Inspired by traditional methods of air cooling
An American engineer designs a school in the Indian desert without air conditioning
The circular shape of the building helps attract air inside.
From the source
school from the inside.
From the source
School building in the middle of the desert.
From the source
picture
An American engineer has combined traditional and modern technology to cool the buildings of a girls' school in the desert town of Jaisalmer in northern India, where temperatures reach nearly 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius) in the height of summer.
The residents of this city, also known as the "Golden City", because of its houses built of yellow sandstone, have long been designing their homes to adapt to the high temperatures.
This same technology was adopted by the American engineer, Diana Kellogg, during her design of the Rajkumari Ratnavati School for Girls in Jaisalmer.
“There are traditional cooling techniques that have been used for centuries in this region, and what I did is I combined the traditional and the new technology together into one successful combination,” Kellogg says, adding that the temperatures inside the school were 20-30 degrees Fahrenheit lower using this technology than outdoors. Abroad.
This project aims to enable women and girls to learn to read and write in an area where the literacy rate is the lowest among females in India. The project was implemented with funding from the American non-profit organization CITA, which provides economic and educational support to women in remote and marginalized areas.
This architectural project is a three-part step that will also include a women's cooperative center and exhibition spaces.
Adapting Desert Heat Kellogg, who usually designs high-end housing projects, was inspired by the idea of cooling this building during a 2014 trip to the Jaisalmer region, and was able to volunteer the desert heat by merging aspects of traditional Jaisalmer architecture with modern designs.
For the structure of the building, Kellogg chose to use locally sourced sandstone, a weather-resistant material that has long been used in buildings in the region, including the Jaisalmer Fort, which forms part of the city and is considered a UNESCO World Site.
Kellogg says: "Sandstone is abundant in this region, and its price is very reasonable, and it actually acts as a heat insulator, keeping the heat in, and the temperature at night as well."
Galle wall
Among the traditional techniques Kellogg's incorporated into its design is the lining of the interior walls with lime plaster, a natural, porous cooling material that helps release trapped moisture.
Other buildings in the area were also inspired by Kellogg's so-called Galle Wall, a sandstone lattice that allows winds to accelerate in a phenomenon called the Venturi effect, helping to cool the courtyard and provide shade.
High ceilings and windows save the building from sweltering classroom temperatures, while a solar panel canopy provides shade and energy.
The structure of the building takes an oval shape that helps capture and circulate cool air, as well as its symbolic connotations of femininity, in line with the spirit of the project.
cooling technologies
Designing a comfortable learning space can be challenging in the heart of an extremely hot desert, as climate change is causing longer and more intense droughts.
While many of the cooling techniques used in the school could in principle be applied elsewhere, their effectiveness and sustainability will vary from site to site, Kellogg acknowledges, due to wind directions from one region to another, and different sandstones regulating temperatures differently from existing materials. and used.
Air conditioning is not used anywhere in the building, not only because of its environmental impact but because it is not common in the area. The situation inside the classrooms depends on the traditional and natural cooling mechanisms that the students are familiar with, and Kellogg believes that they will feel comfortable in their surroundings and environment, which leads to increased confidence. in themselves.
One of the traditional techniques Kellogg's incorporated into their design is lining the interior walls with lime plaster, a natural, porous cooling material that helps release trapped moisture.
The structure of the building takes an oval shape that helps to capture and circulate cool air, as well as for its symbolic connotations of femininity, in line with the spirit of the project.
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