When nature takes a class

Harrow International School in Bengaluru teaches eco-consciousness through its campus

28 Jun 2025

Education isn’t limited to the classroom. It is pervasive in the environment a student nurtures in. Within the Bangalore Metropolitan Region, Harrow International School is a moment of calm for students, with a built-up area of 4,00,000 sq ft on 26 acres. Designed by CP Kukreja Architects, the school speaks a design language that combines classic architectural ethos with the cultural and environmental values of the country.

The school speaks a design language that combines classic architectural ethos with the cultural and environmental values of the country; Photograph Courtesy Harrow International School

Schooled by nature

Set beside agricultural land, the natural terrain has a bounty of vegetation and contours that have remained as a part of the campus. Minimal earthwork along with careful cutting and filing, preserved nature’s own designs. The area’s natural water channel has been modified into a design feature that accommodates the sport centre besides it, as well as the fields and courts. Bangalore’s influences also seep into the institutional architecture, from the city’s palatial structures, garden landscapes and tranquil lakes, all bring the attributes of the city to this campus. Harrow’s brickwork is made from locally sourced materials — a visual continuity with the legacy of leadership of the school in touch with climatic needs and the material palette.

The academic, residential and sports blocks have a north-south orientation that maximises daylight and allows for ventilation; Photograph Courtesy Harrow International School

The orientation of the spaces on the campus take advantage of natural cycles. The academic, residential and sports blocks have a north-south orientation that maximises daylight and allows for ventilation; Photograph Courtesy Harrow International School

Mindful of the environment and students

The landscape isn’t just mindful of eco-friendly practices but also of student wellbeing. The stream that meanders through the campus is more than aesthetics. Finding its way through the natural contours, it is a calming soundscape to a mindful zone. By employing the use of bioswales, which are vegetated channels for rainwater management, ecological functionality produces a visual softness to the space.

Ecological interventions

At the entrance, visitors are greeted gracefully in a formal landscape shaped by a tree-lined boulevard. Even the residential parts of the campus have tree-covered walkways, easing movement, yet making students and guests feel one with nature. The orientation of the spaces on the campus take advantage of natural cycles. The academic, residential and sports blocks have a north-south orientation that maximises daylight and allows for ventilation. The use of chajjas and jalis in the architecture let breeze come in, while HVAC systems and rooftop solar panels result in a low energy demand. A 30-meter clocktower reduces the overall carbon footprint while also acting as a central anchor. The rootedness of the space, whether it’s an environment or a conscious mindset, reminds students that education often transcends boundaries of a classroom.