The competition program for a multi-national, multi-cultural school complex called for energy efficient state-of-the-art educational spaces including kindergarten, primary and secondary schools, plus administrative facilities for the entire complex.

Our unique solution comprises three educational wings accessed from a common arrival plaza which is bridged over and sheltered by the administrative component at the mezzanine level. Wedges of terraced and landscaped open space separate the three schools and lead to an open landscaped expanse.

Building orientation and configurations provide for bio-climatic efficiency. Within the primary and the secondary schools circulation is provided by floating corridor/catwalks within interior atria which rise from the first floor and terminate in a glazed roof.

To encourage social interaction among students of different backgrounds, communal functions such as library, multi-use, canteen and dining are all accessed from the atrium floor which has been sized to provide space for sociability and spontaneous meetings and mingling.

The exterior of the building is premised on a contrast between the orthogonally ordered facades of the upper floor blocks of the primary and secondary schools and the playful treatment of the lower floors of the complex with parametrically sized and positioned circular openings.

Green features include photo-voltaic panels on the roofs, geo-thermal systems for heating and cooling, sunshades to control unwanted glare and sun light, light shelves for deeper penetration of daylight. The atria which are furnished with operable louvers and a glazed clerestory facing north combine with solar chimneys to aid with heating and ventilation and for controlling backlighting, cross ventilation and temperature.