Header: Syam Photographer
The new Eravoo Centre of Learning occupies a 5,000 sq. ft. former home in Jayanagar, a town in Bangalore, India. Designed by Studio Ruh, the project was treated as a renovation of the existing structure, offering students the chance to grow and learn amid a familiar domestic setting with daylight filtered by trees and mature planting.
Teaching independence at the Eravoo Centre of Learning
The client was clear from the first discussions that she did not want a school based on fixed classrooms and rigid learning areas. Her references came from Montessori education, with its focus on independence, self-directed activity and hands-on work, as well as Japanese ideas around simplicity and children learning to manage small tasks by themselves. The rooms, furniture and surfaces were, therefore, planned around access, choice and ease of use.
The school sits on a corner plot in Jayanagar, on a quiet, tree-lined street with a park directly across from it. The children are encouraged to spend time outside, walk barefoot, feel different ground surfaces, move freely and engage with plants and open air, so the park and greenery make this the perfect setting for the school. Learning is, here, believed to be found within these ordinary physical experiences, instead of only in the classrooms.
Challenges and a touch of Japan
Studio Ruh decided to retain much of the old home’s character, as we’ve seen, so one of the main challenges of this project was to turn a multi-level house (not just a building, mind you, but a real house) into a school. The studio was forced to work with the existing conditions, such as rooms spread across different floors and dense greenery changing the light through the day, with the team having decided to open windows where possible to bring in more daylight and create a stronger connection with the surroundings. In an effort to create a distinctive identity for the centre, separate from that of the previous house, the designers added Japanese references to the otherwise simple façade.
What a home-turned-school really looks like
Inside, the rooms were designed to inspire independence and provide comfort throughout the day. Open shelves are placed at heights children can reach, so they can find and use materials without constant adult help, while interactive walls and flexible learning areas let the rooms be used in different ways throughout the day. Alongside the classrooms, the former rooms of the house also hold the administrative areas and several support spaces.
The culinary lab and art studio, a fun twist to the traditional idea of a school, give children space to cook, make, test materials and practise small tasks with their hands. The client wanted children to experiment, make mistakes and work messily, treating these actions as part of learning. Younger children use the ground floor, making access easier and limiting the need to move between levels, while older children occupy the upper floors, where the existing rooms were adapted to their routines.
Materials were chosen for their simplicity and tactility, which, as we’ve seen, is deemed by the client as crucial for a rounded education. Natural wood is used throughout the interiors to give the classrooms a warmer and calmer feel. Paired with muted finishes and softer surfaces, it creates spaces that children can touch, handle and use, keeping with the school’s focus on children learning through direct contact with their surroundings.
Project information
Company: Studio Ruh
Client: Eravoo Centre of Learning
Location: Jayanagar, Bangalore, India
Area: 5000 sq. ft.
Date: October 2025
