Desert school is 'heaven'

Walls with grids of vents lead to shade and cooling airflow.

- Jaisalmer

In the sweltering heat of India's Thar desert, where summer highs soar above 50°C, an architecturally striking school is an oasis of cool thanks to a combination of age-old techniques and modern design.

The Rajkumari Ratnavati girls' school uses the same yellow sandstone as the 12th-century fort in nearby Jaisalmer, in India's western state of Rajasthan, dubbed the "golden city" due to the colour of the rock.

Like the fort, the school has thick rubble walls that help bounce back the heat, while the interior is plastered with lime, a porous material that regulates humidity and aids natural cooling. Its roof is lined with solar panels, which provide all the school's power.

Temperatures school, designed by US architect Diana Kellogg and built by local artisans, can be 20% lower than those outside. "I love going to school," said pupil Khushboo Kumari, eight. "The air feels as if it is coming from an AC."