Raintree International School
Service:
Architectural Design, ESD
Size:
1,900 sq.m.
Year
Completed 2017
Project Type:
K-12 Education
Bangkok, Thailand
Inspired by the school’s Reggio Emilia approach, the kindergarten design recognizes children not as the target of instruction but as active constructors of knowledge themselves. With this approach, the environment is a child’s ‘third teacher’ and children could express themselves freely in an environment that fosters a sense of exploration, interaction, and expression of ideas.
The school’s goals are to foster creativity and communication, while developing each unique child within our community of lifelong learners. Architecture plays a vital role in helping the children connect to one another and to nature.
Children recollect their learning experiences with their school environment.
Designing educational space which fosters delightful learning experiences could help to take part in creating pleasant memories and nurturing kids who are nature-loving, creative, and engaged with the world around them.
The wind channel between the front and back building serves as multi-purpose "charn" space, as in traditional vernacular architecture, and has become a popular spot during free time.
To preserve the site’s distinct characteristics, it was decided to preserve as many trees as possible, a few of them beautiful raintrees. Environmental simulations were conducted during pre-design to detail design stages to assess the site and building’s shading and ventilation, as the site has a long and narrow strip shape, facing east-west. Results have shown that the annual south wind would enter and exit the site via the narrow ends due to obstruction from neighboring buildings.
A combination of slanted ceiling with clerestory windows are integrated in classrooms on the second floor. The curved clerestories are facing the courtyards and therefore are shaded by the trees to provide diffuse daylighting to the learning space.
The building was conceived as a 2-storey section of connected indoor, semi-outdoor, and outdoor learning space, sweeping under clusters of existing trees, forming two inner courtyards. The narrow and curved plan enhances wind access through the site, especially at the semi-outdoor space which would be used for free learning. The courtyards are connected via the central transitional space, so called the ‘wind channel’, to enhance through-wind from the back towards the front court.
The project has received Gold Medal award from the Association of Siamese Architect (ASA) for Emerging Architecture of the Year 2019.
