Press Release
Boxes and Yards Primary School by Xiaoyi Ma Receives the A' Design Award in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
Xiaoyi Ma recognized for architecture, building and structure design by the international grand jury of the 2020 - 2021 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 23, 2021 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the A' Design Award in the Architecture, Building and Structure Design category for Boxes and Yards Primary School by Xiaoyi Ma, designed for Inclusive Architectural Practice. The recognition forms part of the 2020 - 2021 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The A' Design Award Explained
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
More About Boxes and Yards Primary School
Boxes and Yards is a primary school in the Changping District of Beijing, China. The school covers a gross built area of 29,098 square meters and was completed in 2019. The layout replaces the traditional corridor and single classroom plan with learning communities, each centered on a grade lounge. Boxes holding the library, gymnasium and canteen are rotated to form triangular courtyards that bring in natural light and ventilation. Polygonal interior spaces serve as flexible learning centers. The building follows Passive House standards and uses low maintenance materials.
About Xiaoyi Ma
Xiaoyi Ma is the founder and chief designer of Inclusive Architectural Practice (IAP), a graduate of Tsinghua University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a licensed architect in U.S. and a member of American Institute of Architects (AIA). Before founding IAP, Ms. Ma served as Partner and Managing Principle of KlingStubbins, a renowned architectural design company in U.S. (later as Jacobs). The design she led and participated in has been awarded by American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the International Interior Design Association (IIDA). As a designer and a mother of two children, Ms.
Award Record
With this recognition, Xiaoyi Ma is a winner of 3 A' Design Awards. The awards were granted in the 2020 - 2021 edition of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award
The A' Architecture Design Award is an international architectural design competition recognizing good architectural designs by best architects worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to architectural design studios, building contractors, structural engineering firms and architecture and design consultants from all countries. Typical entries include skyscrapers, museums, residential buildings, commercial complexes, educational institutions and religious structures. The awarded architectural projects are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/architecture
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/120041
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/120041
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!120041
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/301400
- Further Information from the Laureate: http://www.iapractice.com
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Boxes and Yards Primary School
- Function
- Primary School
- Category
- Architecture, Building and Structure Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture
- Colors
- Lavender, Dark Slate Gray, Powder Blue, Dim Gray and Silver
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Inclusive Architectural Practice
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Xiaoyi Ma
- Country
- China
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2020 - 2021
- Design ID
- #120041
Credits
- Team
- Pengfei Chen, Jiajia Wang, Yan Xia, Renzheng Zhu, Yang Ming, Xuejiao Zhou, Chaoyi Meng, Yue Zhao, Yue Wu, Jiequn Liang and Lei Bao
- Image Credits
- Zhi Xia
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- A Story of Boxes and Yards showcases the first public school in China designed for Learning Anywhere Anytime, which breaks through the finger plan and cell plus bell classroom layout in a traditional school. It is also the first school building in Beijing built in accordance with Passive House Standards. Despite of tight budget, with a multi-dimensional, multi-center system of learning communities, this school with a history of a hundred years has turned into a School of 21st Century.
- Inspiration
- The learning community centered with a Grade Lounge constitutes the basic unit of space layout and provides a sense of home base, forming a series of boxes together with the library, gymnasium, canteen and other learning facilities. Triangular courtyards are created in between the rotated boxes, introducing ample natural light and ventilation inside. This generative design process, called as a Story of Boxes and Yards, has greatly enhanced openness and interactivity of learning spaces.
- Research
- The design team have fully implemented the methodology of learning communities to create a school for Learning Anywhere Anytime with a multi-dimensional and multi-center space system. Throughout the design process, the architectural concept was firmly rooted in the idea of education, and spatial layout was a priority over artificial forms. The design team was successful in creating a learning community that is highly versatile in its transparency, openness, interactivity and adaptability.
- Challenge
- The challenge came from the conflict of the tight budget and strict building code restrictions against the high expectation on transforming the school with a history of over 100 years to a genuine learner-centered School of the 21st Century. The design team have successfully chosen the most cost-effective, environmental friendly and low-maintenance materials and methods to turn the design intent to the best reality.
- Realization and Technology
- Although the wall finish is mostly latex paint due to tight budget, the building is dynamic and playful with rotated massing and spinning color blocks on walls and floors. The interior polygonal spaces, named as Hub of Intelligence, replacing corridors, serve as Lifestyle Center, Student Center, Makerspace, Cybercafe and other multipurpose learning centers for lectures, demonstrations, exhibitions, performances, and project-based learning, achieving Learning Anywhere, Anytime.
- Operation and Interaction
- The design team believes that design is an effective tool to make changes in education and future. Education philosophies such as multiple Intelligences by the famous educator Howard Gardener, Education as growth by John Dewey, and the best practice of small learning communities are well embedded in design. The school educators also embrace these concepts and complemented the work of designers with their visions and practice in education.
- Project Duration and Location
- The Story of Boxes and Yards, with another name, Huang Cheng Gen Primary School Changping Campus, is located in Changping District of Beijing, China. The project construction was completed in 2019.
- Specifications
- Gross Built Area: 29,098 square meters
- Keywords
- Education, Public school, Passive House, Learner-centered, Eco-friendly
