NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF

FASHION TECHNOLOGY, Chennai

-Sanjay Mohe
 01
ARCHITECT
Ar. Sanjay Mohe was born and brought up in Mumbai.
He graduated in architecture from Sir J.J.College of
Architecture in 1976 and went on to work with the
likes of Ar. Charles Correa.

Mindspace Architects, his firm is currently run by

Suryanarayana, Medappa and Mohe. Mindspace
Strives towards a modern architecture and their
Ideals revolve around the five elements of nature.
Climate and context are the two main factors
around which their designs are centred.
Some of his works are IIM, Bengaluru, Titan integrity Bengaluru, JNCASR Auditorium,
Bengaluru, Budigere house Parkside retirement house.

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY, Chennai

National Institute Of Fashion Technology, Chennai is one among the sixteen campuses of
National Institute Of Fashion Technology that offer many diploma, undergraduate and post
graduate courses in the field of fashion. This institute in Chennai was established in the year
1995.
Cources offered in NIFT, Chennai are: PG COURSES
UG COURSES • Masters of Fashion Management
• B.Des. in Fashion Design • PG Diploma in Footwear Design
• B.Des. in Production Design • PG diploma in Apparel Production
• B.Des. in Leather Design • Masters of Fashion Technology
• B.Des. in Fashion Communication
• B.FTech. in Apparel Production
• B.Des. in Accessory Design
• B.Des. in Textile Design
• B.Des. in Knitwear Design

Introduction
 02

Location
NIFT is located at Taramani, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
It falls on the SH49, the Old Mahabalipuram Road, and is flanked by roads on two sides i.e
highway on the east and subsidiary road on the south and railway track on west.
The site is surrounded by offices on the west and south sides.
There is a nala running parallel on the east side of the highway.

Climate
Chennai is located on the south east coast of India in the state of Tamil Nadu and hence falls
in the category of tropical wet and dry climate.
For most of the year, the weather is hot and humid.
The average annual rainfall is about 1,400 mm. The city gets most of its seasonal rainfall
from the north-east monsoon winds, from mid-September to mid-December.

Location and Climate

 03

Concept
The idea for the design emerges from an unusual source-a triangular
cousin of the Rubik’s that one of his associates had brought into the
office one morning.
A white cube that magically breaks into multifaceted prismatic
colour forms by simple manipulation and collapses back into a
ubiquitous white cube.

This was captured in built form in the many faceted

triangular pockets in the building that revealed its colours
as a person drove by. The colourful triangles of the toy
rendered a vibrant composition of peaks and niches that
inspired Mohe towards a playful design.
These triangular coloured pockets serve as wind-catchers
and buffer for the spaces within, channelling the wind and
keeping out the harsh Chennai sun.
Conceptual sketch

Site Plan
Main Entrance
The site is triangular in
plan flanked by roads on
two sides and a railway
track on one side

The sharp angularity of

the site is an unique
aspect of the site and has
been carried through to
the built form

Site area: 5.4 acres

Builtup area 14548 sq m
FSI : .8
No. of floors: G+2
Set back: 6m all the sides

Concept and Site Plan

 04

Central courtyard in shade

for most part of the day

Blank wall of
auditorium provide
protection from
west side sun Narrow tall cuts in
Quite the building direct
Zone breeze in to the

Road noise
structure creating
wind tunnels

MOVEMENT
The movement through the campus is by
two distinct interconnected pathways, both
of which fill in us different experiences. The
Foyer Support Areas path through the courtyard is where every
Auditorium elements of the institution finds its point of
Canteen reference. This path has many events on the
Playground way, the entrance rotunda, the central
square, playground and hostel court.
Support Areas
Each point in the paths is detailed to serve
Hostels Learning Area certain purpose and enhance the experience
of the passer-by.

For instance, the central court is flanked by a

large blank wall of the auditorium that
serves as the projection screen onto which
visuals or movies are projected.
Movement through
The internal circulation is at two levels, with
landscaped courts
the first floor movement as an important
link between the hostel and the academic
block for which the recreation room acts as
Movement through
covered Corridors
a connector.

These circulation spaces doubles in purpose

as the also act as display galleries and
backdrops form model photography.

Zoneing
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As in any institute of design, in a fashion school, learning takes
place in informal places such as corridors, galleries, open spaces
etc. which encourage interaction between the students.
So, the spaces are designed to be multi used.

The open spaces act as display

areas, interaction spaces and
the corridors act as galleries and
exhibition spaces, where one
comes across open exhibits,
students accessing their lockers,
dressing up mannequins and
discussing ideas.

The vibrancy of colour used, the

niches and the multiple levels,
the overlapping spaces make
way for this culture to prevail.

Aerial view Master plan

Master Plan
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72.8 sq m

140sq m 92.4sq m
291sq m
88.2 sq m
168.sq m
36.4 sq m
19.6sq m
58.8 sq m

126 sq m
414 sq m
26sq m

182sq m

123 sq m
215 sq m
456 sq m

341sq m

47 sq m

Considering the traffic, the

classrooms are placed away from the
road with administration to the 126sq m
160sq m

roadside. 47sq m
210 sq m

The classrooms and labs are

distributed on both floors with the
classroom units being modular and
are repeated at places with their 39.8sq m
322 sq m

circulation being similar. 51.3 sq m

180sq m

All classrooms open into the corridor

and courtyard on the either sides. 31.97sq m

The classrooms are internally

connected to the labs adjacent and
have a common spill out space.
The ground floor houses the library at
the south.

Ground Floor Plan

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18.2 sq m

50.4 sq m

42 sq m 56sq m
76sq m 47.4sq m

54.99sq m

6.20 sq m
16.8sq m

54 sq m 50.4 sq m

76 sq m

76 sq m
91 sq m 470sq m

28.6 sq m

51.8 sq m

36.4sq m

173 sq m

80 sq m
36.4 sq m

Interaction spaces created in corridors

The first floor houses Classroom units, art rooms and 22.8 sq m

board rooms. There are slab cut outs just above the 67.8 sq m

large corridors of ground floor, these form galleries 84sq m

like spaces from which the students on the first floor

can also overlook the place below.

The machine labs overlook the central courtyard

that is the means for lights and ventilation.

There are open terraces which can be easily

accessed by corridors. These terraces are used for
short display programmes, arranging discussions etc.

A corridor accessed from the terrace on the south

west of the courtyard leads to the hostel building.

First Floor Plan

Section @ XX

Section @ YY

Section @ ZZ

The vertical transportation is through a set of staircase

accessed from the internal movement path.
The building has interesting play of solids and voids walls
and niches and vibrant colours that look up to the central
courtyard.
Some trees and a little amount of landscape in the central
courtyard adds to the place.
Key plan

Sections
The whole campus has classrooms or
interior spaces that are open to the
environment. The spaces give a feeling of
openness and make feel connected to other
spaces, to the people and to the design
itself.

The spill out spaces are planted with small

trees to make sure of an active environment,
these also filter the light into the classrooms.

The slab of the first floor has slits at the edges

of the corridors to let the light seep in

The classrooms and labs have good amount of

light entering in, comfortable for their works.

Every turn of the corridors has a

pause point, which has been
enhanced by difference arts made by
the students.

The cutouts in the walls of the corridors form frames

to view the space ahead and also allow for the light
and ventilation.

Interiors
Thankyou