East China Normal University Affiliated Bilingual Kindergarten / Scenic Architecture Office

East China Normal University Affiliated Bilingual Kindergarten / Scenic Architecture Office - More Images+ 31

  • Architects: Scenic Architecture Office
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2015
  • Client: Anting International Automobile City
  • Site Area: 7400 m2
  • Country: China
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Courtesy of Scenic Architecture Office

Text description provided by the architects. Courtyard, in Chinese architecture, is not only a tradition of physical space, but also a core of emotion and communication.  It helps people to keep cohesion of the family and strengthen the contacts with friends and relatives, and to connect nature and universe in a touchable way.  Yet this heritage is today already an impossible dream for most of urban citizens.

Courtesy of Scenic Architecture Office

Anting is an urbanized suburban town near the boundary between northwestern Shanghai and Suzhou Huaqiao.  The kindergarten located in a new residential neighborhood to the south of Anting station of Metro line 11, is an early bird in the construction plan of a public facility compound.  Although a tight site to house 15-classes within 7400sqm, we still want to provide this kindergarten a courtyard environment for children to perceive nature, to recognize society and to build up themselves with a memory of courtyard life.

Courtesy of Scenic Architecture Office
Axonometric
Courtesy of Scenic Architecture Office

Courtyards need enclosure of building units.  Following the leaning western border of the site, we organized the units in a setback “W” shape to earn the maximum sunlight from west, south and east, and we use Hexagon for the plan shape of the unit. The honeycomb composition fits better the leaning border, it provides more dynamic indoor and outdoor spaces with sense of concentration while diluting the axis monumentality of traditional four-sides courtyard.  We ended up with an irregular hexagonal unit for either classroom or courtyard.  Three of the six sides were designed in equal to accommodate more flexible combination as per the needs of sunlight and functionality.

Courtesy of Scenic Architecture Office

After entering the gate, students and teachers will follow the zigzag corridors along the hexagon edges, go through the vestibule and the lobby, pass by different classes, with flowers and grasses in layers of courtyards, with bifurcating and merging paths before approaching their own classroom.

Courtesy of Scenic Architecture Office

The collective activity in the classroom encircles the round column in the center of the room,while a team or individuals can use the protruding window spaces along the wall to read and write or to take care of their small plants.  Every two classrooms have a shared courtyard space with direct indoor-outdoor connections.  Departing from their own courtyards, the kids can restart their journeys to other places including library, musical room, fine arts room, canteen, multifunction room, small farm and other classes in other courtyards.  Students at 2nd and 3rd floors can also join the big playgrounds conveniently through two covered outdoor staircases from both east and west sides.

Courtesy of Scenic Architecture Office
First Floor Plan
Courtesy of Scenic Architecture Office

By connecting different interior and exterior spaces in various scales on the corridor paths, we make every outing of the kids an experience of touching “nature” and “society”.  We believe that all these experiences of exploration, perceiving and communication would become part of their precious childhood memories in an unconscious and healthy way.

Courtesy of Scenic Architecture Office

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Project location

Address:安亭镇, 嘉定区, 上海, 中国

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "East China Normal University Affiliated Bilingual Kindergarten / Scenic Architecture Office" [华东师范大学附属双语幼儿园 / 山水秀建筑事务所] 17 Apr 2017. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/869330/east-china-normal-university-affiliated-bilingual-kindergarten-scenic-architecture-office> ISSN 0719-8884

华东师范大学附属双语幼儿园 / 山水秀建筑事务所

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