IIM, Ahemdabad
Architecture is not only about constructing buildings; it is about how people experience spacesover time. It shapes how we move, pause, think, and interact. The psycho-spatial approachhelps us understand this connection between space and human behaviour by focusing onelements such as openness and enclosure, light and shadow, material, movement, and spatialsequence. In educational spaces, this becomes especially important because learning does nothappen only inside classrooms. It also happens while walking through corridors, sitting incourtyards, or having quiet conversations between classes. In this way, architecture becomesan active part of the learning process, influencing how students absorb and reflect onknowledge.The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, located in Gujarat, was designed between1962 and 1974 by Louis Kahn, along with Balkrishna Doshi and Anant Raje. Built inpost-independence India, the campus represents the desire to create strong and meaningfuleducational institutions for the future. Kahn imagined the campus as a serious and timelessplace for learning. Doshi and Raje helped shape this vision by responding to the Indian climate,social life, and everyday student behaviour. Instead of designing one large building, the campuswas planned as a group of academic blocks connected by corridors, courtyards, and in-betweenspaces. This makes movement and experience central to the architecture.
The campus is organized through a clear but gentle sequence of open, semi-open, and closed spaces. The open spaces, mainly courtyards, form the heart of the campus. These spaces are open to the sky and allow natural light and air to flow through the buildings. For students, courtyards become places to relax, talk, think, or sit quietly between classes. They offer a mental break from academic pressure and allow learning to continue in an informal way. This reflects Doshi’s belief that architecture should support daily life rather than control it. As students move through the campus, they pass into semi-open spaces such as corridors and shaded walkways. These spaces connect different buildings and act as transitions between open and closed areas. Made of thick brick walls and repetitive arches, the corridors feel protected and calm. The arches are not decorative; they support the structure and create a rhythm as one walks through. Their repetition slows down movement and gives a sense of order. For students, these corridors naturally become places for conversations, chance meetings, and quiet reflection.
Light plays an important role in shaping the experience of these spaces. Instead of allowing harsh sunlight, the buildings filter light through deep openings and thick walls. This creates soft light and gentle shadows that change throughout the day. These changing light patterns make the spaces feel alive and help students stay connected to time and nature, even while inside the campus. Anant Raje believed these in-between spaces were essential because they help students shift their mindset gradually rather than suddenly. The closed spaces of the campus include classrooms, lecture halls, and libraries. These spaces are more enclosed and inward-looking, with carefully controlled light and sound. The design reduces distractions and supports focus and concentration. By the time students reach these spaces—after passing through courtyards and corridors—their minds are already prepared for learning. This transition happens naturally, without students being consciously aware of it.
The use of exposed brick across the campus strengthens this experience. Brick gives the buildings a sense of weight, stability, and permanence, which suits an institution meant for long-term learning. At the same time, its texture and warmth make the large buildings feel human and approachable. As light falls on the brick surfaces, it creates depth and variation, preventing the campus from feeling heavy or dull.
A typical journey through IIM Ahmedabad moves from an open courtyard to a shaded corridor and finally into a classroom. This gradual change in space allows students to shift smoothly from social interaction to focused study. The campus also turns inward, separating itself from the surrounding city. While this limits connection to the outside world, it creates a calm and protected environment where students can concentrate and build a strong sense of community.
Overall, IIM Ahmedabad shows how architecture can quietly guide behaviour and support learning. Through thoughtful use of space, light, material, and movement, the campus balances seriousness with comfort and discipline with everyday life. By combining Louis Kahn’s vision of timeless architecture with Doshi and Raje’s understanding of human experience, the campus becomes more than a collection of buildings—it becomes a place where learning is felt, lived, and remembered