Mumbai-based has completed the Nokha Village Community Centre, an architectural oasis set in the desert region of Nokha in Rajasthan, India. The building’s sweeping curvilinear volume spirals upwards from its north-eastern corner — looping around the site, it rises gradually to a height of nine meters (30 feet), arriving at a north-facing viewing platform.

The Nokha Village Community Centre was commissioned by Padam Interiors and is a memorial for the founder Padamramji Kularia. Nokha is a district in the western Indian state of Rajasthan that consists of 144 small villages. “Studies of the vicinity and the current facilities in village schools and village areas fueled the need to create a community centre for all age groups,” says Sanjay Puri Architects. Completed in February 2024, the community centre is currently visited and used by more than 400 people daily.

The spiral building’s 9,000-square-feet (836-square-meter) inclined rooftop garden has two slopes that vary in height. With views across the surrounding desert landscape, it can be used for recreation and gatherings. Beneath the green roof there is a museum and children’s library as well as a small meditation room. A grass-covered earth berm on the building’s southern side mitigates heat gain — in the hot desert climate, daily temperatures of 35–40°C are common for eight months of the year. The building’s spiral wraps around a 27,000-square-feet (2,508-square-meter) open courtyard and amphitheater — this area provides a communal space for a range of activities.

The ovoid library is covered in natural sandstone screens with an ornamental openwork design inspired by traditional architecture in Rajasthan — the sandstone is sourced from the immediate vicinity. “These screens reduce heat gain and create different shadow patterns throughout the day,” says Sanjay Puri Architects. The library provides an important resource for each of the village schools, the majority of which do not have their own library facilities. A series of scooped skylights in the roof garden berm provide indirect lighting to the museum.

The rooftop gardens, sandstone screens, north-facing courtyard and amphitheater, and southern grass berm collectively reduce heat gain, ensuring spaces are energy efficient. “Rainwater harvesting and water recycling make the building and its construction sustainable,” says Sanjay Puri Architects. The studio worked with local craftspeople and contract labor, and made use of materials available in the region.

A narrow horizontal building on the Nokha Village Community Centre’s northern side provides amenities that are ideal for larger gatherings, including a cafeteria and kitchen. Parking bays and a rainwater harvesting tank are located behind this building.