HYPER SCHOOL

A Secret Exposed Garden

Concept

The former headmaster once said, “Ridley College is a Secret Garden.” It has been over 30 years and situations have changed where there is a need for an exposed garden. However, the idea should to an extent be preserved. This project creates a gradation from a Secret Garden to an Exposed Garden and allows alteration.

In other words, the privateness and publicness of the building can be strategically altered, which directly concerns the security of the school as well. The aim of the project is not to create barricades between the school and the public to guarantee security. I believe security can be obtained when the public eye is strategically employed into the site.

Hyper School is a term defined by professor Furuya as "a school that goes beyond schools". After the great earthquake in 2011, there has been much discussion on what local communities ought to be. Hyper School should be an existence that transforms the community and acts as a stimulus for synergetic effects. Not only does it function for the enrolled students, but is a core of the community (town) as a whole. The assignment required us to create a Hyper School in the elementary school we had attended.

1. A volume is placed to fit the site of the previous Lower School.

2. The volume is divided into three by a broad categorization of functions.

3. Volumes are shifted creating a larger surface area to position more openings (windows).

Management

Two orthogonal passageways divide the building’s interior. The degree of accessibility to each section is different according to the day and time of the week. When a section is prohibited for a certain time, the path to the particular section is closed. The section of activity is easily controlled and security is guaranteed. In this way, the school will be able to control the flowline and the privateness and publicness of the building.

Section 1

Section 2

Planar Diagram

Classroom Arrangement

The pillar positioning creates a seamless elevation. From the outside, the interior seems to be a one-united space. According to the time of the school-day, the main space of activity alters between the corridor and the classroom. The public eye is able to observe this alteration, creating a higher level of security.

When the event held in the hall is for the school only, the orthogonal passage that intersects the hall is closed, stopping the flowline from the public. When the event is open to the public, the entrance opens, creating a flowline. It is possible for the public to directly enter the hall without accessing other private facilities within the building.

Section 3 Ridley College as the Community Center

A wire mesh is placed as the facade of the dormitory. Each dorm room possesses its guaranteed privacy, while the corridor has a mutual vision with the public. In the center is a public space, where the school and the public can interact. A public cafe and an emergency storage are placed under the stairs for the public. When there is a natural disaster, the school will serve as a shelter for the neighboring communities.

Taiga

Taba