Deepanam School (Mirramukhi School)
Mirramukhi school was built Auroville in 1995 and it was the opportunity to show that the Nubian technique can be used for any kind of shape and especially for a large span vault. Mirramukhi School has been renamed later on as Deepanam School.
The vault of the multipurpose room started in the corner of the room with a squinche, which grew till it met the diagonal of the room.
Then the vault started, and the window frame was used as a template to insure the proper shape.
Classrooms were covered by cloister domes, built with squinches. These domes, of 5.76m square and 2.25m rise, were built in 6 days by an average of 6 masons.
The main vault has been built in 3 weeks with 4 masons and presents these features:
• Weight: about 30 tons
• Squinche of 7.30 m side and 2.25 m rise
• Segmental vault of 10.35 m span, 2.25 m rise, 6 m long, 17.7 & 14 cm thick.
• Built free spanning with vertical courses
