Inspiring
Design -
International’ from
the British Council
for School
Environments
•The Emirates Glass
LEAF Awards, 2012 for
'Best Sustainable
Development':
•‘Test of Time:
Environmental’ Award
from the British Council
for School Environments
•‘ Best Sustainable
Development of the Year'
Leaf Awards 2012
2012
2003World Architecture
Awards, 2002, (Arup
Associates):
•Best Asian Building
•Best Education
Building
•Best Green Building
(joint winner)
The International
Architecture in Stone
Award

42. Thank You