Architect – School Design & Campus Development (Client-Side)

Architect – School Design & Campus Development (Client-Side)

Reporting To

Group Head – Projects & Infrastructure &

Lead Architect, Projects & Infrastructure, Global Schools Group

Location

India, with occasional travel across India and selected GSG international campuses

Role Purpose

The Architect – School Design & Campus Development supports Global Schools Group’s design leadership in the planning, coordination, and delivery of K–12 school campuses across geographies. Operating in a client-side role , the Architect assists in translating GSG’s 9GEMS Holistic Education Framework , academic requirements, sustainability commitments, and regulatory standards into coordinated, buildable, and high-quality design outcomes.

The role contributes to design governance, quality assurance, consultant coordination, and execution support , ensuring alignment with GSG’s global design standards while gaining exposure across the full project lifecycle.

Primary Accountabilities

• Support campus master planning and architectural design development
• Assist in pedagogy-led spatial planning and design coordination
• Implement and uphold GSG / GIIS design standards and space norms
• Support architectural quality assurance and design reviews
• Coordinate BIM models and consultant design inputs
• Contribute to maintaining GSG’s design benchmarks across campuses

Shared Accountabilities

• Sustainability outcomes and documentation support
• Cost awareness and value alignment during design development
• Regulatory and authority submission coordination
• Live-campus and brownfield project support
• Post-occupancy documentation and feedback capture

Design Governance & Decision Support

• Support the Lead Architect in design review and approval cycles , including:
• Concept design reviews
• Design development checkpoints
• Design freeze documentation
• Pre-authority submission coordination
• Post-completion and as-built verification
• Review consultant submissions and highlight deviations, risks, or gaps against GSG standards.
• Support documentation, tracking, and closure of design comments and approvals in line with P&I governance processes.

Key Responsibilities

1. Campus Master Planning & Design Development Support

• Support master planning and architectural design development for new and existing GSG campuses from Pre-Primary to Grade 12.
• Assist in coordinating multi-curriculum requirements including CBSE, IB, Cambridge, British, and Montessori programmes.
• Support translation of GSG’s 9GEMS pedagogy into spatial layouts for academics, sports, arts, innovation, wellbeing, and community spaces.
• Assist in ensuring flexibility, scalability, and future expansion considerations are incorporated into designs.

2. Pedagogy-Led & Child-Centric Design

• Support planning and design of classrooms, laboratories, activity spaces, early years environments, and student wellbeing areas.
• Ensure child safety, accessibility, safeguarding, and inclusivity requirements are reflected in drawings and specifications.
• Assist in embedding experiential, project-based, and blended learning concepts into spatial planning.

3. Global Standards, Compliance & Design Quality

• Support compliance with local building bye-laws, zoning regulations, fire and life safety codes, and accessibility standards.
• Assist in aligning designs with CBSE, IB, Cambridge, and British accreditation requirements.
• Support enforcement of GSG brand, space efficiency, and quality standards across projects.

4. Design Governance, Risk & Change Control Support

• Assist in implementing design governance gates such as concept freeze and design freeze.
• Support identification and documentation of design, constructability, and operational risks.
• Assist in maintaining design issue logs, change registers, and approval trackers in line with P&I governance.

5. Value Engineering & Lifecycle Awareness

• Support design-led value engineering exercises under guidance of senior architects.
• Assist in evaluating lifecycle considerations including maintenance access, durability, and energy efficiency.
• Coordinate with Operations and FM teams to reflect operational feedback in design development.

6. Sustainability & Future-Ready Design

• Support integration of sustainability strategies including daylighting, material selection, and basic energy-efficiency measures.
• Assist in preparation of documentation for IGBC, GRIHA, or LEED requirements where applicable.

7. BIM, Drawings & Consultant Coordination

• Review architectural drawings and BIM models prepared by consultants for coordination and compliance.
• Support BIM coordination, clash detection reviews, and tracking of resolution items.
• Coordinate architectural inputs with structural, MEP, fire, IT, AV, security, and landscape consultants.

8. Brownfield & Live-Campus Project Support

• Support phasing and sequencing strategies for brownfield and live-campus projects.
• Assist in ensuring designs consider student safety, safeguarding, and academic continuity during construction.
• Coordinate with school leadership and site teams on design-related operational constraints.

9. Site Execution & Quality Support

• Provide client-side architectural support during construction, including review of shop drawings and RFIs.
• Assist in reviewing materials, samples, and mock-ups against approved design intent.
• Participate in site visits, snagging, and handover processes.

10. Documentation & Knowledge Management

• Maintain organised project documentation, drawings, revisions, and correspondence.
• Support preparation and review of as-built drawings and handover documentation.
• Assist in capturing lessons learned and best practices for future GSG projects.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Strong architectural design coordination and documentation capability
• Understanding of institutional / educational architecture principles
• Awareness of child safety, safeguarding, and learning environment requirements
• Ability to work across multiple projects and consultants in a client-side role
• Structured, detail-oriented, and process-driven working style
• Effective communication and stakeholder coordination skills

Technical Skills

• Proficiency in AutoCAD and Revit / BIM (review and coordination focus)
• Familiarity with SketchUp and Adobe Creative Suite
• Understanding of BIM workflows and multidisciplinary coordination
• Interest in smart campus systems and educational infrastructure

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture
• Registration with Council of Architecture (India) or in process
• 3–7 years of professional experience in architectural or client-side design roles
• Exposure to institutional, school, or campus projects preferred
• Architects with iconic, award-winning, or outstanding design experience in other sectors (e.g., cultural, civic, mixed-use, commercial, hospitality, or public realm projects) are welcome, provided they demonstrate strong design thinking, execution capability, and adaptability to educational environments
• Experience coordinating with consultants and site teams is advantageous

What Success Looks Like in This Role

• Consistent, high-quality design coordination and documentation
• Strong adherence to GSG design standards and governance processes
• Effective collaboration with consultants, site teams, and internal stakeholders
• Progressive development towards senior architectural and design management roles

Why Join Global Schools Group

• Opportunity to work on large-scale, international K–12 school campuses
• Client-side exposure aligned to global design governance standards
• Structured mentorship under Lead Architects and senior P&I leadership
• Clear progression pathway towards Senior Architect / Lead Architect roles
• Purpose-driven work impacting thousands of learners globally