During middle school, children undergo a critical phase of intellectual and personal development. Education involves not only the imparting of knowledge, but also the cultivation of independent thinking, self-directed learning, teamwork, and character development. With this in mind, we aim to create a conducive learning environment by designing the indoor space to promote interactive participation and ignite students’ curiosity and potential in all areas of learning.

The spatial design of the middle school section employs lines as a unifying language to express the educational philosophy of an international school that balances freedom and openness with discipline. Lines are used in the design of the ceiling shapes, light troughs, floor patterns, wall displays, and furniture forms. By repeating lines to establish order, introducing staggered lines to create a sense of rhythm, and incorporating continuous line changes to suggest fluidity, we aim to create an imaginative and dynamic campus environment. The school’s theme color is blue, which is also featured prominently in the public spaces throughout the campus.

As the middle school section doesn’t have a large hall, we strengthened the campus image design in each staircase hall to enhance the sense of ceremony when students enter the school. In addition, we added seating in the staircase halls and corridors, allowing teachers and students to engage in impromptu teaching and learning in every corner of the campus. The corridors feature ample display spaces for showcasing not only teaching materials, but also excellent student work, fostering peer observation and learning.

To communicate the educational philosophy of an international school that values both freedom and discipline, we used lines as a unified spatial language in the overall design of the middle school section. We incorporated lines into the ceiling shapes, light trough forms, floor patterns, wall display board designs, and furniture shapes. Through the repetition of lines to create order, the use of staggered lines to convey rhythm, and the demonstration of continuity and fluidity through the use of continuous line changes, we strived to create an innovative and dynamic spatial image for the entire campus. Furthermore, the school’s theme color of blue was utilized in the public spaces throughout the campus.

We designed the passageway between the middle school teaching building and the administrative and specialist building as a small group learning and discussion space for each floor, providing students with a space for team collaboration and peer friendship. We continued the overall style by using lines that change continuously to convey an atmosphere that encourages creativity and thinking. The same language is presented in the design of the ceiling and furniture, creating a space for students to inspire creativity.

In designing subject classrooms, we incorporated thematic elements to give each classroom a unique style that conveys the fun of the subject. For the TED classroom, we made the speaker the focal point by using a stage as the core and creating a sense of centrality with lines on the ceiling and floor. In the music classroom, we used line changes to create a rhythmic atmosphere based on the concept of sound wave frequency changes. For the psychology classroom, we used rounded corners to create a softer space, and low-saturation colors and indirect lighting to create a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. The design of the Black Box theater classroom conveyed the performance vitality unique to Baoshan Middle School through the color rhythm of the sound-absorbing panels on the walls.

Location: Baoshan District, Shanghai, China

Area：2030㎡

Status: Construction Complete

Design Finish Year: 2019

Completion Year: 2020