The Avinya Inaugural Campus, designed by Spacefiction studio, represents an innovative approach to educational architecture specifically tailored for young learners aged 3 to 8 years old. Located in Mokila, India, this 1,530 square meter single-story facility serves as a transitional campus that will eventually transform into a flagship office space, demonstrating the adaptability of thoughtful architectural design.
The project emerged from Hyderabad's rapid westward expansion, driven by massive office and residential developments that have created a fast-shifting city center. This rapid growth has outpaced supporting infrastructure, leading to high demand for new educational facilities. The experienced builder-clients planned to construct a large, permanent school to meet this need but required an interim solution to enroll their first students while the main campus was under construction.
Recognizing the critical role that physical environments play in child development, the architects designed the campus as a single-story structure to ensure the scale wouldn't overwhelm young minds and eyes. Research consistently shows a strong link between a child's well-being and their primary environments—home, school, and neighborhood. Since children spend nearly half their waking hours at school, the physical environment plays a crucial role in their holistic development.
The school is situated on a long, linear 1.9-acre site running from south to north, with a main road to the south and a by-lane to the west. The northern half of the site is dedicated to a playground, while the school occupies the southern half. The building's layout features rooms arranged on either side of a central, linear spine—the only concrete element in the structure—which divides the school into east and west wings and opens up to courtyards at regular intervals.
The architectural design incorporates practical climate considerations through its metal frame construction and sandwich panel roofing. The roof is slightly elevated, allowing hot air to escape through vents and keeping the interiors cool. Buffer spaces like the kitchen, storage areas, and restrooms are strategically placed on the west side to mitigate the intense afternoon heat, demonstrating thoughtful environmental response.
A core design principle ensures every classroom opens onto a green courtyard, which acts as a direct extension of the room. These courtyards are enclosed by curvilinear, earthen walls made from repurposed debris bricks sourced from the builder's other projects and finished with earthy tones. These spaces provide shielded, natural areas for children to learn and play, allowing kids to sit outdoors, plant vegetables, and interact with their peers.
The central spine, punctuated with circular skylights, serves as more than just a hallway. It includes numerous seating and breakout spaces, encouraging spontaneous interactions among students and teachers. This design philosophy treats the built environment as an integral part of the curriculum, acting as a 'third teacher' to guide and inspire learning.
Lead architects Baba Sashank and Vindhya Guduru, working with design team member Siddharth Vejjala, collaborated with JDB Fabtech for engineering and consulting, ID Structural consultants for structural engineering, and RRR Landscapes for landscape architecture. The project was completed in 2025 and photographed by Vivek Eadara.
This innovative educational facility demonstrates how architecture can support child development through thoughtful design that considers scale, environmental factors, and the relationship between indoor and outdoor learning spaces. After the students transition to the permanent campus, this building will showcase the construction company's capabilities while having served its primary educational purpose.
