Qutan

Primary School Extension for The Institute of Architecture Design & Research of Shenzhen University

The project is located in a remote village in China. It aims to satisfy the students' learning space while exploring the establishment of an architectural paradigm that can reflect the traditional context of local architecture. Additionally, with the coordinated design and construction of the Central Small Square and the entrance Banyan plaza, the project rebuilt the order of the public space here, thus attracting villagers back to the communal space again and injecting new vitality into the village.

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Download Press Kit № 142683 Primary School Extension for The Institute of Architecture Design & Research of Shenzhen University by SUIADR to access high-res images, essential texts, translations, and exclusive interviews—all in one.

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Qutan by SUIADR

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Primary School Extension by SUIADR

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SUIADR Qutan

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SUIADR Primary School Extension

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Qutan Primary School Extension Press Releases

Press resources for Qutan are offered in several languages: English.

Qutan Primary School Extension Media Articles

Explore our ready-to-use articles on Qutan, available in multiple languages: Chinese (Mandarin), Dutch, Italian, Korean, Indonesian, Japanese, Russian, German, French, Portuguese, Spanish, English, Turkish, Arabic (Standard) and Hindi, for your feature stories.

Unique Properties

The design team embedded the new two-story building on the vacant lot on the east side of the school campus to divide the school space into internal and external parts. By doing so, the quietness inside the school can be ensured, and the Central Small Square outside is turned into an extension and transition of the village's communal space. The corridor running through the middle of the new building forms a circulation route and also shows the application of traditional architectural space form.

Tags

School, traditional architectural, cobbles, pitched roof, Qutan Village

Production Technology

The newly added building's first-floor walls combined masonry technique and cobbles commonly found in local riverbeds. The wall construction methods inherited local architectural traditions. What's more, to block sunlight in summer and strengthen the comfort of spatial use, sun-shading grilles were installed on the east and west exteriors of the newly added building, and the width of the west corridor was expanded to offer more activity space to children.

Design Challenge

Qutan Primary School originally comprised a two-story teaching building in the north and a single-story auxiliary building in the south, with an activity venue in the middle. Since the existing layout blurred the boundary between the school and the village's public space, the school space lacked a sense of belonging. Meanwhile, cars from outside the village often parked at will on the open area where the school's east entrance is located, which brought potential safety hazards.

Project Duration

Location: Qutan Village, Heyuan City, Guangdong Province, China Design start date: 2021.05 Design end date: 2020.07

Operation Flow

The project is located in Qutan, a remote village in southern China. The brief is extending the existing campus of Qutan Primary School by adding a two-story building that accommodates four classrooms, one reading room, two activity rooms, and two teachers' offices. The project's completion has expanded the students' learning space, satisfied their need for a nearby school, and also established an architectural paradigm reflecting Qutan's architectural traditions.

Research

The project is located in Qutan, a remote village in southern China. To improve learning conditions, retain more children to study in local primary school, and avoid the separation between them and their parents, Qutan Village Committee decided to use the funds donated by the society to extend the existing campus of Qutan Primary School by adding a two-story building that accommodates four classrooms, one reading room, two activity rooms, and two teachers' offices.

Inspiration

The new architecture learned from the wisdom of local traditional buildings to adapt to the climate, and adopted cobbles, a typical local material of Qutan, to construct masonry walls. The project's completion has expanded the students' learning space, satisfied their need for a nearby school, and created a safer school environment with a sense of belonging. And it has also established an architectural paradigm reflecting Qutan's architectural traditions.

Image Credits

Image copyright: Ding Xia

Project Overview

Qutan Primary School Extension has been a Bronze winner in the Architecture, Building and Structure Design award category in the year 2022 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.

Bronze Recognition

SUIADR was recognized with the coveted Bronze A' Design Award in 2023, a testament to excellence of their work Qutan Primary School Extension.

SUIADR Press Releases

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Qutan: A New Architectural Paradigm Reflecting Qutan's Tradition

SUIADR Unveils Qutan Primary School Extension Project

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