glass classrooms and learning terraces encourage interaction within PAO’s school in shenzhen

FUQIANG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL by pao in Shenzhen, China

In Shenzhen, China, People’s Architecture Office (PAO) has designed the Fuqiang elementary school to support new ways of learning and quench the growing thirst for creative innovation. The project is based on the concept of a ‘hybrid space,’ which encourages interaction and curiosity for discovery, serving as a ‘second teacher’. Various programs and activities are interspersed among the floors, including elevated glass classrooms, rooftop gardens, and small learning terraces.

aerial view of Fuqiang elementary school

all images by Zhu Yumeng

casual spaces, private areas, and ample greenery

PAO (see more here) has designed a wide range of rooms that help teachers tailor the learning experience and meet the needs of the many different students. Rooftop gardens, medium-sized courtyards, and small terraces are examples of outdoor learning spaces that can allow for different size gatherings and meet different learning needs. Small sitting areas are also built into the facade to provide students with privacy when they need it. In this way, the students and the different learning activities literally become the face of the school.

The design facilitates learning by giving chances for students to engage with the actual world, bridging the gap between study and real-life experience. The design blurs the limit between indoor and outdoor settings, while dispersing greenery throughout the school both horizontally and vertically to ensure that kids are exposed to and learn from nature.

aerial view of Fuqiang elementary school

elevated glass classrooms

Fuqiang elementary school celebrates creative learning that is physical, experience-based, and performative by allocating elevated glass classrooms. In this way, activities such as music, art, and dance can be easily seen and appreciated from other locations on campus. Facing a major road to the north, these cantilevering spaces also project the creative character of the school towards the city.

The new campus doubles the size of the original campus and makes high-quality education and innovative learning accessible to more students. PAO’s design brings together the old school buildings, a dedicated STEAM education building, and new classrooms and facilities into an integrated whole.

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