White Rose 英语学校 by Naoko Horibe is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2023 A' Design Award 铜奖 in 建筑与结构设计 Competition Category.

铜建筑· 2023

White Rose 英语学校

by Naoko Horibe

Client: Horibe Associates

A' Design Award 铜奖 Winner in 建筑 Category

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The Design

About White Rose 英语学校

白玫瑰英语学校是一所为孩子们学习英语会话的学校。通过将校园内的道路改为单向，汽车可以顺利进出，前方道路的拥堵也将得到缓解。立面设计为半圆形而不是完整的圆形，展示了英语学习的可能性，可以将孩子与未来和世界联系起来。立面上突出的楼板形状表达了孩子们的活力和活泼。透过特色的半圆形大窗户，可以看到孩子们快乐地跑来跑去。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 铜奖

White Rose 英语学校是 A' Design Award 铜奖得主，这是授予以创造力、独创性和敏锐见长的杰出设计的极具声望的认可。铜奖得主是技艺娴熟、创意惊人的作品，印证了其设计师丰富的经验、想象力与机智。预计White Rose 英语学校将成为一件备受推崇、令人钦佩且被珍爱的物品，兼具显著的专业性与创新性。这件赢得 A' Design Award 铜奖的设计融入艺术、科学、设计和技术领域的最佳实践，并因注重细节而出类拔萃。White Rose 英语学校出色地满足需求，触动渴望，迷住情感，并吸引好奇心。

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: White Rose English School is a school for children to learn English. The facade is designed with semicircles instead of complete circles, showing children's potential in learning English which may lead them to the future and to the world. Design of the front projected portion represents overflowing energy and liveliness of the children. You can see the children joyfully moving from the outside through the big distinctive semi-circle window.
Dimensions & Packaging: A three-story reinforced concrete building. Width 17.8m, depth 11.2m, height 9.98m (height limit 10m). Total floor area 578.53 square meters. Although it is compact, it creates an open space that combines functionality and design by using a stairwell, a large opening, and a protruding slab of about 4m. A more minimalist design was achieved through a structural design in which the pillars do not protrude from the walls. The minimalist design does not interfere with children's imagination.
Tags: school, minimal, simple, for kids, arch, concrete, white, kindergarten
Production Technology: The front road is narrow, and consideration for traffic congestion was required. That's why we built two arches in the building so that you can drop off and pick up your child through the drive-thru without getting wet in the rain. Through these, you can also see the greenery of the park from the road side. And by using glass for the handrails of the internal stairs, we made it possible to see the children's energetic movements from the outside through the large semi-circular windows.
Design Challenge: Shuttle buses can pass under the pilotis. One of the pilotis shall be a 4m protruding slab. A three-story building with a height of 10m or less. Meeting these requirements required a thorough discussion between architectural and structural design. The walls with large arches are also large beams. And they were fused splendidly and became the best architecture.
Research: Architecture has a great impact on the surrounding people, streets, and environment as soon as it is completed. And it will continue to exist in the land for decades, regardless of whether it is used carefully or whether it is familiar with the place. Don't be biased towards only design or functionality. Architecture that has been loved by people for decades, protects people, and fascinates people without fading. That is the style of architecture that we seek.
Inspiration: First of all, this project is a facility for children with a lot of potential for the future. Secondly, it is planned on land close to the Takatsuki Castle ruins park, which is rich in greenery and is loved by citizens. Finally, since it was necessary to make it easy for parents to pick up and drop off their children, we came up with a design that would allow the building itself to serve as a signboard, incorporating soft curves and large openings that allow a view to the other side.
Project Duration: The design for this project started in June 2012 in Osaka. Construction began in May 2013. Construction was completed in April 2014.
Operation Flow: A spacious parking space has been set up to make the facility easy to use not only for children but also for parents. Each floor has ample waiting space, and from the 2nd floor you can see the children learning in the classroom. There is also a baby corner on the first floor, so it is safe to drop off and pick up small children. We hope that this building will be used not only as an English conversation school, but also as a place for the local community and a symbol of the region.
Patents: Copyrights belong to Horibe Associates, 2012
Image Credits: Main Image: Photographer Kaori Ichikawa
Image #1: Photographer Kaori Ichikawa
Image #2: Photographer Kaori Ichikawa
Image #3: Photographer Kaori Ichikawa
Image #4: Photographer Kaori Ichikawa