The uniqueness of the 2 ha wide construction site is its location in which the difference between the highest and the lowest point is 10m, and the height of its ground surface continuously changes by uneven earth mounds and steep bank scattered both vertically and horizontally erverwhere. This structurally complicated location definitely makes its architectural overall planning problematic; however, it also provides a chance for an architect to have a special design.
The Hoang Gia International School includes a kindergarten, elementary school and junior high school. Although these are progressive development, the psychophisiology and teaching methodology used for each school are so different that each school is relatively built separately. The kindergarten is constructed a low area which is close to a main street to reduce a moving distance for children. The center of the 3 schools is the main structure where there are principal and administrative offices, library, multi-fuction statdium, classrooms for special subjects such as art,…and a dinning room day boarder students. Sport area, swimming pool and open playground are arranged at one side of the school, which is close to the junior high school to serve high school students.
All building are carefully designed so that they are all center-orientaed which is a spiral [ê líp] located in front of the multi-function building. The focal points of the school yard is flag poles of varios countries and life-size copper statues of children having fun together. Formed from the clusters of school yard tiles, the connecting corridors between the buildings, the three-step staircase, flower beds, etc. the spiral symbol originates from the center of the statues, develops wider and wider and artistically spread out to create an unseen soul for the school precinct as a stamp of developing knowledge, which is non-stop.
The main entrance at the front of the school includes vehicle drive way, parking space, gate architecture and the school name. the gate architecture is not designed symmetrically to the axis of the multi-function building but close to the sports area so that when students get out of school, they do not have the problem of heavy and complicated traffic at the T-junction. This also helps make it more convenient to get into the sport area. There are three more additional entrance gates for the kindergarten, elementary school and the multi-functioning building, which are open to different streets.
Besides the main spiral corridor mentioned above, a roofed corridor from the main entrance connecting to each building is also built to make it more convinient to go in bad weather. The landscape, features, benches, plants and flowers beds, etc. are also designed to avoid monotonouesness and make corridor mor lively.
