In the heart of the Thar Desert, where summer temperatures often soar to 45°C, an architecturally innovative girls’ school is defying the odds, and the heat, by staying remarkably cool without the aid of air conditioning. The Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls’ School, located in Jaisalmer, remains around 10°C cooler than the outside temperature, thanks to its thoughtful, sustainability-driven design.

Conceived by New York-based architect Diana Kellogg, the school blends traditional Rajasthani building techniques with modern architectural principles, offering a refreshing model of climate-resilient infrastructure in one of India’s hottest regions.

Built almost entirely from locally sourced yellow sandstone, the school uses the material’s natural insulating properties to keep heat at bay. Lime plaster lines the inner walls, helping regulate humidity and cooling interiors through moisture release. Jali walls, intricate sandstone lattice screens, encourage airflow using the Venturi effect, accelerating wind into shaded courtyards.

Additionally, high ceilings and carefully placed windows allow rising warm air to escape, while a solar-panel canopy provides both shade and energy. Commissioned by CITTA, a US-based non-profit organisation that supports women and marginalised communities, the school is the first in a larger three-part campus that will include a women’s cooperative centre and a cultural exhibition space.

Kellogg, inspired during a 2014 trip to Rajasthan, aimed to design a structure that reflects both the resilience and femininity of the desert. “There are methods to cool spaces that have been used for centuries. What I did is put them together in a combination that worked,” she said.

The building’s distinctive oval design was inspired by the curves of ancient forts and traditional symbols of feminine strength, underscoring the school's mission to empower rural girls through education while celebrating cultural heritage and sustainability.

Recognised globally for its architectural brilliance, the school won Architectural Digest India’s Building of the Year Award in 2020. It stands not just as a beacon of design innovation, but also as a testament to the power of sustainable architecture to impact lives, especially in some of the harshest environments on Earth.