Architecture

Rumi School of Excellence
Location: Hyderabad, India
Design Firm: IDEO
Project Director: Sandy Speicher
Lead Architects: Kate Lydon, Kyung Park, Beau Trincia, Lindsay Wai
Research: Peter Bromka
Consultant: Molly McMahon at Gray Matters Capital

Architect's Statement:

Rumi's network of schools is improving the life opportunities of India's children through affordable quality education that breaks out of the standard rote educational model and expands into the community. The re-imagining of Rumi’s Hyderabad Jiya school, as the Jiya Community School, involves all stakeholders in a child's education - the child, mother, teacher, administrator, and neighborhood community.

Design Principles for the Rumi Jiya School

Build a learning community.
Learning happens in and beyond the boundaries of the school day and building. Learning is social, and it involves the whole family. Develop ways to engage parents and build partnerships to bring resources and knowledge to the school. Design ways for everyone in the community to learn, so students see learning as a way of participating in the world.

Treat stakeholders as partners.
A school’s success is created by school owners, teachers, parents and childrenâ€"this success should benefit all involved. Build an environment where teachers are empow­ered to shape their classroom. Shift the conversation from prescriptive rules to flexible guidance.

Make nothing rote.
Helping children succeed in tomorrow’s world means helping them find their strengths in new ways. Its no longer just about testsâ€" creative thinking, collaboration and adaptability are core capabilities of the global economy. Engaged learning means finding opportunities for children and teachers to learn by connecting to life outside school.

Extend the spirit of entrepreneurship.
Running a private school in India is a competitive business. Growing the business requires educational and organization skills, as well as business and marketing savvyâ€"and enthusiasm. Extend these skills and energies into every fiber of the schoolâ€"the curriculum, the staff, the tools and the space.

Celebrate constraints.
Spatial constraints and limited resources don’t have to be a limiting factor. Constraints can become a design opportunity through programming, materials and furniture. Multi-use spaces and flexible infrastructure can maximize limited resources. Design for flexibility and encourage customization with modular components.

Learn More: The New Jiya Community School