Introduction
Gopi Birla Memorial School is part of the Birla Industries Group Charitable Trust (BIGCT), which is also an integral part of the Yash Birla Group Community. Founded in 1953 by Shrimati Gopi Birla, the school has been serving the long-felt need for an institution facilitating girls' education while staying true to Indian culture and values. In 1970, Birla Balika Vidya Mandir gained affiliation with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and in 1975, it became Birla Public School, a co-educational institution. Later in 1995, GBMS was renamed Gopi Birla Memorial School to honor its beloved founder.
The Story of Gopi Birla Memorial School
Although the school had a great infrastructure, the science department felt that one thing was missing from their facilities: a multipurpose laboratory. The lab would be built for secondary students, so it had to be on a different premise. For the multipurpose lab, they needed to design it for Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.
The Difficulty of Trying to Make Everything Under One Roof
The client had several challenges before the project began. First, they wanted the multipurpose lab to be able to accommodate 25-30 students at a time. They also wanted the lab to have utilities and safety features like showers, eye wash stations, and storage space for chemicals and lab practical books. Moreover, the design of the lab needed to be flexible enough so that students could move from place to place easily.
They wanted to have everything in one lab and the project was to be delivered within 4-5 weeks before the school audit.
Why Gopi Birla Memorial School Chose Furnace
The architect who was working on the project was already acquainted with Furnace's work. This led to them referring us for this project. The architect himself introduced the school principal, who then arranged a meeting for us with their consultant and other members of the project team. Furnace team met with them as well as the lab professor and discussed the requirements of the project.
How Furnace Responded
Initially, Furnace received the floor plan. To make the lab space fit all the things they needed and use it most effectively, we started working on its space optimization.
One of the solutions we came up with was to place island tables in the lab. An island table, along with provision for water, gas, and electrical points was a great way to make the workspace in a laboratory more comfortable. In addition, we made sure that there was enough storage space on each table so that students could easily find anything they need. The Safety shower was conveniently located at an accessible spot from all the corners of the room.
Multipurpose Laboratory at Gopi Birla Memorial School
The Results
Furnace took the time to understand the project and to put together a creative approach. We collaborated with the school authorities to ensure that they were satisfied with our work. We provided expert advice, strong construction capabilities, and a can-do attitude to make sure our customers were always happy with their experience. The project was delivered in 4 weeks and then we added a week for installation. The school authority was delighted with the result and the fact that we were able to finish before their audit.