Shenzhen Longgang Pinghu Street HeBaowei School

 

Amidst rapid urban development, while human construction brings a wealth of new things, some memories of nature and history are slowly fading. The small hills within Fumin Park on the southwest side of the site embody a quintessentially preserved "hilly" landscape characteristic of Longgang, Shenzhen. Standing in the center of the site and gazing around, one senses the engulfment of the evolving urban village and natural landscape by the ambitious urban plan. We aim to eschew exaggerated forms in our school design, returning to nature and the city. With a free layout and intimate scale, we forge a visceral connection with the natural hills to the west and the urban village to the east, bringing the natural scenery into the campus and integrating the memory of the landscape into campus life. Here, campus buildings are no longer cold, closed, and simply replicated concrete, but rather vehicles for reconstructing the relationship between the city, nature, and campus life. Here, we strive to create a Shenzhen campus space that is both internal to the campus and a connection between the city and the community; both tangible and experiential; both present and future.

The building, with its lower west and higher east elevations, forms platforms of varying elevations facing Fumin Park, opening up to the mountain and further establishing a historical connection with the natural landscape. These volumes are arranged southeastward, with the various units enclosing multiple academies. Southeast winds flow through the campus clusters, echoing the southern climate. The spaces enclosed by these volumes imbue each individual academy with an elegant learning atmosphere and diverse semi-outdoor social spaces. These courtyards intersect and interpenetrate with the functional buildings, forming cave-like courtyards of appropriate scale and rich experiences. These spaces accommodate exploration, communication, and daily teaching activities for teachers and students, becoming spiritual gardens for students' growing memories.

Project Information

Designer: Changwu Architects
Project Type: Educational Building
Location: Pinghu Subdistrict, Longgang District, Shenzhen
Lead Architect: Cai Changze
Design Team: Jin Xin, Xiao Xin, Cai Shuqi, Huang Shanchuang, Chen Jieming
Design Date: April 2022