by Ron Bernthal
In India’s northern Thar Desert, in the state of Rajasthan, the New York–based Diana Kellogg Architects has designed the Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School near the small village of Salkha, population 1,000 residents. The village is about 24 miles from Jaisalmer, the larger, more well-known city of 65,000. The pro-bono project for Kellogg’s architectural firm was commissioned by the New York–based non-profit group CITTA and completed in 2021. The unique oval sandstone school, which truly blends into the dry desert is now serving more than 400 girls from kindergarten to 10th grade, coming from households below the poverty line, and in a region where the female literacy rate is just 36 percent. The oval sandstone structure blends seamlessly into the arid landscape.
(photos @ Vinay Panjwani)
The school will be the first in a complex of three buildings known as the GYAAN Center, which will also consist of The Medha, a performance and art exhibition space with a library and museum, and The Women’s Cooperative where local artisans are teaching young mothers and other women weaving and embroidery techniques from the region.
(photos @ Vinay Panjwani)
The GYAAN Center is presently empowering and educating young women, helping them establish economic independence for themselves, their families, and their communities. Since the GYAAN Center is designed by a woman, for women, Kellogg looked at feminine symbols across cultures when starting the design process, specifically symbols of strength, eventually settling on a structure of three ovals to represent the power of femininity and infinity, as well as replicate the terrain of desert sand-dunes in the region.
(photo @ Bharath-Ramamrutham)
The Rajkumari Ratnavati Girl’s School is made entirely out of local hand-carved Jaisalmer sandstone by local craftsmen. It was vital to Kellogg to include the community in a building made for the community. Using local material to create infrastructure helped reduce carbon emissions, Kellogg also chose to build a solar panel canopy on the roof as a cooling system where Thar Desert temperatures often hit 120 degrees F. The solar system also allows the structure to function off the grid. Both the canopy and jalis keep the heat out and the elliptical shape of the structure helps bring aspects of sustainability creating a cooling panel of airflow. Due to the high temperature of the region, the average annual rainfall is only eight inches, which makes the area the the driest place in India.
(photos @ Bharath-Ramamrutham)
A jali or jaali, is the Indian term for a perforated stone or latticed screen, usually with an ornamental pattern constructed through the use of calligraphy and geometry. Early jali work was built by carving into stone, generally in geometric patterns, while later the Mughals used very finely carved plant-based designs. Especially useful during the hot and humid Indian summer, the jalis dispel the harsh rays of the sun and allow a cool breeze to circulate in the interiors, which is why this building style was so widely used by Kellogg in the design of the school.
(photo @ Vinay Panjwani)
Known as the “Golden City” because of its yellow sandstone architecture and the yellow color of the nearby desert sand-dunes, Jaisalmer receives tourists who view a city skyline that is dominated by Jaisalmer Fort, a sprawling hilltop citadel buttressed by 99 bastions. Behind its massive walls is the ornate Maharaja’s Palace and the intricately carved Jain temples. Many tourists also take safari camel tours in the Thar Desert around Jaisalmer.
(photo @ Bharath-Ramamrutham)
When Kellogg first visited the school’s desert site, she was thinking about possibly using concrete as a building material, but local workers convinced her to use the area’s plentiful sandstone. “That will last a 100 years,” they said to the architect, referring to concrete, but then quickly said “….but our sandstone will last 600 years!” That sounded great to the architect, and to the thousands of young women who will get to play and learn for decades to come in their new desert school.
(photo @ Vinay Panjwani)
