Through United Design Group’s investigation of their context and analysis of the program, they identified, organized and prioritized the four functions inside the school with this “sequence”: public area, education area, living area, and sport facilities, in order to optimize the circulation and the time of students, teachers and guests. The main goal was the integration of the system with the landscape. To do so, they took into account as a valuable reference the Suzhou Gardens Style, in which the water plays a significant role, trying to interpret it in a modern way. More images and architects’ description after the break.
At urban scale we identified those which, we think, are its main features: the vast water system and its international character due to a long time economic relationships with foreign companies. At a local scale, the site is marked by the presence of the planned Fuqua Business School (designed by Gensler) South and North West by the canal system and the Highway Exit. They also had the necessity of maintaining a link with the former school located downtown, especially the characteristic red bricks volumes of the old classroom, West and East Building; and with the former Library, in particular its denomination.
