NIIT UNIVERSITY

MASTER PLAN
The 100-acre NIIT University campus is nestled in the Aravali range in Rajasthan, considered the oldest fold
mountain range in the world.
requirements of the University.

A Master Plan ought to take cognizance of the needs of the site as well as the
The NIIT University Master plan, path breaking in its vision and ambitious in

implementation, prepares for just that. This particular site at Neemrana posed several challenges. The master
plan was developed after due consideration of environmental impact. It respects the natural flows through the site
and breaks fresh ground for promoting sustainable development. It allows phased construction of the University to
start from the north side and continue towards the south.
Along with the architectural challenges of the site, come the tremendous opportunities that perhaps few other
sites offer.

Cradled in the magnificent Aravali mountain range, the site offers possibilities for recreation and

learning, restricted only by your enthusiasm. The topology of the site gives the University an invaluable resource a sustainable source of water supply.
NIIT University at Neemrana is designed as a walking campus without motor vehicles. To make it possible for
people to walk in the heat of Neemrana, a shaded and rain protected pedestrian spine linking all major areas in
the University, is in development. Students will be able to walk to the academic buildings under shade and facilities
will be located along the pedestrian spine, making sure that it remains active and safe all through the day. Motor
vehicles will be parked in a parking lot near the entrance.
Students are the focus of this campus layout. The views from each hostel room are designed so as to bring the
feeling of nature into interior spaces.

One of the natural depressions in the site has been developed as an

amphitheater and another will be developed as the sports arena. A rooftop open air theater has been built for
enjoying sunsets, and perhaps, dreaming of new horizons.
ARCHITECTURE
The Buildings:
The great tradition of building in Rajasthan gives as much importance to open space as it does to covered space.
This is the way the University buildings have also been planned. Through passive solar control measures, the
buildings have been designed to be well lit and free of dust. Following another tradition of Rajasthan, a system of
up and down ventilation through vertical shafts has been used, obviating the need for windows for ventilation. The
attempt is to set new standards for appropriate construction in this region. Light shelves and skylights have been
fitted so as to conserve energy through day lighting. Keeping in mind the Universitys basic concept of seamless
education, the buildings are planned to allow intermixing of all disciplines and the best use of available resources.
The buildings do not belong to individual departments.
Heat & Dust The Earth Air Tunnel:
The hot and dusty climate of Neemrana demands buildings that will be comfortable through the summer as well as
the winter. This is not new architectural knowledge in the region. However, the blending of local energy-efficient
traditions into large scale, state-of-the-art buildings in a modern human context, at this campus, is indeed a
breakthrough. This is achieved through the earth air tunnel at Neemrana. The buildings are designed and fitted
with a low energy cooling system.

This system uses only thirty per cent of the energy that a normal air

conditioning system would. In this system, fresh air is drawn through a long underground duct laid four metres

below the ground, called the earth-air tunnel. Heat exchange with the underground duct cools down the air, which
is further treated for temperature, humidity and dust, before it is brought into the building and supplied to every
room. This air cools down the rooms and is exhausted through a chimney. The system works with 100% fresh air
and maintains a healthy environment inside.
AREA AND LANDSCAPE
The 100-acre NIIT University campus is nestled in the Aravali range in Rajasthan, considered the oldest fold
mountain range in the world.
The University campus site itself has a fragile ecosystem and the landscape design recognises that. The eroded
slopes of the site have vegetation on them and are relatively stable. To conserve soil, much of the land has been
kept undisturbed. The site is treated as a series of slopes and valleys and not as a flat area. Water conservation is
an important element of design. Waste water from buildings will be treated and re-used for the landscape. The
plantation proposed is of varieties that can survive in the desert, without much water. Grass has been planted in
very small areas, as it consumes a large amount of water.