Balancing legacy with modern learning needs is no small task—especially on a 175-year-old campus nestled in the hills of Himachal. At The Lawrence School, Sanawar, one of India’s most iconic boarding institutions, we were invited to reimagine the future without losing sight of the past.

Aishwarya Tipnis Architects has now completed a comprehensive, heritage-led design master plan for the school. Developed through extensive community engagement, this plan is shaped not just by architectural analysis but by stories, values, and everyday experiences of the people who live, learn, and work on campus.

Working closely with faculty, students, alumni, and staff, we led a participatory process—through interviews, workshops, and heritage walks—to understand what makes Sanawar unique. The result is a long-term, phased roadmap that balances conservation with adaptive reuse, introduces sustainable infrastructure, improves movement and accessibility, and prepares the campus for the evolving needs of 21st-century education.