CHUNG CHENG HIGH SCHOOL

Narratives

Creating an Oasis for Learning

Creating an Oasis for Learning

The site located along Yishun Street 61 is generally flat with no significant features and ‘hemmed in’ on all sides by high-rise HDB flats. The monotonous external context provides an opportunity to create an inward looking, serene environment conducive for learning.

Respecting Heritage

The school is deeply rooted in Chinese tradition and culture. A key objective in the design of the new campus is to create a contemporary campus for learning which not only respects its rich history but also one which supports new pedagogy and educational trends.

To reflect its historical roots, the design of the new campus incorporates various planning principles of Chinese architecture. Strategies such as Axis and Symmetry, Orthogonal Planning, Courtyards and Entry Procession inform the planning of the new school. Key principles relating to the Hierarchy of Roof Form and Significance of Column and Podium also influence the architectural form. Other elements such as the Verandah, Garden Wall and Pavilion are incorporated in a contemporary manner.

The lake has traditionally been a strong element for the school. To maintain a strong link with main school, a new lake has been created as the central focal element in the planning of the school. The Academic Zone, Student Centre and Administrative Centre are strategically planned around the lake.

Distilling Elements of Chinese Architecture

Apart from the formal axial planning on a macro level, some of the micro details in the landscaping also reflect a strong Chinese influence. The lake is designed as a lotus pond, and at the western edge, a Bamboo Grove is introduced to create a visual ‘veil’ to shield off the high fence of the field. Three green courts at the classroom areas are designed as the Scholar’s Court, a cosy outdoor space for learning and contemplation. Several small gardens are incorporated throughout the school, with ‘framed views’ to give an illusion of space, enhancing the sense of spaciousness in the school compound.

Creating Community and Identity

The design creatively reinterprets the standard school brief to provide a variety of spaces that supports the various modalities of learning, in contrast to the typical homogenous cellular spaces predominant in other schools.

Classrooms are planned as small clusters around courtyards, while communal spaces are organised around the lake. This promotes interaction at different levels within the school, building a strong community that relates to the Chung Cheng High identity embodied by the lake.

Enabling Flexibility

Various levels of flexibility are provided throughout the school. Through the use of a series of sliding-folding partitions and retractable seating, the standard-sized hall is enhanced as multi-purpose venue to accommodate smaller scale performances and seminars. These features provide a framework for a vibrant, future-enabled learning environment.

Educator Narrative

The school enjoys the benefit of many new designs in its present campus. The Indoor Sports Hall is one of a kind in Singapore schools, providing 2 basketball courts and 3 badminton courts built under the school’s Multi-Purpose Hall. The sheltered facility allows students to enjoy ball games under all weather conditions, and likewise physical education teachers can carry out their lessons uninterruptedly. On other occasions the Sports Hall also doubles up as a venue to assemble students or host large crowd.

The Multi-Purpose Hall is another key facility of the school. The flexible design of the hall allows the school to customize its spatial layout into different configurations to better facilitate the nature and needs of different events. The built-in sliding panels enable the hall to be partitioned into a number of different spaces. The hall can accommodate the whole school population for a concert performance on one hand, or host a seminar with sufficient rooms for concurrent workshops at the same time on the other. The wall partitions and retractable seats can be neatly tucked away, allowing the school to fully maximize the use of its space innovatively and creatively.

The school koi pond is an important feature in the new campus. It is easily 20 times larger than the usual pond found in Singapore schools. A pagoda extends into the pond from one side, giving it a distinctively oriental feel. The pond blends seamlessly with the open area of the cafeteria on the other side. Students and staff like to take their meals and breaks next to the tranquil waters of the pond, as they relax their eyes and minds. This is also the area where one can see across to the field, providing a serene view welcomed by all members of the school. The serene water and lush greenery surrounding the organic shape of the pond breaks the otherwise rigid and linear outlook of the buildings around it.

The layout of the school facilitates many of the activities carried out by the school throughout the day. The parade square sits right in the centre of the whole layout, and it is the starting point for the school every morning where all students and staff gather for the morning assembly. The school is able to have its morning assembly without affecting the residents staying close by, as most of the noise made is contained and cut down by the blocks flanking the sides of the parade square. The parade square as a centre point connects all the major facilities of the school together. The vast space also provides training grounds for the uniform groups to practice their marches and drills.

The school is indeed proud of its new campus and will definitely optimize the use of its facilities in delivering top quality education to its students holistically. It is also confident that the flexibility built-in in its campus allows the school to stay agile in meeting the changes and challenges of our educational landscape in the future.