Crossboundaries
Peking University Affiliated High School - Haikou Campus
Learning in the Cloud - Imagining the Future
BAI Yu
Ort
Haikou
Gebäudekategorie
Schulen
Bauvorhaben
Neubau
Jahr der Fertigstellung
2024
Material Fassade
Putz
Learning in the Cloud – Imagining the Future
The Haikou Campus of the Peking University Affiliated High School exemplifies the transformation of education in the AI era. As technologies like ChatGPT become integral to daily life, the campus shifts from traditional models to a more adaptive, personalized, and tech-enhanced environment. It focuses on fostering creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork, equipping students for future challenges.
Hainan’s Role in Educational Innovation
Hainan Province, known for its tropical beauty, has become a center for educational innovation. As part of China’s national education pilot zone, the site of the project spans over 33 acres and serves 3,600 students across six grades, contributing to educational growth in central and western China.
An Unconventional Campus Design
Stepping away from traditional campus layouts, Crossboundaries has created a distinctive, curved S-shaped building with an organically shaped, elevated 'Cloud' learning center at its core. This innovative design addresses the topographical challenges of the site, particularly the significant height differences between the North and South ends. The S-shape is not only a visual element but also a practical response to wind direction and the orientation of sunlight and shadows. The building’s slim profile ensures effective cross-ventilation, while its low height minimizes the casting of long shadows on the terrain. Natural light is maximized where beneficial and carefully controlled in other areas.
The cloud-shaped learning center, centrally located on the campus, appears to float above the library and other public spaces. It serves as the main hub for interaction between teachers and students, housing classrooms for both the middle school and high school departments. Flanking the cloud, the building strip is arranged according to the natural contours of the terrain, providing a variety of 'micro-environments' that include a maker space, art center, sports facilities, and a dormitory complex.
Harmonizing with Nature
The overall design of the campus is guided by a deep respect for nature through the incorporation of tropical architectural concepts. These concepts consider factors such as sun shading, air circulation, ventilation, building orientation, and openings. The campus also integrates green design strategies and technologies in the form of solar energy and reclaimed water systems, to effectively reduce energy consumption, especially for cooling.
Connected Learning Spaces - Learning Beyond the Classroom
The S-shaped building connects various campus areas, linking living, teaching, and sports spaces. The design rises toward the dormitory on one end and the sports center on the other, creating a balanced flow that follows the site’s natural elevation. Internal passageways offer lively social spaces where students can exchange ideas, showcase talents, and engage in campus life, promoting interaction between teachers and students while maintaining a connection with the surrounding environment.
Every space is designed for learning, extending education beyond traditional classrooms. The cloud learning center embodies this philosophy with breakout spaces that encourage tutoring, socializing, and independent study, enabling students to connect and learn anywhere on campus.
Leading Educational Innovation
The design of the Haikou Campus fully reflects the requirements of modern educational concepts and teaching models, particularly in addressing the needs of the AI era. Its dynamic S-shaped building strip, featuring the floating Cloud Learning Center, moves beyond the rigidity of traditional school layouts, offering an open, flexible, and innovative environment that promotes healthy learning and living.
Its construction serves as a valuable model for educational development and innovation in Hainan Province and across the country.
Project info:
Project name: Affiliated High School of Peking University, Haikou, Hainan
Location: Haikou, Hainan
Client: Affiliated High School of Peking University
Site area: 133,340 m²
Building Footprint: 32,750 m²
Total Architecture Area: 138,095 m² (above ground 106672 m², below ground 31423m²)
FAR: 0.8
Student no: 3600 ppl, Middle School: 1500 ppl, High School: 2100 ppl
Design period: September 2019 - April 2020
Construction phase: Dec 2019- Jan 2024 full campus
Completion: Jan 2024 (fully operational)
Architect: Crossboundaries, Beijing, China
Partners in charge: Binke Lenhardt, DONG Hao
Design Team: Libny Pacheco, Sidonie Kade, Tracey Loontjens, Cynthia Cui, TANG Jiayin, GAN Li, HAO Hong Yi, YU Zhaoxiong, Silvia Campi, WANG Xudong.
Cooperators: DGN Design Studio, Hainan HUALEI Architecture Design and Consultant Co., Ltd.
Photographer & Video clips: BAI Yu
Video creation: Elena Gamez Miguelez
The Haikou Campus of the Peking University Affiliated High School exemplifies the transformation of education in the AI era. As technologies like ChatGPT become integral to daily life, the campus shifts from traditional models to a more adaptive, personalized, and tech-enhanced environment. It focuses on fostering creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork, equipping students for future challenges.
Hainan’s Role in Educational Innovation
Hainan Province, known for its tropical beauty, has become a center for educational innovation. As part of China’s national education pilot zone, the site of the project spans over 33 acres and serves 3,600 students across six grades, contributing to educational growth in central and western China.
An Unconventional Campus Design
Stepping away from traditional campus layouts, Crossboundaries has created a distinctive, curved S-shaped building with an organically shaped, elevated 'Cloud' learning center at its core. This innovative design addresses the topographical challenges of the site, particularly the significant height differences between the North and South ends. The S-shape is not only a visual element but also a practical response to wind direction and the orientation of sunlight and shadows. The building’s slim profile ensures effective cross-ventilation, while its low height minimizes the casting of long shadows on the terrain. Natural light is maximized where beneficial and carefully controlled in other areas.
The cloud-shaped learning center, centrally located on the campus, appears to float above the library and other public spaces. It serves as the main hub for interaction between teachers and students, housing classrooms for both the middle school and high school departments. Flanking the cloud, the building strip is arranged according to the natural contours of the terrain, providing a variety of 'micro-environments' that include a maker space, art center, sports facilities, and a dormitory complex.
Harmonizing with Nature
The overall design of the campus is guided by a deep respect for nature through the incorporation of tropical architectural concepts. These concepts consider factors such as sun shading, air circulation, ventilation, building orientation, and openings. The campus also integrates green design strategies and technologies in the form of solar energy and reclaimed water systems, to effectively reduce energy consumption, especially for cooling.
Connected Learning Spaces - Learning Beyond the Classroom
The S-shaped building connects various campus areas, linking living, teaching, and sports spaces. The design rises toward the dormitory on one end and the sports center on the other, creating a balanced flow that follows the site’s natural elevation. Internal passageways offer lively social spaces where students can exchange ideas, showcase talents, and engage in campus life, promoting interaction between teachers and students while maintaining a connection with the surrounding environment.
Every space is designed for learning, extending education beyond traditional classrooms. The cloud learning center embodies this philosophy with breakout spaces that encourage tutoring, socializing, and independent study, enabling students to connect and learn anywhere on campus.
Leading Educational Innovation
The design of the Haikou Campus fully reflects the requirements of modern educational concepts and teaching models, particularly in addressing the needs of the AI era. Its dynamic S-shaped building strip, featuring the floating Cloud Learning Center, moves beyond the rigidity of traditional school layouts, offering an open, flexible, and innovative environment that promotes healthy learning and living.
Its construction serves as a valuable model for educational development and innovation in Hainan Province and across the country.
Project info:
Project name: Affiliated High School of Peking University, Haikou, Hainan
Location: Haikou, Hainan
Client: Affiliated High School of Peking University
Site area: 133,340 m²
Building Footprint: 32,750 m²
Total Architecture Area: 138,095 m² (above ground 106672 m², below ground 31423m²)
FAR: 0.8
Student no: 3600 ppl, Middle School: 1500 ppl, High School: 2100 ppl
Design period: September 2019 - April 2020
Construction phase: Dec 2019- Jan 2024 full campus
Completion: Jan 2024 (fully operational)
Architect: Crossboundaries, Beijing, China
Partners in charge: Binke Lenhardt, DONG Hao
Design Team: Libny Pacheco, Sidonie Kade, Tracey Loontjens, Cynthia Cui, TANG Jiayin, GAN Li, HAO Hong Yi, YU Zhaoxiong, Silvia Campi, WANG Xudong.
Cooperators: DGN Design Studio, Hainan HUALEI Architecture Design and Consultant Co., Ltd.
Photographer & Video clips: BAI Yu
Video creation: Elena Gamez Miguelez
