Para-Sports Academy, Pune

Author:Samiksha Sandeep Patil
Site Location: Baner, Pune
Institute: S. B. Patil College of Architecture & Design
Advisor: Ar. Ruturaj Kulkarni, Ar. Shreyasee Shinde

Description

The Para-Sports Academy at Baner, Pune is envisioned as a national-level inclusive sports and rehabilitation campus for athletes with physical, sensory, and intellectual disabilities. Spread across a 47,000 sqm site, the project integrates high-performance sports training, rehabilitation, sports education, residential facilities, recreation, and community spaces within a universally accessible environment. The design is driven by Universal Design, treating accessibility as an integral part of the architectural experience rather than an added feature. Barrier-free circulation, tactile pathways, accessible facilities, and adaptable spaces promote independent and dignified movement for athletes and visitors. The academy adopts a campus-based planning approach, with interconnected zones for sports, rehabilitation, residential, administration, and public interaction. Indoor and outdoor sports facilities are supported by physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, sports medicine, counselling, and recreational spaces, creating a holistic environment for training, recovery, and wellbeing. Sustainable and climate-responsive strategies, along with landscaped and therapeutic open spaces, further strengthen the proposal. The project ultimately aims to shift accessibility from accommodation to empowerment, creating an environment where para-athletes can train, recover, connect, and excel with dignity and independence.