Indian Institute of Skills

The institute at Kanpur is the first of the Indian Institutes of Skills. It houses workshops and training halls in a steel-framed building of ground and two upper floors, and its design grew from close work between architects and structural engineers.

Room to work

A training floor is a workplace, and it has to change as the courses change. The steel frame keeps columns out of the way, so the halls are open and can be rearranged for new equipment and new trades. The floors are planned for good natural light and air, and the building is oriented to stay cool by passive means, so trainees learn by daylight in rooms that are comfortable to work in.

Floors that can change

A training institute needs space that can change as its courses change. The steel frame is set out to give open floors that can be arranged in different ways, with good natural light and ventilation. At three storeys the frame balances strength and stability against cost, with beams and columns sized for gravity, lateral and environmental loads.

Ground and joints

Kanpur is vulnerable to earthquakes, so the foundation has to anchor the building against ground movement, and pile foundations and reinforced concrete footings were weighed for this. In a steel building much depends on the joints. Welds and bolts are designed for the forces that pass through them, since sound connections hold the frame together and extend its life.

Access and energy

The building meets local codes, from fire safety to access for people with disabilities. The design also looks at how orientation and passive cooling can reduce the building's energy use and carbon footprint.

The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone on 19 December 2016 and inaugurated the institute, virtually, on 20 February 2024. ARCH-EN DESIGN was the Architectural and Engineering consultant.