Gold Architecture, Building and Structure Design · 2023
The Circle Xinqiao Expatriate Children School
by Coast Palisade Consulting Group Ltd.
- A' Design Award 2023 Gold Winner in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
- Awarded April 15, 2023
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 31,360
- Verification code 518333097B · Verify this award
About The Circle Xinqiao Expatriate Children School
The Circle is an international school in Hefei Airport New Area, China. The school includes a kindergarten, a primary school and a middle school, with ninety classes across a building area of 40,000 square meters. In response to the park and lake view to the west and the oval shape of the site, the building opens toward the park in an embracing gesture. School life is arranged around a central sports field, so most rooms gain a wide view. The kindergarten stands as a separate building. Highly modular construction limits the number of module types and shortens building time.
This extraordinary aerial visualization presents Huang Fan's The Circle Xinqiao Expatriate Children School as a compelling exemplar of contemporary educational architecture that reimagines the relationship between institutional form and pedagogical philosophy. The design engages with longstanding architectural traditions of the circular enclosure, from ancient ceremonial precincts to Renaissance ideal city plans, while translating these historical precedents into a distinctly contemporary formal vocabulary characterized by fluid curvilinearity and sophisticated material expression. The building's sweeping elliptical configuration creates a protective embrace around its central recreational core, establishing an architectural metaphor for the nurturing environment essential to childhood development and international educational exchange. The composition demonstrates remarkable facility in orchestrating multiple scales of experience, from the monumental civic presence legible in aerial perspective to the intimate human-scaled terraces and gathering spaces suggested by the articulated facade treatment. The chromatic strategy proves particularly noteworthy, with the pristine white exterior surfaces establishing institutional dignity while warm interior illumination visible through extensive glazing suggests welcoming interior environments animated by activity and purpose. The integration of extensive rooftop gardens and landscape elements throughout the complex evidences commitment to biophilic design principles, acknowledging the documented benefits of natural exposure for cognitive development and emotional wellbeing. The careful siting within the broader urban context, connected by tree-lined arterials yet buffered by verdant landscape zones, suggests thoughtful consideration of the school's role as both community anchor and protected educational sanctuary. One might contemplate how the circular form, with its absence of hierarchical orientation, symbolizes the inclusive educational philosophy of welcoming students from diverse international backgrounds into a unified community of learning.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- As the first international school in Hefei Airport New Area, it includes kindergarten, primary school and middle school. In response to the large park and lake view on the west side, as well as the oval shape of the site, the building opens to the park in an embracing gesture. It innovatively makes all kinds of school life revolve around the central dynamic space. Integrate eastern philosophy of equality into architectural form and living conditions.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- The building area is 40,000 square meters, including 90 classes.
- Tags
- International School, circle, middle school, primary school, high school, culture, hefei, international town
- Production Technology
- The design of the school enhances its prefabrication rate by being highly modular. Although the building is circular and has many curves, after research, the types of modules have been greatly reduced, which not only saves energy consumption, but also saves construction time and avoids environmental pollution.
- Design Challenge
- 1.The standard field of the 400-meter track is a contradiction with the insufficient land area. The traditional layout will cause the building space to be squeezed, and the teaching space will no longer be comfortable. Put the sports field in the center and let the building surround it to ensure that every room has a good view and faces the park. The architectural form is stretched and imposing.
2.The park on the northwest side is a resource that can be used, although it is not within the red line of the land. Consider the sports fields in the school and the sports facilities in the park in a unified manner, so that they are visually connected to form a larger system of physical education venues. - Project Duration
- The project started in may 2022 in hefei, china. Won the bid.
- Operation Flow
- The school consists of two parts: the kindergarten is a separate building because it was built last; the middle school and primary school are in one building, surrounding the playground.
Taking the main entrance as the dividing line, the west side of the main building is the primary school teaching area and dormitory, and the right side is the junior high school and high school. The classrooms are close to the school gate, and the dormitories are at the quiet far end.
Public functions such as the library and gymnasium are located on the lower level and face the playground; classrooms and offices are located above. - Research
- Do schools need to be zoned strictly for loud and quiet? This is a subject worth discussing. Due to the very regular behavior of the students, physical exercise and sleep at the same time are rarely seen. So the division of schools can be re-studied and tried.
- Inspiration
- First, the circular site makes the traditional layout of the grid difficult to be self-consistent, and we need a more fluid space experience.
Secondly, the beautiful park and lake makes any blocking of sight a pity, we need to spread all the building spaces around a dynamic center with the best view and atmosphere.