Strate School of Design

Strate School of Design was conceived as a campus where the architecture is itself part of the design education. Set within a lush, green site in Bangalore, it follows a few clear principles — simplicity, authenticity, and sustainability — to make a higher-education environment that supports creative work while staying closely tied to its landscape.

EDI worked in a minimalist language of honest materials and exposed structure, letting the buildings settle naturally into their surroundings. Existing fruit trees were preserved through construction, and the spaces between buildings became places for informal learning, collaboration, and time outdoors. The academic and residential blocks were built as prefabricated steel structures — quick to construct and flexible enough to grow over time.

Inside, workshops for automobile design sit on the ground floor with studios above, keeping hands-on and theoretical work close together. A generous gathering stair at the entrance doubles as an informal presentation venue and an exhibition gallery for student work, while a hostel overlooking mature rain trees gives students a calm, residential base. Completed in 2019, the campus brings architecture, landscape, and creativity together for the next generation of designers.