: DESIGN CONCEPT AND IDEOLOGY

Shoreline of Siu Sai Wan

The design concept is inspired by the shoreline of Siu Sai Wan and it aims to integrate the shoreline with the building. Siu Sai Wan is a reclaimed land and it was a small cove by the east of Chai Wan in the past.

After the World War II, the colonial government launched its reclamation project in the three ‘Bays’ (灣) in Hong Kong Island in between 1950 to 1965, including Causeway Bay (銅鑼灣), Chai Wan (柴灣) and Siu Sai Wan (小西灣). The reclaimed part in Siu Sai Wan has turned into a residential zone as to cope with the growing population after war. After the vanishing of the shoreline, the place became a typical residential district that is similar to other districts in Hong Kong.

Therefore, the school aim to bring the shoreline back to the city, to revive the feeling in the past for the collect memory of the older generation, and to educate the new generation about the history of Siu Sai Wan through the building itself.

School Reform in Hong Kong

With reference to the Danish School Reform in 2013, research denoted that the best learning outcomes are to accomplish through movement and sensation. Therefore, the school are required to include a 45 minutes physical activity time in their timetable for students to stretch their body and to refresh their mind. As a primary age student’s attention span usually drops after 30 minutes of lessoning, it is suggested by the pediatricians that there should be a 15 minutes break in between an hour of class that could improve student’s concentration level and boosting their brain power.

In order to transform a conventional school design into a place that encourage mobility of students, the school will carry the philosophy and schooling method by offering wide range of creative learning classrooms in the new structure in the front. The school can be transformed in few ways, including the schooling method, function and facilities and daily schedule.

For most of the conventional schools, students usually spend their leisure time in the narrow corridor outside the classrooms, but now the new structure will be a place for students to learn and play at the same time. While the ratio for the classrooms to the creative learning and play area would become 50:50 and a 15 minutes break is given in between class that increase the leisure time from 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours per day. These changes could turn the school into a playful area instead of a place that only focus in teaching.

School Layout

Function and Facilities

Daily Schedule

Before Implementation of Break Time

After Implementation of Break Time