The design of learning spaces impacts the quality of education

EUNOIA JUNIOR COLLEGE

Eunoia Junior College is the one of the first high-rise school to integrate both school and community within a common precinct. This fresh approach to building typology aims to address demographical concerns at the national level; and at the same time encouraging student and community interaction at a more micro level.

The design proposal structures a spatial system to accommodate diversity and functionality by providing three Universal Decks placed strategically in the development to appropriate and to connect at different levels: “FORUM” at levels 1 and 2 below the partially raised sports field simulating a public square and housing communal shared facilities such as Indoor Sports Hall/ Multi-Purpose Hall which may be opened to the community, “ARENA” at level 5 on the sports field with a spectator stand and serving as a look out deck overlooking Bishan river, and “CURIA” at levels 9 and 19 of the high-rise academic towers to encourage students to exchange ideas and foster independent learning. Each of the decks is dedicated for the enrichment of individual needs and growth, as well as to encourage engagements between school and community.

THE HIVE @ NTU

Within Nanyang Technological University (NTU)’s master plan, The Hive is envisioned as a showcase for modern methods of learning and teaching, fostering entrepreneurship, innovation and social awareness. Working in collaboration with Heatherwick Studio (London), this project is emblematic of NTU’s ambitions to push the frontiers of learning and sustainability, taking higher education in Singapore to greater heights. The 8-storey building houses 56 smart classrooms where ‘pods’ stacked into towers cluster around a central space, employing ground-breaking solutions in sustainability, construction and use of materials.

GEMS WORLD ACADEMY, now known as XCL WORLD ACADEMY (SINGAPORE)

This project is GEMS Education’s first venture in South East Asia, an education facility that provides a wonderful learning environment, synonymous to all GEMS schools – inspirational, exciting, welcoming and at the same time safe and secure. The key design goal is to create a total learning experience borne out of the visionary spirit of GEMS Education – Learning in a Tropical Paradise. The campus contains state-of-art, cutting edge facilities to reflect new learning paradigms.

GEMS World Academy was acquired by the XCL Education Group in November 2020.

WEST SPRING PRIMARY SCHOOL

The project challenge was to create spaces within the built environment that continually stimulate students’ curiosity in mathematics, arts and culture, linguistics and sports; to create FUN spaces to keep young minds captivated and to promote lifelong learning. This pilot project not only seeks to ensure the school has a unique identity but advances four areas of design; Flexibility in Learning Spaces, Co-Sharing of Facilities, Optimising Land Use and Environmentally Sustainable Initiatives.

ISA SCIENCE CITY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

ISA International Education Group’s flagship school in Guangzhou, China was built on a new campus in GDD (Guangzhou Development District) Guangzhou. It is conveniently located close to the city centre and the neighbourhood has two public schools located in close proximity. The school will deliver an international curriculum.

Inspired by the hilly terrain of the site, the design idea for the campus is to create a series of ground planes at different altitudes to support various learning activities. These are platforms with varying sense of enclosure from the enclosed to the semi-outdoor, or open-to sky terraces. It is on these platforms that the learning spaces for the various levels are organised.

At the master plan level, the campus is designed with an elevated sports field in its centre. The elevated field accommodates the campus’ shared facilities and large spaces, such as the auditorium and the sports halls below it. All the schools encircle the elevated field culminating with the boarding facilities to the north of the site.

Learning spaces within the campus are designed to promote interaction and encourage self learning. Built on an undulating site, the design weaves the surrounding greenery into the fabric of the campus to create a biophilic, conducive and memorable learning environment.