Reimagining a green school community

Folding walls draw the indoor-outdoor spaces together. Closed, they become a flush wall, keeping the area cool and focused. Opened, the seating arrangements expand outdoors, enlarging the classroom. Wide wooden-framed windows bring in views of the courtyard and outdoor seating areas. Natural light pours through all site windows.

The ‘learning street’, a creative green pathway, is furnished with sitting nooks and study spots, guiding students along the PEC. It features a graphic wall map of UWC’s global locations and leads to the outside, where movable pods offer flexible indoor-outdoor seating. A highlight of the pathway is it’s connection to the social hub which expands to a large classroom internally, and to the courtyard externally, using mobile walls.

Writable desks and walls in each classroom encourage student participation. To keep students connected, the medium-sized classroom has cutting edge video conferencing. The rooms feature sustainable materials, including a workshop-style cost cutting ceiling baffle system that enhances acoustics.

We installed flexible furniture and shelving to maximise key areas, especially in the library and makerspace. Equipping the makerspace for 3D workshops with height-adjustable desks offers students dynamic learning opportunities. The extended social space also has audio equipment to host music and film nights.

With sustainability at the forefront of this project, LPCUWC achieved Fitwel and LEED Certification, offering access to exercise, air quality monitoring, energy saving, optimised daylight and more. Taking learnings and insights from students and teachers, the space successfully meets the needs of all, in and beyond the classroom.

A video tour: 

Explore the video below created by LPCUWC students, showcasing how they are using their new space