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Applying aesthetic, practical values to new age schools
By Guan Wenfei and Wang Jie |
July 26, 2010, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
RENOWNED French architect Jacques Ferrier once said, "Good buildings are where the essence of sustainability lies, so I only work on such buildings." This is not an idle boast from Jacques Ferrier, who designed the France Pavilion at World Expo 2010. He had already stamped his eco-friendly mark on sustainable architecture in his design of the Junior High School of Jiading New Town.
This green school has been completed and will soon greet its students in the coming semester. A review of its design will reveal its remarkable aesthetic and practical values.
Binary exteriors
When Jiading New Town invited architects to submit designs for the school, Ferrier stood out from many candidates with his ingenious work.
The design is an enclosed four-story structure with a distinctive look. Unlike conventional high school buildings, its terraced multimedia classrooms and indoor gymnasium are stand-alone structures connected with the main building via indoor corridors.
The main classroom building accommodates classrooms, laboratories and offices on the first three floors; student dormitories are located on the fourth. Viewed as a whole, the building resembles a graceful, neat chest "floating" over a verdant courtyard, producing different visual effects during daylight and after dusk.
A more distinctive feature is the exterior walls of the classroom building, which are heavily dotted with patterns resembling the Arabic numerals "0" and "1". According to Ferrier, "0" and "1" as the basics of computer languages, symbolizing the information age.
The ingenious use of computer-science elements makes not only an eye-catching decor but also signifies the school's aim to cultivate the students with the most advanced technology.
Durable and pragmatic art
Some people argue whether a good look is the only criterion for a school building. Ferrier believes that a design that simply strives for eye-catching effects will soon fall into oblivion as aesthetic tastes change.
He notes that "a good building could be a slaughter house in the past, a hotel at present, and in the future, a school or even something we have never heard of."
With this belief, Ferrier attached special importance to practical value in the design of the school building. The exterior walls with numeral-shaped patterns are actually built of polycarbonate sunshade panels that can ensure good heat insulation, provide better vision, and sound an academic note in a delightful air. Another example is the hollow section floor structure of cast-in-place reinforced concrete. Since this structure makes it possible to reduce the number of primary and secondary beams, it is an ideal choice for wide-span, heavy-load classroom buildings and for better sound-proofing.
'Invisible technology'
This school is a quintessential Ferrier's design, with minimalist materials, the latest technologies and maximum room for modification and expansion. When talking about eco-friendly architecture, Ferrier believes that "good technology is invisible" and "capable of connecting the pleasant feelings arising from nature and culture".
Thus, he adopted energy-efficient, eco-friendly materials for the school building. To better integrate nature and culture, the green belt surrounding the school was enlarged.
This green school has been completed and will soon greet its students in the coming semester. A review of its design will reveal its remarkable aesthetic and practical values.
Binary exteriors
When Jiading New Town invited architects to submit designs for the school, Ferrier stood out from many candidates with his ingenious work.
The design is an enclosed four-story structure with a distinctive look. Unlike conventional high school buildings, its terraced multimedia classrooms and indoor gymnasium are stand-alone structures connected with the main building via indoor corridors.
The main classroom building accommodates classrooms, laboratories and offices on the first three floors; student dormitories are located on the fourth. Viewed as a whole, the building resembles a graceful, neat chest "floating" over a verdant courtyard, producing different visual effects during daylight and after dusk.
A more distinctive feature is the exterior walls of the classroom building, which are heavily dotted with patterns resembling the Arabic numerals "0" and "1". According to Ferrier, "0" and "1" as the basics of computer languages, symbolizing the information age.
The ingenious use of computer-science elements makes not only an eye-catching decor but also signifies the school's aim to cultivate the students with the most advanced technology.
Durable and pragmatic art
Some people argue whether a good look is the only criterion for a school building. Ferrier believes that a design that simply strives for eye-catching effects will soon fall into oblivion as aesthetic tastes change.
He notes that "a good building could be a slaughter house in the past, a hotel at present, and in the future, a school or even something we have never heard of."
With this belief, Ferrier attached special importance to practical value in the design of the school building. The exterior walls with numeral-shaped patterns are actually built of polycarbonate sunshade panels that can ensure good heat insulation, provide better vision, and sound an academic note in a delightful air. Another example is the hollow section floor structure of cast-in-place reinforced concrete. Since this structure makes it possible to reduce the number of primary and secondary beams, it is an ideal choice for wide-span, heavy-load classroom buildings and for better sound-proofing.
'Invisible technology'
This school is a quintessential Ferrier's design, with minimalist materials, the latest technologies and maximum room for modification and expansion. When talking about eco-friendly architecture, Ferrier believes that "good technology is invisible" and "capable of connecting the pleasant feelings arising from nature and culture".
Thus, he adopted energy-efficient, eco-friendly materials for the school building. To better integrate nature and culture, the green belt surrounding the school was enlarged.
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