the reality of materials.

In the words of the architect, 'when one builds in stone, he places

himself at the mercy of his masons, who, though uneducated in the arts, have a sixth sense
about the meaning of their work — good or bad. When they leave the site in the evening, they
always turn back in a pause to contemplate what they have done. If they smile in satisfaction,
it sends a bolt of satisfaction through an architect's heart'.

d. Ageing and maintenance

The choice and extensive use of weather-resistant local stones for the structure and finishes
have guaranteed in-built low maintenance requirements for all the buildings. Notwithstanding
the fact that the buildings have been in use for less than five years, there are no indications of
any serious areas of maintenance concern.

e. Design features

While the buildings enjoy considerable variety in terms of their plans and mass, the campus
is bound together by a strict system of dimensions, proportions and a highly consistent visual
language. It is the manner in which the supporting elements within the language interact that
adds variety and intrigue. Columns and walls are used as counterpoints; square windows in
heavy masonry lend playfulness to serious mass. The four openings of the academic
quadrangle are aligned to the four cardinal directions of the earth. Coming into the
quadrangle from the east, one's line of vision focuses along a narrow passage and through a
square opening which frames a view of Mulshi Lake, the vista uninterrupted by and running
between the library and arts centre.

The private road access to the main campus up the hill guarantees a serene, undisturbed
setting for the college on the plateau. With its internal circulation being mainly
pedestrianized, a further overall atmosphere of calm, free of vehicular traffic, is created
within the campus. The project has led to the improvement of the environment on site with
reforestation and other planting.

VII. Users

a. Beneficiaries of the programme

Students of the college come from diverse cultural, religious and socio -economic
backgrounds. Applicants should be sixteen years old at entry and academically qualified to
undertake a demanding two-year programme of study. The Mahindra College houses about
two hundred students, twenty-five faculty members and about thirty support staff on a
residential campus for the nine-month academic year. About 30 per cent of the students are
Indian and more than fifty other nationalities are represented on the student body, which is
thus culturally diverse. Similarly, the teaching faculty comprises both Indians and other
nationalities. Recruited internationally, it has included represent atives from Australia,
Austria, Britain, Ecuador, France, Germany, Italy, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Sweden and the
United States. Like the students, the staff members have been chosen for their commitment to
Mahindra United World College, Pune, India