Hong Kong International School Lower Primary School

The original Lower Primary School division of Hong Kong International School was housed in a building built in 1975 – under a Master Facilities Plan in 2005, it was determined that demolition and rebuilding was needed to meet the current needs as well as the future growth of the school. The new LPS accommodates 770 students and 150 teaching staff.

Including the purpose-built, state-of-the-art Early Childhood Education teaching wing, the architectural elements themselves contribute to the school’s teaching philosophy of ‘learning as a journey, not a race’. Play and discovery is encouraged through the Reggio Emilia approach here, and the learning and recreation spaces reflect this. Each floor includes both indoor and outdoor learning spaces – such as reading lofts, garden balconies, and landscaped play zones. Sliding wall panels connecting classrooms fill spaces with natural light and ventilation. Outside, a white roof canopy on the roof identifies the building as the teaching complex. Classroom windows are framed with coloured boxes. The canopy, alongside greenery at all levels reduce the ‘heat-island effect’ so common in metropolises like Hong Kong.

The complex also includes staff residences, which are located above the teaching wing. Comprised of 56 units, it overlooks the country park. A Community Block of long-span, column-free spaces such as a hall-cum-church, gymnasium, and swimming pool again reflects the natural surroundings of the area. Solar panels and a centralized chiller plant improve environmental efficiency. The redevelopment has been submitted for the HK-BEAM Green Building Certification due to the attention placed on the creation of an environmentally-friendly education facility that encourages sustainable thought from an early age.

PROJECT DATA
Project Name: Hong Kong International School Lower Primary School
Location: 23 South Bay Close, Repulse Bay, Hong Kong
Status of Construction: Completed
Completion Date: July 2017
Site Area: 5574 square metres
Gross Floor Area: 31,250 square metres
Building Height: 15 storeys
Client: Hong Kong International School
Architecture Firm: Nelson Chen Architects Ltd.
Principal Architect: Nelson Chen
Contractor: Able Engineering Co. Ltd.
Images: Hong Kong International School