Tranquil Chinese boarding school receives prestigious World Building of the Year award
Huizhen High School in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, has been crowned the World Building of the Year at the prestigious World Architecture Festival in Singapore This serene Chinese boarding school showcases exceptional architectural design and stands as a testament to excellence in education
Huizhen High School in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, located in eastern China, has been awarded the prestigious title of 2023's World Building of the Year. The school, designed to allow students to relax and "mindfully waste time," includes a rooftop park, treehouses, and elevated walkways within a "floating forest." This innovative design was recognized at the World Architecture Festival (WAF) in Singapore.
The tranquil communal areas of the campus, designed by Approach Design Studio and the Zhejiang University of Technology Engineering Design Group, aim to dissolve the boundary between interior and exterior spaces. The building includes an outdoor lecture hall and pathways lined with trees, as well as study facilities for the students of the 30-class schools.
Di Ma, director at Approach Design Studio and the Zhejiang University of Technology Engineering Design Group, explained, "Our aim was not only to create a school building, or experiment with innovative forms, spaces, materials, and facades, but to re-imagine the school experience and integrate the natural world into the design." This statement was provided by courtesy of Approach Design Studio and the Zhejiang University of Technology Engineering Design Group.
The Approach Design Studio emphasized that while education should prioritize efficiency, the school's campus should encourage free thinking. The firm described its design project as intended to provide students with the opportunity to "release stress, rejuvenate their body and mind, and explore beauty" outside of the traditional classroom setting.
The prestigious World Building of the Year award is one of the top honors in the architecture profession, and it is determined at the annual festival by a panel of 140 experts. This year's winning design was praised by the judges for its departure from traditional school design.
When presenting the award on stage, WAF's program director Paul Finch cited the jury's comments, describing the project as "unexpected and delightful."
"The architects were able to design a school that breaks away from the traditional model, where students feel confined and face both educational and architectural pressure," Finch shared with the audience. "In contrast, this design promotes movement, fresh air, and the opportunity to take a break from academic rigor."
The boarding school features a communal study space designed to provide students with a place to unwind and alleviate stress between their lessons, according to Ma's statement. This is courtesy of Approach Design Studio and the Zhejiang University of Technology Engineering Design Group.
From nearly 250 shortlisted projects, the design was selected, with contenders including the newly opened Terminal A at Newark Liberty International Airport, Australia's Holocaust Museum in Melbourne, and new national stadiums in Cambodia and Senegal. The buildings were evaluated in 18 categories covering commercial, cultural, and residential architecture, with the winners vying for the top prize.
Huizhen High School won in the school category, while the winners in other categories were India's Surat Diamond Bourse, Germany's Lanserhof Sylt, and a residential home in Winnipeg, Canada. Additionally, plans are underway to build the world's tallest wooden tower in Australia.
Held in Singapore, a city that boasts three recent winners of World Building of the Year, WAF also presented awards for landscape architecture this year, with the top honor going to the Benjakitti Forest Park in Bangkok, Thailand, an "urban ecological sanctuary" being developed on the grounds of a former tobacco plant, along with proposals for ambitious future architecture projects and interior design.
The school's roof serves as both an outdoor lecture hall and a rooftop park with sports facilities, open to the public on weekends, creating a new architectural promenade, according to a press release from the WAF.
Last years top prize was claimed by Australias Quay Quarter Tower, dubbed the worlds first "upcycled" high-rise after its design retained two-thirds of an old skyscraper on the site.
