Project by Tingrong Zheng @tingrongzheng

The project proposes a school as a protective yet porous “fortress” for children, organized through four spatial conditions—open, closed, intermediate, and edge—structured by existing trees. Rather than a singular building, the school operates as a layered environment where architecture shapes different modes of learning through spatial experience. At its center, an open garden forms the most liberated space. Here, children play, gather, and care for plants, learning negotiation, collaboration, and responsibility through shared activity in nature. This landscape is not ornamental but participatory, allowing children to engage directly with growth, change, and collective care. Beneath a shared roof, the spaces between trees become enclosed and quiet. These areas support reading, reflection, and focused study, where filtered light and softened acoustics create a calm atmosphere. Instead of enforcing silence, the spatial qualities of the trees and enclosure make concentration possible, encouraging children to respect others and develop self-discipline. Surrounding the trees, semi-open classrooms act as intermediate zones between play and focus. These spaces accommodate both structured learning and informal interaction, allowing teaching, discussion, and exploration to coexist. The architecture—defined by interwoven beams that adjust to the height of the trees—makes natural scale legible, reinforcing the presence of the landscape within the learning environment. Encircling the school, a thickened outer wall forms an inhabited boundary. This edge reinforces the protective quality of the “fortress” while remaining permeable to the city. It provides spaces for sitting, observing, and interaction, allowing passersby to engage with the school and offering children moments of outward awareness. Together, these four spatial conditions create a continuous gradient of learning, where children move between freedom, focus, collaboration, and observation. The project positions architecture not as a container of education, but as an active pedagogical system shaped by nature, spatial relationships, and occupation.