The Srishti Manipal Institute is integral to the larger MAHE Bengaluru campus. It is situated on a 5-acre site, with its built forms evolving into a typology and a grammar of parts of the ‘houses’. The theme of houses or households emphasises collaborative working and informality, fostering a sense of community. The space encourages spontaneous interactions and simplicity and is inspired by the elements of earth, sky, topology, and climate. It is conceptualised as a village of artists, designers, and aspiring practitioners, where various design skills are nurtured.
Our campus, conceptualised through a participatory design process, is envisaged as a community place for learners and practitioners. SMI is a place of many knowledge forms and practices. Their synergies are the source of creativity, which is reflected in the campus’s design scheme.It is planned as a neighbourhood, including terraces, courts, and floating balconies, which allows a community to work together. Spaces within the building allow for studios and the display of artisanal work. The stepped profiles of each floor connect the space’s users with the ground.
The ground and first floor of each of the seven houses host workshops and maker’s spaces, keeping in mind the material functions and movement of equipment. Each house(Rang, Rta, Raah, Rooh, Raqs, Ras and Rizaq) is named after the ethos or spirit of the maker’s space it hosts. Wood and metal workshops, Plastic workshop, Ceramic and pottery workshop, Sculpting workshop, Weaving looms, state of the art jacquard looms, Earth lab, Model making workshops with laser cutting machines and 3D printers, Sound studios, recording rooms, shooting floor, printing and letterpress workshops, photography studio, and many more maker’s spaces allow students to engage themselves with making as a method of thinking, learning and experimenting. Floors two to five have large and small learning spaces intercepted with various open and semi-open balconies, terrace gardens, verandahs, meeting rooms, screening rooms, labs & centres, cafeteria, library, counselling rooms, health bays and other support facilities. Poet’s corners, break out spaces for impromptu music and performances by student groups add to the vibrancy of campus life.
