diana kellogg completes the rajkumari ratnavati girl's school in rural india

with the goal of promoting gender parity and empowering women, non-profit organization CITTA foundation collaborated with diana kellogg architects to realize an all-girls school in the heart of rajasthan’s arid desert landscape in india. the monumental building forms the first part of the GYAAN center, CITTA’s three-phase project to provide a girl’s school, women’s cooperative and a performance and art exhibition space. the oval-shaped school is the first structure to be completed and it’s designed to host 400 students from kindergarten to 10th grade, who will learn literacy skills as well as traditional artisan techniques unique to the region.

images by vinay panjwani

the rajkumari ratnavati girl’s school is located in the rural thar desert of jaisalmer in northern india. with no other building in sight, the new school stands like a monument and its gentle curves welcome students inside. diana kellogg architects shaped the building into an oval as a nod to universal symbols of female strength and to echo the curvilinear shapes of local forts. the school was built by local craftsmen — often the fathers of the girls — using hand-cut local sandstone, which settles the new intervention into the natural surroundings. parapet walls reinterpret traditional privacy screens and host a curved array of solar panels, which power fans and lighting. the design also incorporates ancient water harvesting techniques to maximize rainwater and recycle brown water.

the program comprises classrooms, a computer center and a sprawling terrace. lunch will be provided and there’s also a bus that’ll bring girls to the school from nearby villages. thanks to this new building, and the collaboration between CITTA foundation and diana kellogg architects, girls living below the poverty line in rural jaisalmer will have access to education, economic freedom and personal autonomy. rajkumari ratnavati girl’s school is set to open for class in july 2021 while the two remaining structures of the GYAAN center are soon to be erected.