The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) estimates there are 30 million orphaned and abandoned children across India – a population equal to that of the state of Texas. Due to cultural gender biases, the majority of these children are girls. They lack basic shelter (not to mention healthcare or education) and are vulnerable to child trafficking. 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. The project site is a dense, urban residential quarter, with neighbors to the south and east and a small buildable footprint of 30 by 40 feet. The Bethany Mission Society, a minority community of Telugu Kraistava and sponsor of the orphanage, is across the street.

Passive cooling strategies guided the design of the orphanage, as elaborated in the following Sustainability Statement. The four-story orphanage 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.