Introduction
The global scenario is constantly changing leading to changes in social structures, systems and therefore the lifestyles of people. It is our responsibility as designers to redefine our role in the process of tackling social issues using design as a primary tool.
The future lies in the hands of the younger school-going generation and thus, it is important to prepare them for the challenges of the ever-changing world. Educating the younger generation in a way that equips them with the skills and tools for the unforeseen future is crucial. Education is an important agent for social change and the design of educational centres can catalyse social change.
Volume Zero Competitions invited designers, architects, activists, educators, and enthusiasts to design a multifunctional educational space to accommodate a capacity of 200 students. These spaces would also function as interactive spaces for the local community during post-school hours.
The participants were encouraged to re-imagine the school beyond the conventional classrooms, admin and sanitary spaces. Additional in-between spaces for informal learning along with dedicated spaces for interaction and how the same spaces would function post-school hours for local communities were to be thought of. The site and the program requirements were open-ended for the participants to define and justify.
Many of the participating entries crafted thoughtful designs that would be accelerators of change in the respective contexts. The winning entries particularly raised the bar through their context and culture-sensitive approach in defining the infrastructure and communal engagement with and within the piece of architecture.
Volume Zero thanks all the participating members and teams for their entries in the Re-School 2021 Architecture Competition!