GLOBAL SPACES: The Beijing No. 4 High School (Fangshan Campus)
For many of us, school is the one place where we have created many significant memories that will last us a lifetime. Being in school, we are granted valuable opportunities that help us towards the fruition of our dreams. Schools have a great architectural significance for us, whether we realize it or not, because the orchestration of spaces within one must adhere to the greater good of the student body. For this week’s case study, The Fangshan Campus of the Beijing No. 4 High School exemplifies how spaces can be orchestrated in a way with which the stimulation of learning and growth creates a connection with the students.
The campus, designed by Open Architecture, was completed in Fangshan, China this year. This is the newest campus for the Beijing no. 4 high school system, and the architects envisioned a sustainable design that will help give students a taste of nature in an otherwise industrial and urban landscape. Through this, the architects also wanted to integrate new spaces with the old to help students learn about new things.
For the structure of the building, the architects integrated an upper building with a lower building and connected it together by a middle-ground. The typical program calls for classrooms, sports facilities, a gym, and auditorium, a dining hall, and a dormitory. With these in mind, the architects intended to reevaluate the traditional programmatic spaces of a school structure and create free-form spaces to encourage the sense of creative freedom for the students. This intent was made possible by the fluidity of the integration of interior and exterior spaces. The classroom spaces spill out into the gardens, while the playground area extends to the covered interior area.
The semi-organic shape of the building also makes it possible to have ample solar gain and natural ventilation. The vegetation helps create a more natural and relaxed environment that many Chinese schools lack within the urban context. Another issue that the architects wanted to alleviate is the social indifference of the youth in this contemporary age. Many Chinese students spend more of their time immersed in the digital world nowadays. So, with the conception of the design for this campus, the architects wanted to encourage the students to enhance the quality of their social lives. This was made possible by articulating the circulation as the spine of the building, with little hubs of spaces that spill out to the sides for the students to gather.
Overall, the design of the Fangshan Campus of the Beijing No. 4 High School truly takes in consideration how architecture can positively affect and inspire young minds. This is of great importance, especially in this age of contemporary urbanism, because creativity is not enhanced and pursued as much in the competitive field of today’s job market. It is important for students nowadays to value the free spirit and optimism that comes with being young, because ultimately, these traits help pave way for a brighter, and more exciting future.
photo credit: xia zhi