The Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls’ School, India

In the heart of the desert, a School

In India, at the heart of the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, stands the Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls' School, designed by American architect Diana Kellog. The building is an architectural marvel, both in its appearance and in the way it was conceived.

In the desert heat, the school remains cool without any use of air conditioning. Oval in shape, its walls consist of three layers of sandstone, marble, and lime plaster to reflect the sun's rays. The windows are positioned at a height of 1.8 meters to shield the students from the sun. Solar panels capture sunlight to generate green energy, and the school also collects rainwater.

A pure example of bioclimatic design, the architect has successfully turned a challenge into an opportunity, creating a school designed by a woman, for future women, in a country where their place is still being shaped.