The Bridge School

Located in Xiashi village in Fujian province in Southeast China, the "Bridge School" links the two parts of the village, which are divided by a small creek.

It is a multifunctional structure built between two steel trusses that span the creek. It serves as a primary school, as well as a library, a grocery for the villagers and playground for the children. A pedestrian bridge is also hung below the structure allowing the villagers to cross the creek without entering the building.

Inspired by Chinese traditional acupuncture, the work rejuvenated a declining community by establishing a link between the two parts of the village.

The Bridge School won the 2010 Aga Khan Award for successfully invigorating the entire community and "encapsulating social sustainability through architectural intervention".

Yuhu Primary School

The school is located in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Lijiang, which is home to the Naxi ethnic group.

The project reinterpreted vernacular architecture to better meet their modern needs. Instead of the traditional Naxi quadrangle house, the complex arranges the buildings in a Z-shape, creating two open spaces, one of which is used by the students and the other by the rest of the community. Typical Naxi windows are small but the windows at the school have been enlarged to let in more natural light. The stone walls are reinforced with steel so they are more resistant to earthquakes.

UNESCO initiated the UNESCO Jury Award for Innovation for this project for its "marriage of vernacular and modern approaches" in 2005. The project also won the ARASIA Gold Medal.

(China Daily USA 07/25/2013 page9)