Building Investment (July - August 2017)

Concepts & Designs
AN EXTERIOR
FOR BUILDING
RELATIONSHIPS
Designed by Veritas Architects Sdn Bhd St Joseph’s Institution International School
Malaysia Tropicana PJ Campus focuses on the school’s values of fostering relationships
and the spirit of interaction.
The site’s 2.4 hectare land is gently sloped with a
slight depression towards the north east. With a
total built-up area of about 27,900sqm, the School
is able to cater for approximately 1,800 students
from K-12 years with a teacher to student ratio of
one to 15.
The design approach focuses on the institution’s
core values which is people-centric and in which relationships are
highly valued. The spirit of interaction is expressed in the open-air
design of the link-ways and open corridors that connect each block
of the whole complex at every floor level. This open gesture allows
for large congregations of people and becomes the central feature
of the School.
The main entrance is an open portico situated at the
Administration Block. It is flanked by two wings that house the
general administration offices, a library that spans two floors and
the International Baccalaureate lounge and classrooms. Open
corridors and staircase link all of the spaces, emphasising the close
connection to external open spaces and educational programme.
Study pods inside the library protrude out from the
Administration Block’s curtain wall façade facing the soccer field,
creating a welcoming gesture as one enters either one of the two
main entrance gates. There is also a link bridge that allows direct
access from the Administration and Multipurpose Blocks to the
assembly point, right at the northern end of the soccer field.
A sports hall, three storeys high, is housed within the
Multipurpose Block, which is adjacent to the Administration
Block. Multicoloured aluminium panels adorn the facades of the
Multipurpose Block that faces the 50m-long outdoor swimming
pool. Similar multicoloured panels, representing the meeting of
various cultures, are also installed on the external curved façade of
the Preschool Block.
Wide corridors that open out to the external spaces at each
ends create circulation spines that link the Academic Blocks with
the other blocks at every level. The openings are designed to allow
for natural ventilation throughout the length of the corridors. The
upper level of the rectangular-shaped Academic Blocks houses the
formal and conventional learning spaces that include classrooms,
laboratories and general offices. For the primary level learning
spaces, classrooms are designed to be without dividing walls, thus
allowing seamless integration of learning experience.
The half-round shape of the Preschool Block, on the other hand,
carries playful ambiance that reflects the spirit of youth. The curved
external façade of the preschool block is finished with aluminium
panels of various colours. A half-round covered courtyard sits in
between the Preschool Block and the Academic Block. Here, an
indoor playground is put in place to serve the preschool classrooms.
The lower part of the Academic Blocks and the Preschool Blocks
contains the informal spaces or facilities such as a dining hall, an
auditorium and the Institution’s Mission Room. Other facilities
include an outdoor basketball court, an outdoor tennis training
court and an outdoor playground. − Veritas Architects Sdn Bhd
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