The Quest Learning Observatory

The Quest Learning Observatory (QLO), an innovative project by Good Earth and Busride in South-West Bangalore, India. This pioneering office-community-experiential space embodies a remarkable vision that merits recognition in the annals of architectural history.

The Quest Learning Observatory (QLO), an innovative project by Good Earth and Busride in South-West Bangalore, India, is a beacon for addressing climate change, fostering innovation, and nurturing holistic growth. This pioneering office-community-experiential space embodies a remarkable vision that merits recognition in the annals of architectural history.

At the heart of its architecture lies renewal and rejuvenation; inspired by cycles in nature and cultures that have survived the test of time by relearning and adapting. The net-zero design of the observatory incorporates multiple sustainable technologies with closed, renewable loops that enable sustainable alternative solutions for building, water, and energy.

For instance, the cradle-to-cradle design manifests in the raw materials, like the sun-baked bricks manufactured using the mud excavated from the site; the sea-seasoned wooden interiors that are fashioned from one of the world’s largest ship recycling facilities, the Alang Ship Breaking Yard and such. 

The space encompasses: 

The Future Sensor: A curated offline and online experiential gallery that gives insights into emerging innovations, careers, and trends. It will update learners, educators, and leaders about emerging career options; showcase research; and understand the energy consumption of the place.

Qudio: Includes free workspaces, cabins, conference rooms, and semi-formal spaces for Quest employees to meet and work. The resting pods and media creation studios are recuperative spaces.

Kaos Cafe: Hosts workshops, conferences, performances, hackathons, and similar interactive events. 

Makers Garage: A haven for hands-on learners to make, break, and tinker! It intends to make the planet a better place by hosting repair and reuse fairs, tinkering workshops, and economic prototype building for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Chilipililoka: Translates to a ‘peepy, joyous world’ — an iridescent green space to stretch, snack, celebrate, and play while participating in nature sessions and workshops on sustainable practices. 

Sonorium: Hitting the sweet spot of a musical note is thrilling for the aficionado, immersive for the connoisseur, and simply beautiful to receptive ears. The interactive instruments doting QLO remind one to relax, relish, recuperate, and most importantly, listen deeply for ideas to flow. 

To maintain the sustainable continuum at the macro level, climatic data on seasons, temperature variance, rainfall, and wind patterns were used to make design choices in selecting tree species, recharge methods, placement, raw materials, etc. Additionally, a solar analysis of the roof/ solar panels and scaffolding showed that the cumulative annual insolation would be 510.5 MWh if the roof were inclined at 16°, a 26 MWh jump from the base case of 9°.

Furthermore, a permaculture garden fringes the built area of 12, 000 sq ft. It combines raised beds and food forests constituting perennial vegetables, herbs, and flowers in dense polycultures. 

The central point of the spiral is a gild, that radiates outwards and gets denser leading to the food forest. The different layers of planting will encompass low-fruit trees, vines, shrubs, and ground cover. 

QLO is a living and breathing personification of Quest Alliance’s philosophy — to adapt and respond to large-scale changes through lessons learned today to re-imagine and re-engineer a better tomorrow.

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