QINGSHAN SCHOOL
Momentum Architects
ARCHITECTS
Momentum Architects
LEAD ARCHITECT
Jian Ming Huang
DESIGN TEAM
Jian Ming Huang, Haroon Ditta, Meng Fanqi, He Yiling, Hong Jiangming, Sun Xingxian
PHOTOGRAPHS
Shengliang Su
AREA
1740 M²
YEAR
2024
LOCATION
Hangzhou, China
CATEGORY
Schools
English description provided by the architects.
Located in Qingshan Village, Yuhang District of Hangzhou, Qingshan School occupies the site of an abandoned primary school.
The original buildings, severely deteriorated and spatially outdated, could not be reused and were therefore demolished.
Respecting the site's footprint and scale, MOMENTUM Architects undertook a complete reconstruction to reestablish a school for the community.
The aim was to create a student-centered environment that reconnects learning with rural life, while preserving the cultural memory embedded in the land.
The new campus is conceived as a "learning village." Rather than confining education to enclosed classrooms, the design organizes multiple programmatic units around open courtyards, linked by bamboo-woven corridors.
Learning happens not only indoors, but also in fields, under trees, and along the stream.
This spatial strategy dissolves the boundary between school and landscape, encouraging curiosity, collaboration, and self-directed learning.
Inside, modular classrooms and flexible layouts support diverse pedagogies—group discussions, individual reflection, and hands-on experimentation.
Semi-open corridors, stairwells, and platforms are designed as informal extensions of the classroom, enabling education to unfold across the entire site.
From its inception, the project was shaped in close collaboration with educators, ensuring that spatial design aligns with children's cognitive development.
At present, Qingshan School has not yet been incorporated into the state school system.
Instead, it operates as a shared educational platform for rural study programs, summer camps, and community workshops.
This "informal" use has proven to be a strength: parents, villagers, and educators participate alongside children, transforming the school into a civic hub that fosters intergenerational connection and cultural exchange.
Materially, the project embraces locality and participation.
Earthen walls were crafted from village soil using traditional plastering techniques, while bamboo structures and timber details were built with the help of local artisans and young volunteers.
Construction thus became not only a physical act, but also a process of cultural transmission and community engagement.
Qingshan School is not yet a "formal" school, but it represents a prototype for the future of rural education.
By rooting learning spaces in the land, the community, and local craft, the project redefines the role of architecture as more than a physical shelter: it becomes a social experiment and cultural platform.
We hope that in time Qingshan School will be recognized within the education system, but even now it demonstrates how architecture can inspire learning, connect communities, and reimagine the possibilities of education in rural China.
