Nov. 10-25
A conversation with the Partner at New Delhi–based Vijay Gupta Architects about context-responsive design, the role architecture plays in how spaces are experienced and how communities form within them, and more.
Educational architecture shapes where children spend their formative years, making every design decision consequential. In an era of screen-dominated childhoods, these spaces carry the responsibility of reintroducing nature, fostering curiosity, and building communities that extend beyond classroom walls.
Saurabh Gupta, partner at Vijay Gupta Architects, designs schools as living environments rather than learning containers. His Euro School in Bengaluru weaves existing trees into courtyards and green edges, integrating nature into daily experience. Its architecture is guided by “less is more”, building only what’s essential while creating space for people and nature to thrive.
When asked about this approach to design, he told us, “In an era where children often spend more time on screens than outdoors, this project became an opportunity to reintroduce them to nature as part of their daily experience.”
Continue reading to learn how his approach creates spaces that support holistic development, what advice he offers young designers, and more.
Indian design is defined by its ability to respond to context with sensitivity. It adapts to diverse climates, cultures, and communities while retaining a strong sense of identity. This responsiveness creates architecture that is both purposeful and rooted, where every element has meaning and intent.
For me, this adaptability, combined with an inherent respect for resourcefulness, is what makes Indian design truly distinctive.
Traditional Indian architecture offers timeless lessons in efficiency, climate response, and community building. Elements like courtyards, verandahs, and natural ventilation show us how design can create comfort and foster connections.
These principles influence how I approach projects today, especially in dense urban settings where openness and light must be carefully designed.
Traditional Indian architecture offers timeless lessons in efficiency, climate response, and community building. Elements like courtyards, verandahs, and natural ventilation show us how design can create comfort and foster connections.
I also draw inspiration from global philosophies that emphasize clarity, restraint, and simplicity. These align closely with my own belief that “less is more,” guiding me to build only what is essential while creating space for people and nature to thrive.
Every project begins with understanding its true requirements. My philosophy of “less is more” rests on the idea of building only as much as the program demands, without excess.
A well-defined brief helps in identifying those needs clearly, while creative freedom allows space for innovation in how we respond to them.
A well-defined brief helps in identifying those needs clearly, while creative freedom allows space for innovation in how we respond to them. The balance between the two ensures that the outcome is both responsible and imaginative, delivering functionality with meaning.
Educational spaces have a special resonance for me because they shape the environments where children spend some of their most formative years.
Designing a school is not simply about creating classrooms; it is about nurturing joy, curiosity, and interaction. I see schools as places where architecture can encourage exploration and help children feel a sense of belonging.
I see schools as places where architecture can encourage exploration and help children feel a sense of belonging.
In approaching these projects, I focus on crafting environments that are welcoming and uplifting, where openness, nature, and play are integrated into daily life. My intent is to ensure that children grow up in spaces that help them connect deeply—to themselves, their peers, and the world around them.
Design plays a profound role in shaping how spaces are experienced and how communities form within them. In schools, spatial planning, light, and interaction zones influence how children learn, collaborate, and discover. A corridor that encourages chance encounters, a courtyard that brings people together, or an atrium that invites openness—each of these decisions helps shape culture.
A school also exists as part of a larger community. The way it is designed can influence how that community gathers, interacts, and evolves. At the same time, the aspirations of the community inform how schools must adapt. As education shifts to address contemporary needs, schools have become dynamic environments—flexible, inclusive, and forward-looking. Design serves as the medium through which these aspirations are realised.
Begin with listening. Listen to the site, the people, and the context. Allow the project to reveal what is essential, and design with clarity and intent. Trends may change, but the ability to discern what truly matters in a space will always remain valuable.
Architecture is not only about buildings, it is about experiences and communities. If you can design spaces that bring joy, foster connection, and remain meaningful as time progresses, your work will naturally create impact.
Euro School, Bannerghatta, Bengaluru, is a project very close to my heart. Its unique site, framed by the lush Bannerghatta National Park, challenged us to rethink how a school could engage with its natural surroundings.
The design breaks away from the conventional approach to educational buildings, creating an organic built morphology that weaves together the natural and the manmade.
Existing trees were preserved and integrated into the built fabric, becoming courtyards, spill-over spaces, and green edges that connect classrooms and activity zones.
In an era where children often spend more time on screens than outdoors, this project became an opportunity to reintroduce them to nature as part of their daily experience.
Existing trees were preserved and integrated into the built fabric, becoming courtyards, spill-over spaces, and green edges that connect classrooms and activity zones. The central green space ties the campus together, encouraging movement, exploration, and interaction.
This project embodies my belief that educational spaces must do more than just house learning — they must cultivate respect for the environment, foster curiosity, and support holistic development.
For me, Euro School is a living, breathing environment that reflects the immense potential of architecture to shape the next generation
To learn more, visit www.vga.co.in
All images provided by Vijay Gupta Architects (VGA)
