People'S Architecture Office 众建筑

Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten

XIAN COUNTY SUNSHINE KINDERGARTEN

People's Architecture Office

Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
© Yumeng Zhu

PROJECT LEADERS
Ming Kong, Jialing Xu

STRUCTURAL DESIGN
Fengbo Yu

DESIGN PRINCIPALS
Zhe He, James Shen, Feng Zang

STEAM SPACE PROJECT FUNDER
Leping Social Entrepreneur Foundation

DESIGN TEAM
Yibo Wang, Anouchka Van Driel, Kim Dahyun, Yirou Lin

PHOTOGRAPHS
Yumeng Zhu

AREA
2165 m²

YEAR
2020

LOCATION
Cangzhou, China

CATEGORY
Kindergarten

Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
© Yumeng Zhu

Text description provided by architect.

Sunshine Kindergarten is a progressive school that offers innovative learning and STEAM curriculum to a disadvantaged rural community in Hebei, China.

The project upgrades and expands the facilities of an existing school that was founded in 2004.

Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
© Yumeng Zhu
Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
© Yumeng Zhu

The design of the school encourages early learners to feed their curiosity and engage in creative exploration at an extremely formative period in their lives.

The design introduces a covered walkway in the form of a loop that links new learning spaces to pre-existing ones. Disparate elements of the original school are woven together as a unified whole.

Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
© Yumeng Zhu
Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
© Yumeng Zhu

The loop becomes a social condenser where students mix and interact with intersecting spaces and programs. Also connected to the loop is a new multipurpose hall that serves as a central column-less social space.

A flexible, informal learning space, the loop encourages self-directed exploration.

Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
© Yumeng Zhu
Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
© Yumeng Zhu

The area under the loop supports activities that require more space, such as building large structures out of foam blocks.

This space can also be transformed into imaginary environments for role-playing such as a market street with food carts, and it can serve as an indoor play area when the weather is poor.

Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
© Yumeng Zhu
Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
© Yumeng Zhu

Such activity is naturally led by the interests of each individual.

In this way, space takes on the role of the ‘third teacher’ by supporting self-directed learning and helping to lighten the workload of teachers.

The Sunshine Kindergarten includes areas for large and small performances, a range of playscapes, as well as classrooms set up for traditional teaching.

Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
© Yumeng Zhu
Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
© Yumeng Zhu
Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
© Yumeng Zhu

The design incorporates ways to connect students to the real world through experience-based learning.

The school has indoor and outdoor gardens for students to learn from nature.

Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
© Yumeng Zhu
Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
© Yumeng Zhu

Two STEAM classrooms are designed with hands-on activities in mind.

There are kitchen and woodworking facilities and spaces that support activities for art, engineering, and astronomy.

Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
© Yumeng Zhu
Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
© Yumeng Zhu

A mobile STEAM corner allows teachers the ability to bring such activities to different places in the school.

To help students build confidence and learn self-reliance, the school is designed to the scale of young children.

Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
© Yumeng Zhu
Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
© Yumeng Zhu

A mini outdoor stage structure, tree house, and greenhouse are intimately sized for early learners.

Small nooks in classrooms allow for personal space and focused activities.

Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
© Yumeng Zhu
Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
© Yumeng Zhu

And appropriately-scaled furniture and shelving provide tools and materials that are easily within the reach of young learners, encouraging independence.

The design nurtures social interaction and creates a cohesive learning community through an interconnected campus of diverse spaces and programs.

Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
© Yumeng Zhu
Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
© Yumeng Zhu

By strategically incorporating spaces and tools for autonomous play and development, the design aims to cultivate lifelong learners of tomorrow.


Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
© Yumeng Zhu
Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
© Yumeng Zhu


Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
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Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
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Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
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Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
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Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
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Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
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Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
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Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
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Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
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Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
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Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
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Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
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Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
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Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
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Xian County Sunshine Kindergarten
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People'S Architecture Office 众建筑
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People'S Architecture Office 众建筑
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