National School Of Business Bangalore / HabitArt Architecture Studio

Architects: HabitArt Architecture Studio
Area: 25,000 ft²
Year: 2023
Photography: Shamanth Patil J
Manufacturers: Hindware, Imago World AGB, Jaquar, Rave Global Tiles, WinDoors Tech
Lead Architect: Aditya Venkat
Contractors: Epicon Engineers Pvt Ltd
Electrical Consultants: Creative Electrical Services, Iswar Bhat
Landscape: HabitArt Architecture Studio
Structural Consultants: Punarvi Infrastructure
Design, Drawings, and Project Management: Rochana R- Associate
Design and Drawings: Yogita K, Divya C
Project Coordination and Engineering: Vibish- Project Engineer
City: Bengaluru
Country: India

The National School of Business in Bangalore, an institution known for its collaborative and holistic approach to education, has expanded its campus with a new, distinctively designed academic block. This extension, aimed at supporting the school’s rapid growth and refreshing its identity, incorporates a community-centric architecture, fulfilling intensive programmatic needs. The design, conceptualized by HabitArt Architecture Studio, involves a unique layout split into two wings, connected by a central outdoor spine that minimizes built circulation. Emphasizing sustainability, the project integrates environmental considerations with local materials like Sadarahalli stone and wire-cut brick, enhancing thermal comfort and blending seamlessly with the surroundings. This project not only addresses immediate functional demands but also plans for future expansions, embodying the school’s forward-thinking ethos.

National school of business bangalore / habitart architecture studio

The National School of Business is a higher education institution offering graduate and post-graduate courses in business management. Known for its collaborative, holistic pedagogy, NSB is recognized as a prominent business school in Bangalore. To accommodate their rapid expansion, the school envisioned a new academic center adjacent to its current campus. Collaborating with the institution’s board, HabitArt Architecture Studio developed a design for this new block, aiming to establish it as a landmark that would rejuvenate the institution’s identity and underscore its community-focused ethos, while also meeting extensive programmatic demands.

The project faced several challenges. Firstly, there were tight deadlines; the project had to be functional within one academic year, with only ten days allocated for the design phase. This led to the adoption of a simple yet adaptable layout that could evolve throughout the project’s duration. Another challenge was the restricted building area next to a railway line, which, combined with regulatory setbacks, dictated the layout’s profile. A creative approach was required to maximize the use of space while adhering to local bylaws.

The solution involved dividing the layout into two wings—academic and faculty—with a central outdoor spine that acts as the main movement corridor, reducing the need for built circulation and its associated floor area ratio (FAR) usage. This spine not only connects the two blocks but also opens up a green area that serves as a buffer between the railway and the campus.

The entry to the block is marked by a large plinth, connected to both wings by a metal bridge, defining formal gathering spaces outdoors and fostering community interaction. The academic block includes lecture halls with varying configurations and smaller rooms for tutorials, designed to accommodate diverse functions and layouts over different floors.

The faculty block accommodates 40 independent offices over two floors, with the Director’s cabin and conference rooms conveniently located on the ground floor. These spaces are designed to maximize natural light and ventilation, minimizing the reliance on artificial lighting and air conditioning. The blocks are clad in wire-cut bricks from Malur, featuring a design that plays with light and shadow, enhancing the visual depth of the simple facades. This material choice not only emphasizes the building’s thermal efficiency but also allows it to integrate into the surrounding green landscape. Plans for a future second floor and a space frame structure at the entrance anticipate the school’s ongoing growth.