The Bethany Home for Children is a new home for abandoned children in the metropolitan area of Visakhapatnam, a major port on the Bay of Bengal and largest city in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
Passive cooling strategies guided the design of the orphanage, as elaborated in the following Sustainability Statement. The four-story building is composed of public spaces on the lower levels and private spaces above. A large, open stair leads from the street corner at the ground floor, which houses car and bike parking and a security booth, up to a broad, shaded balcony.
On this second level, a 40-seat dining hall and kitchen serves meals for the resident children and provides an event space for the whole Bethany community. Shared bedrooms and communal bathrooms are on the two floors above, separated by gender and reached through private staircases. A private play area on the occupiable rooftop is shaded by three photovoltaic canopies that generate grid-independent electricity.
Construction began in August 2022 and will proceed in phases through early 2024.
Project: Bethany Home for Children
Firm: Building Bureau
Finalist, 11th Annual A+Awards, Unbuilt Sustainable Residential Project
