Symbiosis International University

"An eco-sensitive design that allows for a vibrant campus to be built at optimal costs"

An eco-friendly educational institute situated on the top of the Lawale-Suz Hills, the Symbiosis Knowledge Village is spread over 47,200 sq. m. of partially sloping land. The development consists of three faculties: The Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, the Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communication and the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management.

The campus is home to 1000 students and comprises of hostels, dining halls, education departments, an auditorium, a library, a canteen, an amphitheatre and teaching and non-teaching staff residences.

The academic block is consciously planned to encourage interactions and inspire friendships amongst students. This is achieved by concentrating movement through the campus along a “central spine” – a promenade formed by the organization of buildings. This activated zone of interaction connects the major social functions and congregation spaces forming the hub of activity.

The contoured site further gave rise to landscaped terraces and multi-level courtyards ideal for student spill out spaces. These multi-level buildings and courtyards were planned to create positive and negative pressure zones in the wind path drawing the breeze into the buildings and outdoor spaces. Water channels flowing through the site also added to the thermal comfort of the environment.

All classrooms have glare-free north light and shaded corridors in the south with cross ventilation. Being completely day-lit and therefore electricity free, the classrooms are ten per cent cooler than the outside.

This is the first campus of this scale to use sundried, compressed earth brick, made on site, after much research on the natural mix of different soils. No carbon is released during the manufacture of these bricks making it environmentally friendly.