BIBA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RENOVATION

YANE ACADEMY,

MEMBER OF PEKING UNIVERSITY

AFFILIATED HIGH SCHOOL GROUP

Yanying Experimental School, a member school entrusted by the Peking University High School Education Group, is located in the Xiangshan Mountains of Qingxi Town, Dongguan City. The campus is nestled in the forest, surrounded by mountains on the east, west, and south sides, with only the north side facing Xiangshan Road. The unique Lingnan climate and undulating hilly terrain blend seamlessly here, forming a harmonious whole. To alleviate the severe shortage of primary and secondary school places in the Greater Bay Area, the design maximizes the campus's inclusivity and adaptability. The design vision of "uselessness is great use, and the intangible creates the tangible" echoes the Peking University belief of "independence and freedom of thought" inherited by the High School Affiliated to Peking University. It also follows six campus space creation strategies, namely "adaptation, enhancement, connection, resilience, penetration, and mutual visibility," to create the most beautiful valley campus.

LOCATION Dongguan, China

AREA 153804 m²

STATUS Proposal

CLIENT Dongguan Zhihuigu Education Investment Co., Ltd.

YEAR 2020

PROGRAMS Educational, Architecture Design

Adaptation: To protect the hilly terrain, the campus buildings follow the contours of the land, rising gradually to create a spatial structure that is low and open at the center, and high and private around the perimeter. The 140,000 square meters of building volume is divided into smaller units, with each of the 13 individual buildings being small in scale and shallow in depth. The layout also incorporates ventilation and shading strategies from traditional Lingnan architecture, such as deep eaves, open ground floors, and open corridors. The building layout follows the prevailing summer wind direction, guiding ample ventilation to reduce campus temperature and humidity.

Enhancement: The architecture responds to the curves of the mountains with terraces. The main body is in concrete tones and wood veneer, while the paving and metal railings use bright colors, rising in sync with the space, like valleys and peaks, creating a harmonious interplay and providing a visual identity system for the vast campus. The theater building located at the main entrance uses mirrored stainless steel to reflect the surrounding scenery, making itself "disappear" and humbly and elegantly welcoming teachers and students into the campus.

Permeation and Interconnection: The design emphasizes the mutual permeation between architecture, nature, and people. These boundaries are flexible, multi-dimensional, and cross-sensory: the wind blowing through the halls, the birdsong from the distant mountains, and classmates dancing nearby all contribute to a rich and diverse daily life, embedding learning into real and beautiful life scenes. In a learning environment, there are rarely absolute "protagonists." The spatial form strives to promote mutual visibility between teachers and students on campus, fostering equality and autonomy; this is precisely the core spirit of Peking University High School's education.