In a significant departure from the traditional rote-learning approach, SJK Architects’ innovative design for Sparkrill International School in Warangal, Telangana, is revolutionizing educational infrastructure by fostering a learning environment that embraces nature and the built environment as key educators. This design concept breaks away from conventional classroom settings, encouraging informal, exploratory learning experiences to nurture students’ creativity and well-being.
Located in Warangal, a Tier-II city 150 km from Hyderabad, the school sits within a sociocultural context that often emphasizes exam success over curiosity-driven learning. Warangal has seen an influx of IT companies, which has led to the establishment of numerous educational institutions focused on preparing students for competitive exams and IT careers. Against this backdrop, Sparkrill International School aims to provide an alternative approach to education, where creativity, exploration, and hands-on learning are prioritized.
Spanning 28 acres, the residential school caters to around 1,000 students, offering facilities such as academic blocks for primary and secondary education, arts and dining areas, outdoor sports facilities, hostels for 200 students, staff quarters, and essential amenities like science labs and a library.
The school’s master plan focuses on creating safe, comfortable outdoor spaces that enhance walkability. SJK Architects integrated natural features such as rock formations, boulders, and water channels into the design. Central public spaces—including a cricket field, entrance plaza, water harvesting pond, and football field—form the core of the campus, with building blocks strategically positioned around them. The architecture promotes a sense of community and safety by ensuring constant visibility across these spaces.
The natural landscape serves as an intuitive guide for navigation while fostering a sense of place. The primary wing is located towards the east, and the secondary wing towards the west, with arts and dining facilities easily accessible between academic and residential areas. The hostel blocks and staff quarters are clustered near the football field, creating an engaging environment where students can enjoy outdoor activities even after school hours.
Inspired by Rajasthan’s vernacular urban planning, the design integrates narrow, shaded streets between two-storeyed classroom blocks to encourage outdoor learning. Streets of varying widths are used for different functions—circulation, play, and assembly—offering spaces for students to engage in peer learning and social interactions. Wider streets feature steps and natural elements, serving as outdoor classrooms or event spaces, while encouraging unstructured play that fosters creativity and problem-solving skills.
Features like indigenous plants, natural boulders, and rainwater channels are embedded within the streets to support physical exploration. For example, students can sail paper boats during the rainy season, learning about rainwater management through hands-on activities.
Sparkrill International School incorporates several passive design strategies to optimize natural light and ventilation, ensuring comfortable indoor environments. Classroom blocks are oriented to harness north light and prevailing winds, reducing the need for artificial cooling. Large windows, deep overhangs, and well-placed ventilators create a cool, naturally lit learning environment, even during Warangal’s hot summers.
The flexible classroom layouts cater to various learning styles, supporting both individual study and group collaboration, with seating arrangements designed for 12 to 40 students.
SJK Architects paid special attention to the emotional well-being of young students, particularly those living away from home. Child-friendly design elements include lower window sills to encourage interaction with the outdoors, cosy proportions in corridors, and carefully crafted railings to ensure safety without compromising transparency.
In the hostels, open dormitories with half-height partitions offer students private corners while maintaining a sense of community. Brightly colored terraces and open spaces encourage students to gather and play in a safe environment.
Sustainability is a key component of the school’s design. Passive climate-responsive strategies ensure that both indoor and outdoor spaces remain thermally comfortable without the need for air conditioning. Rainwater harvesting, wastewater treatment using reed beds, and composting systems are integrated into the campus. A kitchen garden allows students to engage in hands-on gardening, promoting environmental stewardship from an early age.
By using natural materials, promoting biodiversity, and instilling a sustainable ethos in students, Sparkrill International School stands as a model for future educational institutions. SJK Architects’ design not only facilitates learning but also creates a nurturing, eco-friendly environment that shapes well-rounded, environmentally conscious individuals.
Fact Sheet:
Project Name: Sparkrill International School
Location: Anantha Sagar (village), Warangal district, Telangana
Design Team: Shimul Javeri Kadri, Vaishali Mangalvedhekar, Sonal Parekh
Size: 15 acres
Landscape Architect: Ravi & Varsha Gavandi
Photo Shoot: Rajesh Vora
