With a pledge to create institutions that will help develop a society characterized by the wise and learned, was the vision that inspired design for Gautam Buddha University. The university campus is dedicated to learning in an environment that truly engenders intellectual growth and has schools of study such as Management, International Law, Information and Communication Technology, Environmental Sciences, Biotechnology, Buddhist Studies, and Development Studies.

On entering the campus, one is greeted by a forest that acts as a noise and visual buffer for the campus from the Yamuna Expressway. The abstraction of overlapping chakras, which forms the different spatial entities in the master plan, brings a rhythm into the dialogue between the spaces. Certain design features incorporated in the planning of the university campus have set it apart as a model for ecologically-sensitive green development. Complete water recycling through the creation of lakes and water bodies helps in maintaining the water balance at the site.

The most iconic position of Gautam Buddha is his meditative posture. This has been used as the design inspiration for the university with the various buildings superimposed on this image. At the head sits the library, the ocean of all knowledge. The body of Lord Buddha is where are located the eight faculties which form the backbone of the university and represent Buddha's eight fold path. The feet is where lies the administration which serves the university. Much like the hierarchy of activities one observes in daily life, the activity pattern of life in the campus, consisting of education, sports, meditation, celebration, and leisure, has been distributed in this very rhythm. The results: an academic complex, sports facilities, indoor stadium, convention centre, and hostels for 5,000 students and 500 faculty members over a built-up area of 8 million sq. ft.

Along the entrance promenade axis, a magnificent statue of Mahatma Buddha is positioned, which is visible from any point within the campus, hence becoming the centre of gravity of the academic environment. At the foot of the statue is a striking lake that not only functions as an ecological water system but also is a vibrant meeting place for students and member of the faculty. The faculty blocks are strung around this lake like gems on a necklace, and are connected by an impressive colonnade.

The academic blocks have faculty rooms, classrooms, and lecture rooms assembled around a green space. This helps the teachers and students in the enjoyment and sharing of knowledge, as well as in setting a hierarchy of built and open spaces that emanates through the campus. On either sides of the main promenade, the main administration building and meditation centre are located.

This meditation centre is a sublime domed structure that echoes the architectural symbolism of the Stupa. The very structure of the building is designed in a manner that almost seems to tie the earth with the sky when viewed in the horizon.
Certain design features incorporated in the planning of the university campus have set it apart as a model for ecologically-sensitive green development, thereby setting an example for successful green campus designs. Indeed, the execution for the design has been carried out as per the GRIHA guidelines. Complete water recycling through the creation of lakes and water bodies helps in maintaining the water balance at the site.