Nanjing University Suzhou Affiliated Primary School‌ / Tus-Design

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Streamline WeavingIn response to the potential construction interference caused by the planned rail transit construction on the west side of the campus, this project adopts the following design strategies. In terms of functional zoning, the sports field will be arranged on the west side of the plot as a buffer zone for the sound environment, the cultural and sports comprehensive area will be arranged in the middle, and the core teaching area will be concentrated on the east side to ensure that the noise level is controlled below 50 decibels at a straight-line distance of 500 meters. In terms of transportation system, the design will integrate the comprehensive building area containing professional classrooms into a winding corridor design with a maximum 45 degree corner. The corridor connects various functional areas to achieve an all-weather wind and rain corridor system, avoiding the problem of eye contact and east-west glare in the teaching building. The modular combination of professional classroom clusters also greatly improves spatial efficiency, reducing building density to 21% through a linear layout, releasing a composite activity green space that accounts for 27% of the total land area, forming a three-level teaching space sequence of "professional classrooms shared atrium outdoor classrooms". As a functional hub, the comprehensive building constructs a composite courtyard system that combines privacy and openness by synergistically enclosing non-linear functional areas. In response to the traffic diversion needs during peak school hours, the plan has set up a diversion style entrance and exit plaza on the north-south axis, combined with the first floor elevated design, to achieve the extensibility of the visual corridor.Two large conference spaces in the school are located in the northwest corner, one is a stepped lecture hall that runs from the basement to the second floor, and the other is a multifunctional hall located above the lecture hall. The lecture hall cleverly utilizes the height difference of the terrain to embed the audience seats into the building base, and its roof forms an open-air theater. Two outdoor stairs provide convenient access to the multifunctional hall located on the fourth floor, forming a vertical axis with the multifunctional hall above. In order to allow children to reach each floor for activities within the limited time between classes, designers have hidden ubiquitous "unexpected spaces" in the building: circular game cabins at corners, secret bases under stairs, and observation platforms outside corridors. These informal learning spaces are like pearls connecting the entire building.Text description provided by the architects.Nanjing UniversitySuzhouAffiliated Primary School is located in the educational core area of Suzhou High tech Zone Science and Technology City. It is a key link in extending the scientific and technological innovation chain and building a research and learning industry hub in the eastern area of Nanjing University. It was officially put into use in September 2024. The base is surrounded by the excellent landscape pattern of 'the Taihu Lake Lake lies in the west and mountains look east'. The southeast sides are surrounded by two winding rivers, which are rich in natural resources. The unique natural advantage of being located between mountains and waters has led the design to focus on how to abandon the old model of traditional primary schools that overly emphasizes efficiency, and instead create a new type of campus complex that integrates nature, environmental education, openness, inclusiveness, and flexible spatial layout. Multiple green building technologies are used to create a resilient campus that meets the educational needs of the new era.‌Interpenetrated EnclosureThe plot cleverly integrates into the natural landscape and transportation network of the city, with lush urban green belts on its southeast sides and a winding river accompanying it, adding a touch of tranquility and liveliness to the plot. The northwest sides are directly adjacent to the main urban roads, with convenient transportation. The design of the building on the east and south sides cleverly presents a semi enclosed spatial layout, which is neither completely enclosed nor maintains just the right connection with the outside world. This design not only allows the beautiful scenery around the campus to naturally blend in, adding a touch of beautiful scenery to the plot, but also provides people with a wider space for visual communication, and the walking path appears more spacious and comfortable. More importantly, this spatial layout is conducive to the free circulation of air and natural wind, creating a healthier and more pleasant learning environment.Designers need to re measure every corner with a 'child's scale', transforming details such as the soft curves of the counseling room, flexible furniture in the collaborative learning area, and controllable risks in the outdoor exploration area into subtle educational language. This resilience design is reflected in three dimensions: spatial resilience, such as porous courtyard layout promoting natural ventilation; Functional resilience, such as composite venues supporting iterative teaching modes; And emotional resilience, such as building a sense of security through material touch and color psychology. When children discover the joy of reading among the climbing book shelves and can observe the water circulation system of the rain garden during the rainy season, the building surpasses its container properties and becomes a three-dimensional textbook that nourishes life resilience.Layered IntegrationIn order to intensively and efficiently utilize the site, based on the concept of "five minute reach circle", multiple functional rooms and activity spaces are designed to be stacked in a three-dimensional manner. The main function of the western building block is focused on the core public activity area of the school. Breaking through the inherent mode of functional zoning, creatively placing the cafeteria at the heart of the building complex - not only as a physical hub, but also as an energy field for daily communication between teachers and students. Due to the excavation of a sunken courtyard on the east side of the negative first floor cafeteria, this dining space surrounded by a sunny courtyard naturally extends upwards to the suspended sports hall through staggered platforms and outdoor stairs. The sports hall is located above the cafeteria and features an openable glass ceiling. On sunny days, sunlight pours down, providing good natural lighting and ventilation for the sports space. The library, as a knowledge lighthouse, is carefully placed at the best viewing position facing south. In order to provide a better indoor lighting environment, the south facade is constructed with folded perforated metal panels as external shading, becoming an intelligent shading system that filters strong sunlight. Readers can enjoy the river landscape through french window at any reading corner, while the reading cabin extended from the second floor provides children with a private learning space full of childlike fun.In the context of contemporary educational reform, we propose the design paradigm of "resilient campus for environmental education" - which is not only the creation of physical space, but also a reinterpretation of the essence of education. As the second home for children's growth, the campus should have adaptability and growth like a living organism: it should be able to withstand the impact of sudden public events and be organically updated with the evolution of teaching needs.At the same time, the design technique of overhead on the first floor connects all outdoor activity areas to each other, forming a dynamic zone for the gathering of people, and increasing the efficiency of people flow distribution by more than 40%. This horizontal dynamic organization synchronously reserves the possibility for vertical spatial expansion. In terms of spatial experience, the introduction of design elements such as sunken plazas, setback layouts, and protruding terraces further enriches the experiential level of outdoor activity spaces on campus, adding fun to children's exploration and discovery. By lifting the corners of the linear roof, the roof contour is made more undulating, enriching the visual hierarchy of the building and perfectly integrating with the overall building flow.The northern teaching building cleverly creates a 35 meter deep ceremonial square through a concave design in the middle, and together with a 6-meter-high elevated floor, forms a "suspended" transitional space. The architectural form is designed with the theme of "unfolded scroll", echoing the cultural temperament of Nanjing University Affiliated School through smooth curved contours. This design achieves triple value: firstly, by reducing the volume, a buffer square of over 1000 square meters is formed, effectively alleviating the pressure of buildings on urban roads; Secondly, the architectural design of vertical long windows and horizontal corridors is adopted to increase the visual transparency between the inner courtyard and the external square by 30%; Finally, the northwest sides form a continuous and rhythmic urban interface with the main road through the rhythmic facade of a unified module. This differentiated boundary processing strategy not only ensures the quietness requirements of the teaching area (with a noise attenuation of 15dB on the northwest side), but also achieves organic dialogue with the city through the permeable interface on the southeast side, ultimately making the campus a vibrant hub connecting the community and nature.