Winston Churchill had once said “we shape our buildings and thereafter they shape us” stresses upon the fact that how school buildings inspire students in creating a learning mindset. The interiors as well as the exteriors of a school building affects a child’s psyche and therefore it is important to design buildings in such a way that children could develop affable relationship with the school, its environment and peers.

The CBSE has prescribed certain guidelinesin setting up of a school building and schools affiliated with the CBSE are supposed to strictly follow all the norms while designing them.

Getting a school building plan is a huge task and here are some ideas which gives fairly a rough plan and some idea on the cost.

Land Requirements

Minimum land requirement varies with the region

1.Area with 25 million population, land requirement is 1 acre

2.Less than 25 million population is 2 acres

Factors while Selecting a plot

One should choose a plot firstly and there are some prerequisite conditions to consider before choosing a plot for schools and they are as follows:

1.the distance between the pickup and drop points should be between 8-9 stops i.e., 45 minutes. The school should be located at a point where there is transportation facility and accessibility.

2.It should be located in developing or developed housing facility. This will result in a greater number of admissions from the housing localities

3.School’s location should be well connected to make it more reachable.

4.Shape of the building should be rectangular which reduces the space wastage.>

5.The land should be associated with society/trust/company to start a school

6.Make sure that the land is not controversial or disputed

7.If the land is leased, minimum leased period is 30 years. Concession in leased period for the land leased from government.

8.Once the formalities regarding plot, lease, NOC etc. is done, the next job is to look for a specialist school architect who would be able to deliver the design.

How to proceed with the building plan of a CBSE school?>

Some of the norms while building aCBSE school are as follows:

1.Minimum size of the classroom: 8m x 6m, 1 sq. foot floor space for each child

2.Size of library 1205 square feet

3.Size of labsis 750 square feet

How to Find a SchoolArchitect?

It is preferable to look for an architect who is experienced and have delivered school projects in the past. There are architects who exclusively designeducational institutions.

Other Important Factors

1.Parking spaces for parents and staffs

2.Take an initiative to make the campus green

3.Separate rooms for music and dance

4.Bus parking and drivers retiring rooms

5.Drinking water zones

6.Canteen

7.Light, lift, elevation, staff washroom, visitors’ room, auditorium, staff room,

Aforementioned are some of the principles/ guidelines of CBSE which is to be followed while setting up a CBSE school.