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MDIS' new hostel and administration block scores green points with environmentally conscious design
MDIS Residences @ Stirling, the new administration and hostel block within the existing MDIS campus, was designed to foster an attitude of learning beyond the classroom. It was also intended to be an eco-friendly landmark, which would be sustainable as well as energy efficient. The hostel accommodates nearly 800 students with rooms that are designed according to any one of four different configurations. For training and lecturing purposes, there is a replica of a 5-star hotel lobby as well as 475-seater auditorium.
The hostel wings are joined by community link-bridges, allowing for student interaction. The skyrise garden adopts a contemporary garden setting to create an open, user-friendly environment for student activities. The floor plans are designed with a modular structural grid, and the various sizes and layouts of bedrooms and communal facilities fit within it. This helps reduce construction costs and increase building efficiency.
The building is orientated in a north-south direction to encourage natural ventilation. Air-conditioned spaces, such as offices, classrooms and auditoriums, are recessed from the building outline to minimise exposure to direct sunlight and reduce heat gain. Landscape terraces help cool and provide green relief for all. Hostel rooms are housed in two wings that shade each other from the sun’s path. Double-glazed windows are used in all hostel rooms and offices for high transmission of light without excessive heat gain.
Staircases and M&E shafts were positioned strategically at the east and west facades, which also help buffer heat gain. These external walls are clad with aluminum panels that are 100% recyclable and have a high reflectivity of radiant energy with low emissivity. Another green architectural feature is the use of rain harvesters for irrigation. Rainwater harvested from the 5th storey landscape deck and roof garden is stored in a water tank.
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