Shenzhen Mingde Academy / O-office Architects

Shenzhen Mingde Academy / O-office Architects - Exterior Photography, FacadeShenzhen Mingde Academy / O-office Architects - Exterior PhotographyShenzhen Mingde Academy / O-office Architects - Exterior Photography, FacadeShenzhen Mingde Academy / O-office Architects - Exterior Photography, ConcreteShenzhen Mingde Academy / O-office Architects - More Images+ 41

  • Architect In Charge: Jianxiang He, Ying Jiang
  • Project Architects: Jingyu Dong, Tong Huang
  • Design Team: Chengqiang Huang, Xiaolin Chen, Wenkang He, Wanyi Zhang, Tao Zhang, Mincong Deng
  • Clients: MJH Group, Shenzhen Mingde Education Foundation
  • City: Shenzhen
  • Country: China
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Shenzhen Mingde Academy / O-office Architects - Exterior Photography, Arch
Home plaza on the side of the student centre. Image © Siming Wu

Text description provided by the architects. Mingde Academy is in the sense of the current education system an experimental school, which was transformed from the original Honghua Dyeing Mill, an early example of industrialization of Shenzhen, China. Covering 8 hectares, the original factory is hidden in the valley of the Shenzhen's east coast. Since the excavation of industries, the buildings in site have demonstrated a purified, unique architectural aesthetic with the passage of time.

Shenzhen Mingde Academy / O-office Architects - Exterior Photography, Arch, Concrete, Column
Student centre. Image © Siming Wu
Shenzhen Mingde Academy / O-office Architects - Exterior Photography, Arch
Curved steel windows of the student centre. Image © Liky Photos

The unique spatial experiences created by the functional construction facilitates natural lighting and ventilation are placed amidst the mountains and the sea, blurring the boundary between architecture and nature.

Shenzhen Mingde Academy / O-office Architects - Exterior Photography
Home plaza in front of No.1 student dormitory. Image © Chao Zhang
Shenzhen Mingde Academy / O-office Architects - Exterior Photography
No.1 student dormitory. Image © Chao Zhang

The idea of a new campus for teenagers to study and live together in this beautiful urban enclave is astonishing yet challenging. It was expected to bring activities, communications and hopes of the distinctive young generation from the city. However, the individual buildings of different locations, heights and structures that scattered around the over-500-meter-belt that encompasses the valley part of the factory, which is now an art community, are incompatible with the nature and unsuitable for campus design.

Shenzhen Mingde Academy / O-office Architects - Image 46 of 46
Axonometric of Mingde Academy

Therefore, the initial attention and efforts were not put into individual buildings. Instead, the focus of constructing the spatial narrative on campus was placed upon the relationship between buildings and the surrounding geography. Ramps, linear corridors, overhead walkways, small squares and gardens composed a continuous spatial experience from the living section of the original factory on the north to the large three-layer raw-cloth warehouse on the south, constituting the most highlighted natural space of Mingde Academy.

Shenzhen Mingde Academy / O-office Architects - Exterior Photography
No.2 student dormitory, used to be a youth hostel for the art community. Image © Chao Zhang
Shenzhen Mingde Academy / O-office Architects - Exterior Photography, Facade
Library facade. Image © Siming Wu

Students depart from their dorms through the ‘forest promenade’ in the living quarter, walk along the edge of the outdoor theater on the back of the library (the original power room) to the second-level trail of the teaching and sports area, pass the science building and ultimately arrive at the teaching building which was renovated from the raw-cloth warehouse after passing through a L-shaped truss bridge.

Shenzhen Mingde Academy / O-office Architects - Exterior Photography, Stairs
Forest promenade starting from home plaza. Image © Chao Zhang
Shenzhen Mingde Academy / O-office Architects - Exterior Photography
Connecting point of the forest promenade to No.3 student dormitory. Image © Chao Zhang
Shenzhen Mingde Academy / O-office Architects - Exterior Photography
Forest promenade connecting the living section and the teaching section. Image © Chao Zhang
Shenzhen Mingde Academy / O-office Architects - Exterior Photography, Concrete, Handrail
Landscpae walls and steel walkway weaved with on-site vegetation. Image © Siming Wu
Shenzhen Mingde Academy / O-office Architects - Exterior Photography
L-shape truss bridge links the main teaching building and science. Image © Siming Wu

In addition to the relatively fixed walking path, the outdoor spatial system also provides multiple choices and possibilities through various sporadic connections to the buildings. Reflections over nature and space may be stimulated during the fun walking experiences. Unconventional, imaginative place in turn shape the body and mind of the young students.

Shenzhen Mingde Academy / O-office Architects - Exterior Photography, Facade
Teachers' housing. Image © Chao Zhang
Shenzhen Mingde Academy / O-office Architects - Interior Photography
Central hallway of main teaching building. Image © Chao Zhang
Shenzhen Mingde Academy / O-office Architects - Interior Photography, Stairs, Glass
Flexible use of the learning unit. Image © Chao Zhang

Construction strategies, materials and tectonics are designed according to the geographic features, construction methods and the relationship to the surroundings of each individual building. The unique spatial qualities customized to each spot vitalize and enrich the history of the site, and integrate it to the everydayness of the campus today.

Shenzhen Mingde Academy / O-office Architects - Exterior Photography
Viewing tower next to No.3 student dormioty. Image © Chao Zhang
Shenzhen Mingde Academy / O-office Architects - Exterior Photography, Concrete
Science building transformed from the former dye warehouse. Image © Siming Wu

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Project location

Address:10 Kuipeng Road, Dapeng New District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Shenzhen Mingde Academy / O-office Architects" 31 Mar 2020. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/936536/shenzhen-mingde-academy-o-office-architects> ISSN 0719-8884

No.3 student dormitory. Image © Chao Zhang

深圳明德学院 / 源计划建筑师事务所

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