Revolutionizing Education Through Design: Nankai LiangJiang Secondary School

gad's Innovative Design Approach Transforms Traditional School Layouts

The inspiration behind the design of the Nankai LiangJiang Secondary School is the open and well-rounded educational idea. gad's approach was to blend this unique educational philosophy with the site's natural topography, maximizing spatial efficiency to create a harmonious campus. The school is centered around a highly efficient concept of a "10-minute campus", where students can circulate and rotate during a compact daily curriculum within 10 minutes.

What sets the Nankai LiangJiang Secondary School apart is its innovative design. A forest is grown within the main building, forming mountains and valleys, thanks to the natural topography. This design not only ensures efficiency but also fosters curiosity among students. The main building is constructed in pre-fabricated steel structure, with external perforated aluminum panels to reduce glare. A network of steel lattice, designed using parametric methods, forms an undulating roof to moderate sunlight and rain.

The main building, a circular structure measuring 200 meters in diameter, houses classrooms and multi-functional spaces such as offices, a library, a science hall, a theatre, and a school museum. The student dormitory is located at the south end of the site, placed in accordance with the street and the land form. The design project, which began in 2016 and was completed in September 2018, was carried out in Chongqing, China.

gad's design approach was not without challenges. The team had to move away from the traditional homogeneous Chinese school layout, where relatively small block buildings are placed around the campus. Instead, they chose to combine them into one complex yet efficient structure. This required both creativity and academic rigor, as well as the courage to depart from conventions.

The Nankai LiangJiang Secondary School design brings nature into the lives of the students, allowing them to be exposed to knowledge in all different spectrums. Spatial volumes in various heights, natural atmospheric environments in varying topographies, all serve to create a diverse campus, where architectural structures, sporting facilities, ecological grounds, and natural gardens intertwine. This project embodies the open and well-rounded educational idea, making it a deserving winner of the Golden A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award in 2020.