Pearl Academy of Fashion, Jaipur

morphogenesis.

an illustrated monograph with detailed drawings

photography: andre j fanthome | edmund sumner

a morphogenesis . education publication

 2013
Published by morphogenesis.education
All rights reserved.
This book is intended for the dissemination of information on the practice
and its work purely for academic and information purposes aimed at
discourse on design, architecture and urbanism. It is not intended for
any commercial, marketing or related activities, or soliciting work, as is
stipulated. No parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written
permission of the owner of the copyright.
Editorial Director: Tanya Khanna
Editorial: Rohin Sher, Aditya Puri, Dave ten Hoope
Layout and Graphics: Abir Chopra, Aditya Puri, Apoorwa Gupta, Arushi
Marwah, Gurudatt Meshram, Isha Anand, Neha Rathor, Pallavi Mathur,
Shivani Tikku
Research: Nitin Bansal
Text copyright morphogenesis.
Photography: Andre J Fanthome | Edmund Sumner
morphogenesis.education llp
N85 B, Panchsheel Park
New Delhi-110017
India
91-11-41828070
media@morphogenesis.org
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Cover Photograph: Pearl Academy of Fashion, Jaipur
morphogenesis. Edmund Sumner
Text and Drawings
morphogenesis.

06 -12

morphogenesis. Institutional

06

Foreword: Michael Webb

10

Design Ethos

12

Timeline

14 - 95

Case Study: Pearl Academy of Fashion

16

Introduction

18

Context

22

Program Brief

24

Morphology

54

Materiality

60

Performance

72

Drawings

84

Site Photographs

96 - 103

Credentials

96

Facts & Figures

98

Awards & Publications

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ISBN 97881-923309-0-7

contents
Pearl Academy of Fashion

Architectural gems can be discovered in the most unlikely places. On a normal day on the national
highway from New Delhi, one would zip past the Kukas industrial area, which lies about 20 kilometers
before the famous walled city of Jaipur. Even the imposing Kukas a kitschy rendition of Rajasthani
classicism does little to inspire confidence that there is worthwhile architecture nearby. But one is
suitably rewarded if driven inside by curiosity or tipped off by an informer. In an expanse of nondescript
factories and institutional buildings a strange mix by any standard one finds a building that is
enigmatically beautiful, a simply symmetrical cuboid, its dappled faade breaking the harsh sun and its
whiteness reflecting like marble. In a time when most buildings tend to be selfconscious elaborations
of affected intent, the Pearl Academy of Fashion employs an unusual economy of means to restore the
gravitas and monumentality befitting an educational institution.

- Jagan Shah, Domus (Italy), April 2009

Courtesy: Editorial Domus, S.P.A. all rights reserved.

Pearl Academy of Fashion

Foreword:

Michael Webb

Around the world, architects are challenged to infuse new

forms with the legacy of the past and the spirit of a place.
That has became a crucial issue in emerging nations, many
of which have uncritically embraced generic modernism and
eccentric novelty. Sudden wealth can destroy the heritage
of many centuries, disrupt the social order, and develop a
flurry of wasteful extravagance as has happened in China,
Russia and oil-rich Arab states.
India has changed at a slower pace, and the Pearl Academy of
Fashion, located in an office park east of Jaipur, is a brilliant
demonstration on how to marry the past and present, the
local vernacular and contemporary building techniques. It
employs passive strategies to achieve sustainability, and
provides an inspiring work environment for up to 700
students and faculty at a cost of about 220 euros a sq. m.
The college is a recent work of Morphogenesis, one of
the most productive and creative architectural firms in
Delhi. We view our practice as a laboratory, looking to
expand the boundaries of architectural and environmental
design, declare the partners in their mission statement.
At Morphogenesis architects, designers, urbanists and
environmentalists collaborate on research projects that feed
into a diversity of built work. Sleek offices dominate their
portfolio, but they are constantly seeking fresh challenges.
In Jaipur, the goal was to build a low-cost, environmentally
sensitive campus that would serve as a model for other
institutions. In the desert state of Rajasthan, summer
temperatures can climb to 47C, and the shortage of water
has been exacerbated by the exponential growth of Jaipur,
which now sprawls 25 km out from the historic core and
has a population of five million. The architects researched
passive cooling strategies that are traditional to the
region, especially the use of jaalis (fretted screens), shady
courtyards and step wells.
Each is an integral part of the architectural vocabulary and
social life of the region. One of the finest of Jaipurs 18thcentury buildings is the Hawa Mahal, a tapered block with
finely screened windows that provide shade and admit cool
air. However, the primary purpose of these grilles was to

allow women of the court to observe life in the street without

exposing themselves to view. Step wells resemble deeply
depressed courtyards and are often enriched with stone
carvings. They serve as neighborhood gathering places
and accommodate the heavy monsoon rains after summer
without flooding, while providing access to the water table
during the months of drought.
Morphogenesis reinterpreted these features to create a
long low block that is rooted in the land yet seems to float.
They excavated the site to a depth of four metres and raised
two storeys of classrooms, studios and offices on pilotis
above this void. The second storey juts out above the first
and both are clad in an irregular checkerboard of fretted
panels attached to a metal frame that is set 1.25 m out
from the facade on all four sides. The grain of the jaali and
the placement of the horizontal panels were calibrated to
provide optimum protection from direct sun. The space
between jaali and wall acts as a thermal barrier and drip
channels running along the inner face of the screen allow for
passive downdraft evaporative cooling. That can reduce the
interior temperature by as much as 20C with a minimal use
of air conditioning. The original plan was to build a storey
of student rooms over the classrooms to provide daytime
insulation but that construction has been delayed. As an
interim measure the architects have employed a traditional
Indian technique of deflecting the heat of the sun. Earthen
pots (mutkas) about 35 cm in diameter are placed on
flat roof, 2.5 cm apart, and the spaces between are filled
with sand and broken bricks and covered with a thin layer
of concrete. The fill and the air within the pots provide
insulation.
Throughout the day, students spill out from classes, the
library and cafeteria onto the walkways and down to the
shady underbelly of the building. Cooler air is drawn into
this space and steps lead down to a shallow pool of water
recycled from the sewage treatment plant and augmented by
rain, which functions as a thermal sink. As temperature drops
through the night, water dissipates the heat accumulated
during the day. Even in summer, this protected courtyard is
an inviting place to gather- for a performance, an exhibition,
an alfresco lunch, or a casual encounter with friends.

Jaipur today - An architecture that is

unsympathetic to its context.

Citys traditional built fabric that developed

over centuries of trial and error

Hawa Mahal in Jaipur - Passive design

integrated with architecture

Traditional architecture of Jaipur

Pearl Academy of Fashion

Local stone and mosaic tile in the patterned pavement of

the courtyard enrich the extensively glazed concrete-frame
building. The exterior is painted orange to set off the jaalis,
but the interior surfaces are white, to reduce heat absorption
and create a cool backdrop for the bustle of activity and
the brilliant colors of womens saris. The sensuously curved
facades and balustrades draw you though the open spaces
of the courtyard and avert the monotony that can occur in
a repetitive grid plan. Fashion is all about adding another
dimension to the human body while respecting its shape and
movement, and the Pearl Academy is an expression of that
artistry.
(An extract from The Plan- Architecture and Technologies in Detail, Issue
036, September 2009) Courtesy: The Plan, all rights reserved.

Pearl Academy of Fashion

The architecture of almost somewhere

Design Ethos

During the Post-Independence era of 1947 India, education

was an important part of the agenda. The government
devised a multi-pronged approach from secondary schools
to institutions of national importance. Investment in these
educational programs as inherent edifices was considered
a matter of national priority and internationally celebrated
architects were invited. For example, Louis Kahn (the
Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad), Le Corbusier
(Chandigarh masterplan), and the creation of the IITs. Post
1991, due to the liberalization of the Indian economy,
the Governments role as a patron of education has seen
a change from a full financial supporter to the financial
regulator. Education is still deemed to be a charitable
activity rather than a universal right, that can be provided
at a maximum of 1.000 per year by private institutions.
Today, higher education is available to only 7% of school
leaving Indians. Thus, in terms of infrastructure, 18/sq. ft.
becomes the key price to be economically sustainable for
the 93% of students eagerly awaiting education.
In order to visualize a contemporary institute for India, one
must understand the ideological differences between Indias
two greatest educationists. Through this understanding,
the institute can then function as a mechanism to bridge
the arguments and conflicts. Rabindranath Tagore (poet,
philosopher and Nobel Laureate) propagated a bottom-up
approach, where the actual building was of low priority for
an emerging nation. He was convinced that the contents (the
programme) should be prioritized instead of the building
envelope. Jawahar Lal Nehru, the Political Architect of the
Modern Indian Nation State believed in the gravitas and
monumentality of the higher education Institution. He believed
that the envelope is of equal importance since the emerging
nation should proudly show its colours. The Morphogenesis
approach to institutional design is a combination of the two
visions with a positioning of architecture in its socio-cultural
context. This type of regional response is an attempt to
embody the Architecture of almost somewhere paradigm.

10
10

2000

2012

Percentage of privately funded institutional projects*

Today, higher education is available to only 7% of school leaving Indians.
Thus, 18/sq ft becomes the key price to be economically sustainable for
the 93% of students awaiting education.
*Sources: UGC (University Grants Commission) reports, ICRA research

Pearl Academy of Fashion

11

Timeline

12

&

morphogenesis.
institutions

Pearl Academy of Fashion

13