The Living Bridge
The Living Bridge
Mizzi Studio
ARCHITECTS
Mizzi Studio
LEAD TEAM
Jonathan Mizzi
DESIGN TEAM
Jomarie Mayo
ENGINEERING & CONSULTING > OTHER
Bamboo Pure
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Green School
PHOTOGRAPHS
Mizzi Studio, Eden Rice
AREA
179 m²
YEAR
2025
LOCATION
Kecamatan Abiansemal, Indonesia
CATEGORY
Learning, Educational Architecture
English description provided by the architects.
The Living Bridge at Green School Bali marks the culmination of The Living Bridge Project, a two-year journey led by architect Jonathan Mizzi, Director of international design practice Mizzi Studio.
Developed through Green School's pioneering Jalan Jalan programme, the project united students, educators, and parents in a profound co-creative process, transforming The Bridge into a living symbol of regenerative education, community collaboration, and nature-inspired design.
The Living Bridge Project began in 2023 as part of Jalan Jalan, a cornerstone of Green School Bali's sustainability-focused curriculum.
Named after the Indonesian term for "wandering" and "taking a journey," Jalan Jalan invites students to explore hands-on, place-based projects that merge academic learning with real-world impact.
As part of the curriculum, Jonathan Mizzi, also a Green School parent and mentor, developed a brief with educators for the students to reimagine The Bridge, a co-working and co-learning centre for parents originally founded in 2017 by Chris Thompson and Carol Da Riva.
What followed was a two-year deeply collaborative journey: students, educators, professionals, and parents participated in workshops, community pitches, design reviews, and fundraising efforts.
The Living Bridge Project serves as an extension of the Green School philosophy, offering a blueprint for how educational infrastructure can actively regenerate the land, its people, and its ideas.
The project is regenerative in its social and educational reach: in mentoring, co-creation, and empowering the next generation of designers and changemakers.
Teams of students aged between 15-18 years old explored architectural design, modelling, animation, construction, and filmmaking, producing not only designs but also a new educational model for collaborative learning between students and professionals.
"In all my years here, this is the best community-student-teacher-parent project that I've seen," says Chris Thompson, co-founder of The Bridge at Green School.
Building in Harmony with Nature: Innovative Craftsmanship & Sustainable Materials - The redesign responds to the evolving needs of The Bridge, originally repurposed from the school's recycling centre to house workshops, talks, and parent-led initiatives, a collaborative working space enabling personal and professional exchange.
At the heart of the project is a deep commitment to sustainability, shared intergenerational learning, and building in harmony with local craftsmanship and knowledge.
The new design of The Bridge is a living and breathing space, partially open to the elements, that embraces the indoor-outdoor learning ethos that defines Green School. It was constructed using over 300 pieces of locally harvested bamboo, shaped using advanced heat-bending techniques developed with local experts, Bamboo Pure, making this one of the first of its kind in Bali.
This project joins a campus of pioneering bamboo architectural innovation, including The Arc, Green School's celebrated gymnasium known for its groundbreaking structural design An innovative sustainable materials palette includes terrazzo made from crushed glass and a biocomposite blend, mycelium acoustic panels, eco-crete bricks made from industrial waste ash as well as lime plaster, a material that sequesters carbon as it cures.
Eight arched heat-bent pillars support a sweeping bamboo-roof that cantilevers outwards, welcoming visitors from the entrance of the school. This roof is clad using the 'Pelupuh' system, flattened bamboo shingles, traditional of Indonesian architecture.
The structure draws inspiration from nature's own intelligence systems, the Wood Wide Web, the underground fungal network that connects trees - mirrored here in the web of human collaboration that made the bridge possible.
The Bridge co-learning centre will once again be used to host events, programmes, and talks, amplifying its use as an opportunity for Green School parents to contribute and share their wisdom with all students.
It brings together this unique community of learners, entrepreneurs, educators, environmentalists, changemakers, and influencers.
An Evolving Model for Regenerative, Student-Centered Learning - The Living Bridge represents a new kind of educational model, one that cultivates learning through connection, creativity, and collective authorship.
This echoes the school's founding ethos: education should not just take place in nature, but with it.
"Working on The Living Bridge was the first time I felt like we weren't just students, we were designers, decision-makers, and changemakers. It gave me confidence in what I can do beyond school.", said Eden Rice, a participating Green School Student.
As part of the project, students also developed an interactive digital platform to connect alumni, parents, and current students, laying the groundwork for future collaboration, mentoring, and shared initiatives.
Prior to its official opening, The Living Bridge was featured at ChangeNOW 2025, the world's largest expo of solutions for the planet, which took place from April 24–26 at the Grand Palais in Paris.
This inclusion highlights the project's global significance and its role in advancing regenerative education and design on an international stage.
The stand drew significant interest, including a visit from actress and activist Natalie Portman, who engaged with the students leading the project.
The new centre will continue to evolve as a communal space of curiosity, innovation, and exchange, planting seeds for a more hopeful future, where the next generation plays a central role in shaping a harmonious world.
Explains Jonathan Mizzi, "I came to Green School because of the climate crisis and because I wanted to be part of something actively shaping a better future for my children. What began as a simple parent request to mentor her son evolved into a two-year regenerative journey that brought together students, educators, professionals, and families. I had the privilege of co-leading a course that empowered students to reimagine not just a space, but the future they want to live in. Along the way, they became the teachers. Their clarity, creativity, and purpose restored my belief in what's possible when we trust young people to lead. Only at Green School could something like this take root. That's the magic that made The Living Bridge possible."
