A CENTRE OF HOPE

This vocational training institute in Aurangabad takes its responsibility towards its context and the locals seriously, thus emerging as a beacon of social sustainability

All conversations about sustainability usually tend to focus on environmental sustainability. While it is crucial what we build mindfully, it is imperative that we think about the other aspects of sustainability— financial and social. A building can never be truly sustainable if it isn’t financially viable. Increasingly, the concept of social sustainability is taking prominence. Social sustainability in architecture aims to design spaces that promote well-being, inclusion and community cohesion. With the ECove Vocational Training Institute, Seema Puri and Zarir Mullan of SEZA Architects creates a template of socially sustainable architecture.

“In villages with poor public infrastructure, social interaction centres are not so much about architecture, but rather they symbolize social improvement. They become an expression of human dignity, possibility and community areas. Our aim for the Vocational Training Institute in Aurangabad is to give the village children a chance to be able to stand on their own feet by learning a vocation that can enable them to sustain a simple lifestyle,” explains architect Seema Puri.

Aurangabad is a city in the state of Maharashtra in India, known for the Ajanta Ellora caves, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is one of the largest Hindu rock-cut cave complexes in the world, which has panels from the two main Hindu epics. The caves have sculptures and carvings from three faiths, namely Brahmanism, Jainism and Buddhism, thereby advocating the spirit of tolerance and hope.