Renovation of Changshaling Primary School

Chashan Town, China
Architects
Parallect Design
Location
醴陵市茶山镇 | Liling City, Chashan Town, China
Year
2023

Changsha Ridge Primary School is located in Changsha Ridge, Chashan Town, Liling City, Hunan Province. There are two main school buildings, which are relatively old-fashioned and outdated. The primary school is located on the hillside of Chashan Town, and the surrounding buildings are mostly traditional brick houses. The renovation was initiated by Nipponpaint's "Colour for Love" charity project, based on the need to paint the exterior walls, we also consulted with the school authorities on the need to improve the learning environment for the students, and renewed the façade and the campus environment. As a public welfare project, the designer did not charge a design fee, and based on the communication with the school authority, we introduced external social resources and capital to help renew the campus environment.

The school is located on the side of the main road in the town, and the neighbouring villagers have a high tendency to build their own houses. The renovation needed to break down the aesthetic fatigue caused by the original outdated, while the architectural pattern could not be changed, the original old school was renewed into a learning and playing space that would be loved by the children.

Chashan Township's eco-agriculture has flourished, promoting the integration of three industries. Fragrant rice, green rape, dancing lotus, beautiful chrysanthemums, sweet melons and fruits ...... The five-colour industry has constructed the development song of Chashan Town. Based on this preliminary research, the colour scheme for the façade renovation was inspired. The deep yellow of ripe melons and fruits, the golden yellow of rice flowers, and the light yellow of chrysanthemums are in harmony with each other. Adding the light pink of lotus flowers, they complement each other.

The campus as a whole adopts warm colours in harmony with the environment, and the local window frames extend the space through colour outsourcing, making the whole façade changeable in simplicity, and expressing the serious and lively atmosphere of the educational building. The gradient colours not only define the different floors and add interest to the space, but also regulate the students' psychological mood and promote the healthy growth of children.

The school staircase connects the floor with the floor and the playground, which is an important extension of the space. In the original design, this part was designed as a colourful staircase and playground, hoping to bring visual stimulation and enjoyment of colours to the children and create more interesting space. Unfortunately, due to the cost control, the design was not finalised together with the urban re-shading pattern on the side façade of the main building.

The renovated campus enables children to learn and grow more happily. The original walls have been painted and upgraded with warm gradient colours to meet the aesthetic requirements of the new generation of youth. Colour for Love! We beautify and improve the learning environment of schools in remote areas, so that children can have a colourful campus and a happy childhood.

Work on the project took place over the summer and the renovation was completed and opened in the new school term in September. Feedback from the headteacher was that the children and parents who returned to the campus at the start of the school year loved it. On the last day of the first week of school, when we came to the school to take pictures, we were fully appreciated by the children and the teachers of the school. We have also made a connection with the school as a result of this design, and will continue to work with other social capitals to bring other public welfare improvement projects to the school in the future.

Through on-site observation during the filming and the reflection of the headmaster, the concrete floor of the school playground often causes students to fall and get hurt, and the space under the big trees next to the school also lacks a flowerbed or a seat for resting, so the designer communicated with the plastic supplier and the artist friend in time based on this discovery, and planned to carry out a complete renovation of the school playground in the next summer. The renovation is based on the idea of creating a colourful and warm space for the students, and to make a warm hope primary school, which can light up some hot dreams for the children in the countryside. Of course, we also hope that more people can devote themselves to public service design and rural sponsorship to really help these children in need of educational resources.

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