Druk White Lotus School is located in Ladakh, a sparsely populated region in the Indian Himalayas. Conceived as a model for sustainable development, it aims to provide a highquality educational environment for children. The initial phases of the project include a nursery and infant school, a junior school, dining hall and residential facilities. The severity of the climate and the scarcity of water have been the essential determinants of the design, directing all decisions towards an energy-efficient architecture, mainly through passive solar systems.
Taking advantage of the solar potential in a high-altitude desert climate, all buildings are planned with glazed south-facing facades. The complex consists of typically one-storey buildings organised in parallel pairs, each framing an open, landscaped courtyard. Solar ventilated latrines accessed from the courtyards create an identifiable sign for the complex, with their slanted walls clad in black metal. All buildings utilise local materials and traditional techniques, enhanced by guided building crafts, appropriate technologies and advanced engineering.
Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture
