Henry Park Primary School

Narratives

Architect Narrative

MODERATING A HIGH-STRESS ENVIRONMENT

Stress is inevitable in a meritorious academic system like ours. The learning environment assumes the important role of moderating the pressures of student life so as to enhance learning.

Playful elements such as ¡®Play House¡¯ units accommodating special teaching rooms inject an element of fun into the school. Complemented by the use of vibrant colours that capture the youthful exuberance, the school comes across as a fun place to learn.

Lush pockets of green provide reprieve to our built-up urban environment, creating a relaxed ambience conducive to learning.

CREATING A CHILD-CENTRED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Children learn better in an environment they can relate to. Mural walls and learning corners provide opportunities for personalisation, fostering a greater sense of belonging.

Apart from psychological aspects, the design also addresses the social needs of children. The ¡®Rainbow Link¡¯ connecting the school provides a platform for interaction, encouraging the forging of friendships. This is enhanced by the variety of social spaces, from the large open plaza to the ¡®Celebration Court¡¯ and activity nooks.

ACCOMMODATING LEARNING TRENDS AND CHANGES

Classrooms and special teaching rooms adopt a cluster layout, breaking away from the conventional linear arrangement. Classrooms are arranged around a learning courtyard, supported by special teaching rooms, enhancing learning through the dynamic relationship between instructional, support and outdoor spaces.

A series of thematic gardens forming a ¡®Green Trail¡¯ are integrated within the school to facilitate project-based learning beyond the classrooms.

The interplay of formal versus informal learning spaces adapts to different modes of learning and various group sizes. These range from formal classroom instructional areas, to informal thematic learning. The learning corners facilitate personalised, self-directed learning that allows the children to explore at their own pace.

Most areas are designed with adaptability in mind. The existing multi-purpose space below the hall can be converted into an auditorium, while the space adjacent to the canteen has provisions for an internet caf¨¦. Outdoor spaces of varying sizes such as the parade square, play courts and amphitheatre are planned as a ¡®belt¡¯ to accommodate the flexibility of being used either individually or collectively.

RESPONDING TO LOCAL CLIMATE

An energy- conscious approach using passive strategies is adopted, in response to the hot wet climate of the tropics. Buildings, especially classrooms are oriented north south to minimise heat gain. Generous sunshades provide screening from the sun, while the prevalent use of louvers facilitate natural ventilation. The design capitalises on the low-rise context surrounding the school by maximising cross winds and natural daylight. A bright and airy school makes for a healthy environment that enhances learning.

COMMUNITY COLLABORATION

The success of the school lies in the close collaboration between the designers, educators, parents and community experts, who formed a building committee during the early stages of the project. This committee was instrumental in crystallising key ideas that informed the design of a meaningful learning environment.

This project reflects the dynamic relationship between the designer and the school. Spaces such as the thematic learning corners and the interesting classroom facades are a result of the personal touch of the users added onto the ¡®canvas¡¯ provided by the architect. In such instances, the architect actually plays a supporting role in helping the school articulate their intentions.

Educator Narrative

The rebuilding of our school was an exciting project focused on creating an innovative, creative, fun and conducive learning environment for our pupils. Six to twelve year-old children are very active and there was an urgent need for lots of activity space and at the same time to have quiet academic areas for serious learning to take place. This posed a great challenge.

The Administrative Block acts as a buffer between the Academic blocks and play courts, playgrounds and field. This enables the teaching and administrative staff to take charge of both areas more easily, making fun and serious learning co-exist harmoniously within the school. Children are able to play to their hearts content during playtime without having to worry about disturbing their schoolmates studying in the classrooms.

The main Street runs across the entire length of the school connecting all parts of Henry Park. Pupils walking along this main street can access different parts of the school for different programmes in the special rooms situated in the Tree Houses.

The colourful environment has injected an air of fun and vibrancy. Pupils love the lively setting and are excitedly designing and painting murals on the many bare walls in the school. The large corridors and walls have provided a great opportunity for children to express their talent and creativity.

To enhance the learning programme, several thematic gardens were planned around the whole school. Pupils can go to any part of the school to learn about plant and animal life. This garden concept, conceived to help pupils learn about nature, allows for first hand learning in a relaxed and conducive setting in green zones like the Eco-garden and the fishpond. With nature at our doorstep, the children learn to understand about the cycle of life and ecology. The impending installation of wireless connections around the school will enable pupils to go to any part of the school to do projects.

The school has capitalized on the corridors linking two of the teaching blocks by turning them into Cultural Hubs. As Singapore is a cosmopolitan city there is a need for pupils to understand the culture and practices of different races and communities. Thus, every floor of this cultural block has a learning corner that features a particular race or international community.

The driveway across the whole facade of the school has benefited the neighbourhood. It has not only removed traffic congestion outside the school but also forged greater friendship between the school and the community. The bus bays ensure safe disembarkation points for pupils arriving in school buses. The additional space below the driveway doubles up as a shady and safe playground for the pupils once the buses have left.

The school takes into consideration its niche areas during its rebuilding. As the pupils have consistently excelled in Gymnastics and Tennis, the school’s partners and stakeholders helped to raise funds for the building of a Gymnasium and Tennis courts. Such collaboration has resulted in the provision of better facilities for the pupils and the building of stronger bonds among all the stakeholders. The excellent sports facilities complement the outstanding academic infrastructure necessary for the moulding of the next generation.