Four elements from the brief were central to us for the design of this community centre. Flexibility, Community, Education & Cost and hence it's in response to these that we shaped our proposal, as we think they very well encapsulated everything that the centre aimed to achieve.

Flexibility : We see it as a key principle for a socially, environmentally & economically sustainable development. Although we reject any undertones of standardisation, in favour of adaptive architecture that is based on strong foundational principles - that allows utmost flexibility for growth on the given site. While with the change in context, the principles become guides to which appropriate changes can be made in relation to the differences in context.

Community : We believe robust, inclusive programmes and facilitators are the key aspect of a community center. Architecture's role even though is secondary, but nevertheless important and two folded. First - to be the best possible stage to assist in the unfolding of these activities, for which it's essential that it balances well the seclusion and openness, where the formal activities can thrive alongside the spontaneity of informal village events, without being hindered by them. Second - It is essential to craft a place, where the architecture has diverse modes of interacting with the village, and capturing its attention, becoming a part of its psyche/collective consciousness. This is critical to counter neglect and develop care and sense of belonging for the physical space, beyond its programmatic relevance.

Education : A cornerstone to social and personal upliftment, the brief rightly so places a great deal of emphasis on learning, from toddlers to adults. We believe architecture can play a crucial role in different manners for each group. For preschool toddlers this first social experience needs to inculcate a positive feeling of capacity and agency, hence the environment is carefully designed to the child's view point and easy access. For young school kids in their formative years, a balance between the mind and the body, through easy access between indoor/outdoor classrooms, play areas, gardens and natural open areas is crucial. For the adults it becomes important that they can gather in small as well as large group sizes at sometimes overlapping times, to be able to engage in capacity building & awareness programmes.

Costs : We believe any just architecture needs to justify its cost - social, environmental and economical. The systems we practice in, often make most of them incompatible with each other. So design becomes a constant negotiation and priority exercise as much as a creative endeavour. We've tried to find the optimum cost solutions at every stage of the design, based on the priorities of our own and the ones we gauge from the brief.

The proposal of “Aatala Arugu” thus needs to be seen as one manifestation of the developed core principles, and not so much as a blueprint product. The hope being that it would be developed and edited with the different stakeholders of the project - villagers, funders, animals, plants, biota - so that it can truly represents the needs as well as the aspiration of its users.