Huandao Middle School, Haikou | TAO | Trace Architecture Office

Located in Haikou, Hainan, China, Haikou Huandao Middle school is designed to accommodate teaching classrooms, function classrooms, students’ dormitory and dining hall for more than 1200 students, 24 classes. The design initiated from thinking about how to create a nurturing environment that celebrates creativity and interaction rather than examination-oriented learning cultures. 

As the site is situated in the city center, where surrounding high-rise residential buildings heighten a sense of encirclement and compression, the overall layout of the school emphasizes on an introverted nature of architecture. Playground is placed centrally, while the teaching block and dormitory building are located at South and North sides of the site respectively. Two courtyards within the teaching block, one big and one small, are formed through a complex interplay of different volumes, enriching spatial hierarchy and visual connections. 

Due to site constraints, the teaching block and the dormitory building are elevated on pilotis to open up the ground floor spaces, which allows visual and physical continuity. The central courtyard of the teaching block is raised up to the second floor and is connected with the playground through a grand staircase. The grand staircase serves not only as a place for relaxation and communication, but also a grandstand for spectators. Classrooms face outward and are distributed orderly in the east and south part of the teaching block, whereas function classrooms are more inward-facing and act as independent volumes. Among the function classrooms, art classroom adopts a curved roof to ensure even and stable ambient lighting, while music and dance classrooms are under arched roofs that help to enhance acoustics. The architecture also actively responses to the local tropical climate: stilt floor provides shading and protection against wind and rain; colonnade facilitates natural ventilation; rooftop platform offers additional activity spaces for students, and at the same time, reduces heat absorption and lowers indoor temperature. 

The ways students utilize campus are not only confined to the use of traditional classrooms, but also the inhabitation of undefined public spaces, which contributes to a huge part of education. In this sense, school is a miniature city, bringing various everyday experience to the students apart from attending classes. The design therefore seeks to create diversified and integrated spaces that promote active and spontaneous learning: the central courtyard acts as a cohesive area for outdoor group activities; widened corridor forms a series of interlaced semi-open balconies that allow small groups of friends to observe and contemplate; the zigzag ramps and stairs create more spaces for social interaction and also serve as vertical circulation. Furthermore, a colorful tower-shaped space is placed at the eastern end of the central courtyard. The tower’s white and abstract façade is dramatically contrasted with the multiple scales of vertical geometry, colorful interiors and fascinating lighting variations, all of which create experience that embraces imagination and art. 

Structurally, seismic base isolation system is adopted for earthquake resistance due to the special seismic geological conditions in Huandao. The teaching block is supported by a series of seismic isolators which are placed between the building and foundation. During earthquake, the damper underneath absorbs the vibration through elastic deformation, improving the seismic performance of structures and thus providing the building with strength and stiffness.

Project title: Huandao Middle School, Haikou

Client: Hainan Huandao Industrial Development Co. Ltd.

Location: Haikou, Hainan, China

Program: Classroom, multi-purpose room, office, student dormitory, dining hall, etc.

Architect: HUA Li / TAO (Trace Architecture Office)

Design team: SHEN Lijun, LI Ruoxing, YAN Yadong, ZHANG Xiaoxiao, ZHANG Feng, CHEN Yuan, Luca Ronchi, GUO Cong, JIN Longqiang, TIAN Tao, LIANG Zhuojia, TAN Xiao, LIU Zhouxing, CAO Pengfei, QIN Mingxuan, SHENG Zhiqi, WEI Mingyu, LIANG Guopei, YIN Qianqian, QU Yue, XU Yu, GAO Zhaojia

Structural engineer: MA Zhigang, SUN Kai, ZHAO Xiaolei

MEP engineer: LV Jianjun and Kcalin design group MEP engineer: LI Wei, ZHOU Yong, LI Xin, ZHANG Anfeng

General contractor: Gansu Eighth Construction Group Co., Ltd.

Site area: 14108 sq. m.

Floor area: 19020 sq. m.

Structural system: Reinforced concrete frame structure

Design: 2014-2016

Construction: 2016-2018

Photographer: Schran Images

[CN]

海口寰岛实验学校初中部位于海南省海口市，设计需要容纳1200多名学生，并包括24个班级的教学教室、兴趣活动室、学生宿舍和食堂等。项目起始于思考学校如何成为学生心灵成长的场所，而非应试教育制度的机器。 

由于场地位于市区内，周边的高层住宅建筑对场地形成了较强的包围感和压迫感。因此在平面布局上强调建筑的向内性，操场位于场地中心，教学楼与宿舍楼各位于场地南北两侧集中布置。教学楼内通过建筑体量对空间的划分，进而创造出一大一小两个庭院，形成丰富的校园空间层次与视线联系。 

基于场地局促的条件，教学楼与宿舍楼均底层架空以释放出更多的地面空间并使之连续。抬升至二层的教学楼中心庭院通过大台阶与操场相联系，既是休憩交流之所，又成为面向操场的看台。教学楼的常规教室分布于教学楼的东、南两侧，形成严肃有序的对外界面，兴趣教室则分别以独立体块面向庭院展开。其中美术教室利用弧形屋顶创造均匀稳定的用光环境，音乐和舞蹈教室采用了拱形吊顶以达到良好的声学效果。建筑形态同时又是对热带气候的积极回应：架空以遮风挡雨，柱廊强化自然通风。屋顶活动平台为学生提供了额外活动空间的同时，减少吸热并降低室内温度。 

学生对校园空间的使用绝非仅仅在于教学场所，更在于那些没有明确界定功能的空间。从这个意义而言，学校即是一座城市，需要提供除上课外的多重日常体验。建筑因此寻求空间组织的丰富性，以期包容自发的活动和激发多样的事件，成为滋润自由的场所——中心庭院形成了具有内聚性的场地，成为集体活动的舞台；扩大的走廊形成了一系列突出、错动的半室外阳台，三两好友可在此互相张望；曲折多变的坡道与楼梯创造出富于变化的交流机会，联系竖向各层，青春的身影流连其间。此外，考虑到“体验”与“探索”也是青少年认知成长过程中的重要环节，设计在中心庭院东侧的尽端创造了一个充满趣味的塔形空间，抽象的白色高塔外部被水景环绕，内部以鲜明的色彩、竖向的空间尺度和奇妙的光线共同营造出充满想象力的体验。 

结构上，由于寰岛特殊的地质条件，项目采用了特殊的隔震结构，教学楼建筑整体坐落于由数个隔震器支撑起的空腔上。发生地震时，隔震层底部的阻尼桩可以通过自身变形有效吸收地震能，使建筑主体结构形变量降至最小，充分保证结构的安全性。