Making schools cool – architecture at its best

Image: BVN

The 10 shortlisted school designs in the running for the 2018 World Architecture Festival (WAF) award provide a true feast for the eye.

Australia leads the way with three entries, while schools in Iran, Singapore, Morocco, Indonesia, Japan, China, Indonesia and the United Kingdom are also represented.

They are all part of the ‘School – Completed Buildings‘ category, and comprise some truly cutting-edge concepts aimed at making the school experience something pupils, staff and visitors will remember for more than just academic reasons.

Wellbeing

BVN, which designed the Artemis Centre at Melbourne Girls Grammar School in Australia (main photo), says that the centre captures the school’s commitment to ‘prioritising girls’ wellbeing – by integrating academic, social and physical domains’.

Situated within a ‘complex urban environment’, the design is underpinned by a ‘comprehensive understanding of the Melbourne Girls Grammar School educational strategy and the important role that this building will serve as part of the school’s 21st century learning environments’.

Image: Tezuka Architects

Environment

The other nominations are: the Noor e Mobin school, Bastam, Iran (designed by feastudio); South Melbourne Primary, Australia (Hayball); Highgate Primary New Teaching Spaces, Perth, Australia (Iredale Petersen Hook); PCF Large Child Care Centre, Singapore (LAUD); Dumpsite Horticultural School and Pavilion, Rabat, Morocco (Mangera Yvars); Banten Province, Indonesia (Realrich Architecture Workshop); Three Rivers Academy, Surrey, UK (Scott Browning); Muku Nursery School, Fuji City, Japan (Tezuka Architects); and Dushan School Complex, Dushan, China (West-line Studio).

The winner will be revealed at the festival in Amsterdam from November 28-30.

  • How do cities ensure children’s rights are not compromised by the imperative for economic growth, gentrification or the budget pressures on urban planning? It’s a question that will be posed at the 9th Child in the City World Conference in Vienna from September 24-26. Children’s rights in urban development and regeneration will be one of the event’s key themes. Visit the website for details of how to register.

Author: Simon Weedy

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