Sharanam Centre for Rural Developement

Pondicherry, India

Sharanam, meaning "refuge", is a centre for rural development enabling a local NGO to expand its community-led transformation of underdeveloped villages outside Pondicherry. The buildings are designed to host communities in active programmes and workshops in all spheres of village life. It comprises a large vaulted multi-purpose hall, offices, a newspaper studio, a community radio station, facility blocks, gardens and environmental infrastructure on two hectares revived through the planting of over 1,000 trees. A green amphitheatre (capacity 500), cut into the natural slope of the site, acts as a shaded place of welcome. The primary material is compressed earth bricks, and the superstructure utilises free-spanning techniques to build an array of thin vaults.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture