Thinkering Campus, at GOA by Studio Matter

Designed as a juxtaposition on an existing old house, the Thinkering Campus is a ‘Learning by Making’ space led by Avik Sarkar – an Industrial and Furniture Designer. The site for the campus flanks a village football ground in Nachinola – an idyllic Goan setting with a typically picturesque neighbourhood and ample green. When acquired, the site had an existing old house struggling to keep up with the maintenance. Nonetheless, the thick laterite walls and spacial quality of the old house had a character that prompted us to preserve them. In contrast to the old house, a new light, modern structure was designed in a way that it neither negates the existing house and nor is subservient to the language of the existing. The light steel frame supported a new floating mezzanine floor and a modern, efficient roof. An east-west breezeway was created opening up views that were compelling. A central double-height space was carved out to connect all the internal spaces visually and to prompt a stack-effect thus removing hot air in the space. The resultant ‘hybrid’ structure is an exciting new place for people to ‘plug and play’ – a space for workshops, studios, meetings and exhibitions to happen. A space that comes to life with people who use the Thinkering Campus.

View of the Thinkering, Goa campus from the entrance.

View of the Thinkering, Goa campus from the front.

Internal view of the Thinkering, Goa campus having the office, kitchen and washroom looking out to the rear end of the site.

Internal view of the Thinkering, Goa campus having the staircase shaft, washrooms, looking towards the side entrance

Internal view of the Thinkering, Goa campus looking out to the main entrance.

View of the Office Space in the campus.

View of the Office Space in the campus.

Internal view of the Thinkering, Goa campus having the multifunctional space on the ground floor and a mezzanine level on top.

Internal view of the Thinkering, Goa campus having the multifunctional space on the ground floor and a mezzanine level on top looking out to the main entrance.

Internal view of the Thinkering, Goa campus having the multifunctional space on the ground floor and a mezzanine level on top looking out to the main entrance.

Internal view of the Thinkering, Goa campus having the multifunctional space on the ground floor and a mezzanine level on top.

Internal view of the Thinkering, Goa campus having the multifunctional space on the ground floor and a mezzanine level on top.

View of the staircase shaft leading to the mezzanine level.

View of the Thinkering, Goa campus from the rear end.

Internal view of the Thinkering, Goa campus from the mezzanine level.

Internal view of the Thinkering, Goa campus from the mezzanine level looking towards the west.

Internal view of the Thinkering, Goa campus from the mezzanine level looking towards the west.

Internal view of the Thinkering, Goa campus from the mezzanine level.

A view of the landscape from the transparent staircase shaft.

View of the Thinkering, Goa campus from the entrance.

Drawings:

Site plan of the Thinkering Campus in Nachinola, Goa. The site is located on the outskirts of the village adjacent to the Nachinola Football Ground.

The ground floor comprises of a multifunctional space, an office, a small kitchen and restrooms.

The first level has a steel mezzanine floor fit into the house.

Section of the building looking towards the west and having the entrance

Section of the building through the mezzanine floor and staircase shaft.

Lateral section of the building though the mezzanine floor and two cantilevered spaces on both ends

Section cutting through the washrooms, service areas and kitchen looking towards the east.

Elevation of the building from the side, having the staircase shaft and a second entrance to the building.

Elevation of the building from the side.

Elevation of the building from the rear end of the site.

Elevation of the building from the front end of the site.

Exploded Isometric View of the building showing the ground floor, the mezzanine floor fit into the existing house and the roof.

3D View of the building