A POD FOR HAPPINESS, BARAMATI
In the small village of Hignigada near Baramati, Maharashtra, a young village head approached the architects with a simple yet meaningful request—to create an outdoor play area for school children. The school campus, defined by classrooms along its edges and a large playground divided by an avenue of trees, had long functioned as a shared village space. Residents spoke fondly of evening walks and moments spent sitting beneath the banyan tree, highlighting its role as a natural and social anchor.
Responding to this relationship between nature and community, the play area was designed around the banyan tree, making it the heart of the intervention. The result is the POD for Happiness—a compact, multi-utility structure that serves not only schoolchildren but the entire village, while preserving the openness of the playground. Shaped as a porous arc, the POD gently embraces the tree and connects two play areas. Children climb up one end, slide down the other, and cross a raised bridge that offers views of the school grounds and the nearby village temple.
During school hours, the POD functions as an outdoor classroom. Circular seating made from bricks and repurposed terrazzo tiles supports painting, clay modelling, reading, and storytelling, while carved pockets provide quiet, intimate spaces. The structure also becomes a stage for cultural activities—dance rehearsals, music practice, and performances. After school, it transforms into a community space, with villagers gathering around the shaded katta beneath the banyan tree. During festivals, the POD acts as an informal amphitheatre, embedding itself into everyday village life.
Constructed using ferrocement and finished with traditional red oxide plaster, the POD incorporates waste and leftover reinforcement rods, reinforcing its sustainable ethos. More than a play structure, it has become a cultural and spiritual setting—hosting Vat Purnima rituals and daily life alike.
Office: Craft Narrative
Principal Architects: Yatindra Patil (
@yatindra_p , Vijay Kharade (
@v.kharade )
Design Team: Bharat Yadav, Manasi(, Yatindra Patil, Vijay Kharade
Photography: Studio f/8(
@studio.f8_ )
