RAYA School in Bangalore has an architectural form that presents several interesting structural challenges. Designed around a series of interconnected circular towers, the campus includes large open classroom spaces, cantilevered volumes and a 27-metre clear-span auditorium. Perceptive Ideas Consulting Engineers Pvt. Ltd. provided the structural engineering services for the project, working on the structural systems required to turn the design into a buildable school campus.
Circular Towers and Connected Spaces
The circular towers are one of the most distinctive features of the school. Instead of treating each building as a separate block, the design connects the towers through internal ramps, creating movement between them while maintaining the circular geometry.
Planning the structural system was also influenced by this geometry. Columns were positioned around the outer perimeter of the circular towers, with spacing of approximately 10 to 13 metres. This allowed the interiors to remain largely column-free. For the classrooms, that meant greater flexibility in how the spaces could be planned and used.
Radial Beam Arrangement
Secondary beams were arranged radially across the circular floor plates to respond to the building's geometry. This framing system helped distribute the structural loads while keeping the circular form intact, rather than introducing a conventional grid that could have affected the planning of the spaces.
The building includes several large cantilevered sections as well. These projections extend beyond the main building line and form an important part of the overall design. Their structural design required careful consideration of the loads and how they would be transferred back into the main structure.
27-Metre Clear-Span Auditorium
A particularly demanding requirement came with the auditorium, which was designed around a 27-metre clear span. Columns were restricted to the perimeter so that the space inside could remain completely open, providing unobstructed sightlines and flexibility in seating arrangements. Supporting this span required a system of large, deep beams capable of carrying both the roof structure and the steel dome above.
Large Beams Supporting the Steel Dome
To achieve the required span, Perceptive Ideas designed large, deep beams to support the roof structure and the steel dome above it. The dome adds another prominent element to the building while placing additional demands on the supporting structure.
According to Ajay Gupta, Founder & Director, Perceptive Ideas Consulting Engineers Pvt. Ltd., “A project like RAYA School requires the structural system to respond closely to the architecture. The circular geometry, long spans and cantilevered elements each brought their own requirements. The objective was to develop solutions that worked structurally while allowing the architects to retain the spaces and forms they had envisioned.”
Integrating Structural Requirements with the Design
This project highlights how important it is to take structural requirements into consideration when designing buildings with unconventional geometries. Decisions regarding columns, floor framing, long-span construction and use of cantilevers were made together with plans for the campus. For Perceptive Ideas, the project adds to its experience in working on structures where conventional solutions need to be adapted to suit the architectural brief. This project brings together several such requirements within one campus, from its circular towers and ramp connections to the large-span auditorium and steel dome.
