Regenerative Early Educational Facility for Underrepresented Children in Pratiksha Nagar, Mumbai

Abstract

Children of all age, class, sex and region deserve an equal opportunity to good quality education. Research shows that investing in early education reaps long term socio-economic benefits for a country. This makes early education all the more important for sub-developed countries. Studies show that the primary reason for high drop-out rate in India is due to the lack of good quality educational facilities for the lower income groups. This thesis studies an existing not-for-profit educational facility, working towards providing equal opportunities for low-income group families of the nearby informal settlements. While the social impact is large, due to shortage on space, the outreach has plateaued. This calls for a need to grow in size and quality, to match the ever-growing demand for services and psychological needs of its users. The physical environment of a learning space has an impact on students’ achievements. This thesis questions ‘what makes good quality educational facilities in sub-developed countries’ and through travel research in India and South-East Asia, charts out factors that contribute to making successful spaces for children. Using these factors as core requirement, the design approach involves a back and forth process between psychological, cultural, social, economic and environmental considerations. It strives to be regenerative not just in terms of green building technologies but also in terms of regenerating the social standing of its occupants.