A campus distinguishes itself from a single college block by virtue of its gathering spaces and the community that thrives in them. The Bandhan Residential School of Business in Kolkata, India, by Abin Design Studio amplifies and builds upon this soft differentiation wherein organically placed courtyards and meandering pathways provide ephemeral yet concrete spaces for social gatherings, discussions and casual encounters for both faculty and students. The learning experience is further enhanced due to these spaces attempting to blur the boundary between the indoor and the outdoor spaces, actively fusing at the thresholds.

Rabindranath Tagore's visionary Bishwa Bharati University in Shantiniketan serves as a pool of inspiration for the business school, including Tagore's reverence for nature, creating a ‘trail’ experience by dissecting the campus into smaller blocks centred around trees and green courts, thoughtful integration of existing flora, infusion of local materials and celebrating organic forms. All of these distinct ideas bear remarkable connotations in educational architecture and contribute to the larger, rather amorphous definition of Indian architecture. Apart from being rooted in the inspiration that delves into experience, the campus sees several climate responsive design concepts materialised. The staggered trees provide shade, while the opaque southwest facades reduce overall heat gain, reducing dependence on mechanical air conditioning.

Kolkata-based Abin Design Studio’s repertoire of works, under its founder and principal designer Abin Chaudhuri, showcases a rooting in local traditions while attempting to explore the relevance of modernism with a historical and contextual lens. With sustainability as a core principle, the studio strives to achieve a sense of place and belonging with contextual empathy. The Bandhan Residential School of Business exudes a similar design ethos that celebrates the richness of local experience and know-how. From using locally sourced burnt brick to empowering traditional craftsmanship and artisanal skills, the entire process of design and construction celebrates sustainability on a community, grassroots level and fosters a sense of belonging. 

The building form for each of the units at Bandhan Residential School of Business is an interplay between solid and void spaces, a somewhat unconventional approach to traditional construction techniques, especially in brick architecture. With the rich historic city of Kolkata serving as the campus backdrop, the use of burnt bricks seems inspired. Grounding the design to the material, communal and contextual essence of the site seemingly evokes a romanticism that Abin Design Studio capitalises on. 

Elucidating on this materiality and the contextual relationships the structure strives for, the design team at Abin Design Studio explains, “Grounded in a sense of place, the campus incorporates locally sourced bricks and warm hues of native red soil, forging an authentic connection to the region's geographical and cultural context. These earthy tones harmonise with the surroundings while tangibly linking to the region's heritage.” Additionally, the undulating green roofs with varying heights enhance the sustainability index of the project while visually complementing the design vocabulary.

The reverence for handmade finishes is rather beautifully exhibited on the façade. The clean lines and sleek form of brickwork provide a minimalistic backdrop to explore rustic, artisanal textures, while also setting its sights on the future, aiming to create a bigger impact on the community and future architectural projects through inclusivity, local empowerment and the preservation of cultural identity. “This approach is likely to inspire a broader shift towards a contextually relevant and community-centric architecture that celebrates the region's unique identity while embracing contemporary design principles,” states the design team. 

The business school, thus, aspires to transcend beyond physical influence to impact its users and the surrounding community. Enriching everyday life by elevating user experience through aesthetics, functionality and overall well-being adds a tangential, near-metaphysical dimension to the overall concept. “Serving as an emblem of generosity, we want to encourage dialogues with local authorities to actively contribute to the shaping of the community’s built environment and everyday life,” explains the studio about its emphasis on giving back to the community.  

The entire process of bringing the campus to life involves operating at different scales of human dexterity and ‘sculpting’ by hand, empowering and encouraging local artisanal value. Referring to the hands-on approach, the team has attempted to personify the design implementation by describing it as akin to ‘acquiring a human skin’. “There are many intangible elements that we must understand and acknowledge: ephemeral activations and gatherings, dynamic and changing realities, the mixing of formal and informal processes,” the team explains, prompting a reflection on designers and design processes often being fixated on the exploration of newer and more modern ways of design and building, seldom working towards expanding upon the wealth of tradition to perhaps look at newness or novelty as a hybrid, layered concept.

Project Details

Name: Bandhan Residential School of Business
Architects: Abin Design Studio
Gross Built Area: 10,000 sqm
Project Location:  JJQR+R69, Bolpur, West Bengal 731204
Building Function and Program: Educational