Xiaoyi Ma · CLIENT: Inclusive Architectural Practice
Boxes and Yards is a primary school in the Changping District of Beijing, China. The school covers a gross built area of 29,098 square meters and was completed in 2019. The layout replaces the traditional corridor and single classroom plan with learning communities, each centered on a grade lounge. Boxes holding the library, gymnasium and canteen are rotated to form triangular courtyards that bring in natural light and ventilation. Polygonal interior spaces serve as flexible learning centers. The building follows Passive House standards and uses low maintenance materials.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- A Story of Boxes and Yards showcases the first public school in China designed for Learning Anywhere Anytime, which breaks through the finger plan and cell plus bell classroom layout in a traditional school. It is also the first school building in Beijing built in accordance with Passive House Standards. Despite of tight budget, with a multi-dimensional, multi-center system of learning communities, this school with a history of a hundred years has turned into a School of 21st Century.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Gross Built Area: 29,098 square meters
- Tags
- Education, Public school, Passive House, Learner-centered, Eco-friendly
- Production Technology
- Although the wall finish is mostly latex paint due to tight budget, the building is dynamic and playful with rotated massing and spinning color blocks on walls and floors. The interior polygonal spaces, named as Hub of Intelligence, replacing corridors, serve as Lifestyle Center, Student Center, Makerspace, Cybercafe and other multipurpose learning centers for lectures, demonstrations, exhibitions, performances, and project-based learning, achieving Learning Anywhere, Anytime.
- Design Challenge
- The challenge came from the conflict of the tight budget and strict building code restrictions against the high expectation on transforming the school with a history of over 100 years to a genuine learner-centered School of the 21st Century. The design team have successfully chosen the most cost-effective, environmental friendly and low-maintenance materials and methods to turn the design intent to the best reality.
- Project Duration
- The Story of Boxes and Yards, with another name, Huang Cheng Gen Primary School Changping Campus, is located in Changping District of Beijing, China. The project construction was completed in 2019.
- Operation Flow
- The design team believes that design is an effective tool to make changes in education and future. Education philosophies such as multiple Intelligences by the famous educator Howard Gardener, Education as growth by John Dewey, and the best practice of small learning communities are well embedded in design. The school educators also embrace these concepts and complemented the work of designers with their visions and practice in education.
- Research
- The design team have fully implemented the methodology of learning communities to create a school for Learning Anywhere Anytime with a multi-dimensional and multi-center space system. Throughout the design process, the architectural concept was firmly rooted in the idea of education, and spatial layout was a priority over artificial forms. The design team was successful in creating a learning community that is highly versatile in its transparency, openness, interactivity and adaptability.
- Inspiration
- The learning community centered with a Grade Lounge constitutes the basic unit of space layout and provides a sense of home base, forming a series of boxes together with the library, gymnasium, canteen and other learning facilities. Triangular courtyards are created in between the rotated boxes, introducing ample natural light and ventilation inside. This generative design process, called as a Story of Boxes and Yards, has greatly enhanced openness and interactivity of learning spaces.
- Image Credits
- Zhi Xia
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