Need for optimal spatial resource planning in higher education institutes (Only Abstract)

Abstract

Twenty-First century is the era of urban growth and major development changes (Singh, Bansal, & Chhabra, 2016). Increasing demand for higher educational institutes parallels increasing demand for spatial resources posing many challenges for architects and clients. Exploitation of resources has resulted in a number of environmental challenges and high rate of energy consumption. For decades, various statutory bodies and their respective norms have been serving as a guideline for deciding how much space is optimum as per functions. With changing technology, improved pedagogy and innovative techniques in educational infrastructure the demand for spatial requirement has undergone a dramatic change but still the norms remain unchanged. This paper attempts to establish the need to review such norms and highlight various concerns in respect to changing education system. Aim: Through the study of the various precedents in educational infrastructure, this paper evaluates the need of optimization in spatial planning of such facilities. Objectives: To represent changing trends in growth pattern of universities. In the light of changing pedagogy, technology, new spatial optimization strategies and unchanged statutory norms to establish a need for optimal spatial resource planning in Higher Education infrastructure. Scope: This paper will confine itself to the establishing a need of Optimal Spatial Resource Planning for Higher Education infrastructure. Methodology: Secondary sources of information will be used to review the existing scenario of higher education institutes followed by observations drawn from standards prescribed by government bodies for institutional architecture and planning. The two steps will help in recognizing the challenges posed, thereby underlining the need for optimization in the spatial resource planning of education infrastructure.