Gssit0002
Indian Institute of Forest Management
- Design firm
- Anant Raje Architect
- Typology
- Educational
- Years
- 1982–1988
- Status
- Complete
Facade facts
- Facade summary
- A robust, monumental envelope utilizing rough-hewn local stone masonry combined with smooth,exposed cast-in-place concrete structural bands.
- Documented intention
- Anant Raje aimed to capture the spirit of historic regional architecture,particularly the ruins of Mandu,through a sense of permanent, heavy construction. He designed the facades with deep geometric openings to control solar radiation,glare, and hot desert winds while expressing structural honesty.
- Street relationship
- The building is integrated with the natural landscape. The facades frame views of the surrounding hills and lakes, acting as horizontal landmarks on the ridge rather than responding to an urban street grid.
- Climate relationship
- The high thermal mass of the stone masonry dampens diurnal temperature variations. Deeply inset windows are positioned to block direct solar rays during peak hours, significantly cooling the indoor air before it circulates.
- Window pattern
- Regularly repeating rectangular and arched voids aligned within the concrete structural bays.
- Glazing
- Single glass panes
- Depth
- High depth,with deep-set window frames,thick masonry portals,and projecting concrete beam ends.
- Rhythm
- Regular structural grid with alternating wide stone bays and narrow,deeply recessed window columns.
- Local Stone (Quartzite / Basalt)
- Local Stone (Quartzite/ Basalt) — All primary wall surfaces — Rough-hewn,coarse-bedded masonry
- Exposed Concrete
- Exposed Concrete — Structural frames,lintels,beams,and columns — Smooth,board-marked
- Hybrid load-bearing stone masonry and concrete framing
- Constructed with traditional thick stone walls integrated with reinforced concrete bands (beams and lintels) that structurally tie the masonry together and support large spans over openings.
Tags
Hybrid load-bearing stone masonry
- 1981–1990
- A robust
- Academic wings
- Anant Raje
- Anant Raje Architect
- Aw (Tropical savanna climate
- Basalt)
- Bhopal
- Deeply recessed windows
- Educational
- Exposed Concrete
- Exposed Concrete — Structural frames
- Exposed concrete structural frame
- Hand-cut stone masonry
- High depth
- Hot and dry summer)
- Hybrid load-bearing stone masonry
- In-situ Concrete Casting
- India
- Late 20th Century
- Library
- Local Stone (Quartzite
- Madhya Pradesh
- Modernism
- Natural ridge
- Quartzite
- Single glass panes
- Suburban
- Timber
- University
- administrative block
- and columns — Smooth
- and projecting concrete beam ends.
- and staff housing.
- beams
- board-marked
- coarse-bedded masonry
- courtyards
- deeply recessed window columns.
- exposed cast-in-place concrete structural bands.
- glare
- hostels
- lintels
- particularly the ruins of Mandu
- seminar halls
- thick masonry portals
- through a sense of permanent
- with deep-set window frames
Description
The campus facade is characterized by its heavy, monolithic appearance. Thick walls of hand-cut local stone masonry are framed by horizontal and vertical bands of smooth, light-grey exposed concrete. The masonry features coarse-bedded joints, giving it a highly textured, rustic finish. Deeply recessed windows and majestic arches punctuate the exterior walls, casting strong, graphic shadows. The buildings are laid out along the ridge, stepping down with the terrain, with structural elements continuing across gaps as open lintels and bridges.
Visual analysis
Visually, the building displays a strong tectonic contrast. The horizontal bands of smooth concrete act as visually stabilizing elements over the highly textured, dark-hued local stone. The dark voids of the recessed windows and massive arches exaggerate the sense of wall thickness and mass.
Gallery
Sources
- Anant Raje Architect: Selected Works 1971-2009 · Anant Raje
- Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal · Architecture + Design (A+D) Magazine