In the sweltering heat of India's Thar desert, where summer highs soar above 50°C, an architecturally striking school is an oasis of cool thanks to a combination of age-old techniques and modern design.
The Rajkumari Ratnavati girls' school uses the same yellow sandstone as the 12th-century fort in nearby Jaisalmer, in India's western state of Rajasthan, dubbed the "golden city" due to the colour of the rock.
Like the fort, the school has thick rubble walls that help bounce back the heat, while the interior is plastered with lime, a porous material that regulates humidity and aids natural cooling. Its roof is lined with solar panels, which provide all the school's power.
Temperatures school, designed by US architect Diana Kellogg and built by local artisans, can be 20% lower than those outside. "I love going to school," said pupil Khushboo Kumari, eight. "The air feels as if it is coming from an AC."
Bu hikaye The Citizen dergisinin August 24, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Citizen dergisinin August 24, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Why buying vacant land in an estate is a good investment
Investing in a coastal estate is beneficial for everyone from first-time buyers to families and retirees, but the big debate is often between buying a home or buying land and building oneself.
A rising star in clean living
Soweto-based entrepreneur and author of the book #I am a housekeeper, Mbali Nhlapo, widely known as the founder of Sisters @ Work and a viral TikTok sensation, has become a household name in South African homes.
Notre Dame gets love
Americans open their hearts and wallets
Heart-stopping vistas of Cape Town
Table Mountain is the lodestar
K-culture doing OK in Sunshine Land
Fans flock to sites associated with boy band
Hello? Calling my owner?
Lost, but nearly always found-even your pet
Proteas tighten grip
DOMINANT: STUBBS, BAVUMA TONS BAT SRI LANKA RIGHT OUT OF THE GAME
Sirino looks ready to go
Gaston Sirino (above) could return for Kaizer Chiefs in their Betway Premiership clash with Royal AM today at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.
Inexperience becoming a tired excuse
There will always be reasons that teams are defeated, but there is one particular excuse that has become too easy for our national cricket teams to lean on when they lose.
Cricket-mad Vaibhav's dream becomes reality
Dreams have come early for cricket-mad Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the shy schoolboy aged 13 who is the youngest player in Indian Premier League history.
