East China Normal University Affiliated Bilingual Kindergarten
Courtyard, in Chinese architecture, is not only a tradition of physical space but also a core of emotion and communication. It helps people to keep cohesion of the family and strengthen the contacts with friends and relatives and to connect nature and universe in a touchable way. Yet this heritage is today already an impossible dream for most of the urban citizens.
Courtesy of Scenic Architecture Office
Acting is an urbanized suburban town near the boundary between northwestern Shanghai and Suzhou Huaqiao. The kindergarten located in a new residential neighborhood to the south of Anting station of Metro line 11, is an early bird in the construction plan of a public facility compound. Although a tight site to house 15-classes within 7400sqm, we still want to provide this kindergarten a courtyard environment for children to perceive nature, to recognize society and to build up themselves with a memory of courtyard life. Courtesy of Scenic Architecture Office
Courtyards need an enclosure of building units. Following the leaning western border of the site, we organized the units in a setback ?W? shape to earn the maximum sunlight from west, south, and east, and we use Hexagon for the plan shape of the unit. The honeycomb composition fits better the leaning border, it provides more dynamic indoor and outdoor spaces with a sense of concentration while diluting the axis monumentality of traditional four-sided courtyard...