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in ningbo, zhejiang province, there is a very bold high school campus with a 3,000m² sky forest that connects all floors of the teaching buildings, making nature within reach;

the 600m long rooftop promenade is like a möbius strip. “standing on it, the school disappears from your sight, leaving only the vast sky”.

the gymnasium, lecture hall, and library on the first floor are arranged like shops on the street... walking on the campus, the tension and anxiety of studying disappears immediately.

▲facing the playground is a huge sky forest

▲ huizhen forest, covering an area of ​​over 3,000 square meters, contains more than 40 species of plants

this school that "doesn't look like a school" is a key public middle school in ningbo - ningbo huizhen senior high school.

urban campus design usually follows the principle of "efficiency first", but architect madi goes the other way. he wants to take back the "ten minutes between classes" that have disappeared for middle school students through design. "in today's extremely inward-looking education, i want to build a high school where you can seriously waste time and make school less annoying."

the following is his own account.

▲the forest connects the floors of the four teaching buildings

▲the walking path on the roof, a single lap of over 600 meters

when i first arrived at huizhen senior high school, the sense of restraint and discipline that is unique to high school campuses disappeared. the school is full of "decompression" details.

in autumn, large patches of hairy arrowroot cover the open spaces on campus, and plants such as grapefruit trees, rosemary, and pennisetum can be seen everywhere;

the corridors of different heights connect the building blocks like building blocks. walking inside, you can explore different routes, and walking around the campus is no longer boring.

facing the playground of the teaching building is a huge "sky forest" embedded in the building, with plants poking out from all directions.

▲ panoramic view of hyejeong forest

▲the pillars and walls in the forest retain traces of nature

as soon as the bell rings, students rush out of the classroom. it only takes 20 seconds to reach the forest. groups of students come here to take a walk and play, while others come here to relax alone.

a "mysterious guest" in the forest - a cute salamander, attracted the attention of the students.

there is no concept of floors in the forest. the skywalks are intertwined between the treetops, and you can travel up and down in the forest along the winding corridors.

because there is no shortest distance between two points, when you walk in it, your pace slows down and time also slows down.

different corridors will unexpectedly intersect at some point, bringing about small adventures, and students will greet each other happily when they meet;

there are small tree stumps on the platform of the corridor. when you are tired of playing, you can sit on them and take a rest.

▲the winding sky corridor makes the school more interesting.

▲glass cabin "hanging" in the forest

the forest columns are cast using bamboo formwork, with natural textures, varying thicknesses, and scattered in a natural and random state.

there are many strange tree houses hanging in different corners of the forest. there are transparent glass houses used by students as plant cultivation rooms;

the small tree house at the highest point was transformed by students into a campus radio station; some houses were turned into warm rainforest pavilions or mini oceanariums. the purpose of each house can be changed according to the needs of students.

▲super-sized roof garden

▲students playing on the rooftop, letting themselves go for a short while

the rooftop is another space suitable for escaping stress. the tall feather grass flutters as gently as snow, and the noise of the campus comes to an abrupt end here.

since the entire building complex is connected in the shape of a chinese character "目", the walking path on the roof goes back and forth, ups and downs like a "mobius strip", with a single circle of more than 600 meters.

after dinner, some students would go to the rooftop park to take a walk, daydream, look at the sky and the clouds. standing on the wide rooftop, the stressful school disappeared from their sight and their imagination was freed.

a sophomore girl told us: "the rooftop is very close to the sky, and there is a sense of freedom here."

▲the first floor of the campus is a connected space, where public facilities on both sides of the street can be accessed at any time

the first floor of the school is a connected street where people can stroll. the teaching building is lifted off the ground, completely freeing up the ground space.

theaters, libraries, gymnasiums, and canteens are scattered on both sides of the streets like small shops. entering these public spaces is like shopping, and you can come in and out at any time without a strong sense of "ritual".

▲rooftop garden, the scenery is different in each season

the designer of this campus, madi, was born in the 1980s and is the father of a 13-year-old girl.

in 2019, madi started to design a new campus for ningbo huizhen senior high school. he found that although the current campuses are very beautiful, they all follow the four words "efficiency first" behind them.

during the short 10-minute break, the children have no time to run to the playground to exercise. they can only stay in the narrow corridors and classrooms, looking boredly from one teaching building to another.

▲madi, the chief architect of ningbo huizhen senior high school

how can children quickly reach the activity space after class? madi designed a 3,000-square-meter sky forest that connects 30 classes in four teaching buildings. it only takes a dozen seconds to get from the classroom to a space that "doesn't look like a school."

in recent years, urban land has become increasingly scarce, and many schools have become more and more "crowded". "we need to build more teaching buildings in limited land," madi explained. this is a design concept of "efficiency first."

in madi's opinion, the "garden" part of the "campus" has been lost. "the so-called campus is the school building plus the park. since ancient times, the school and the park have been equally important. for example, the ancient yuelu academy even had a garden first and then a school. but now, the 'garden' used for relaxation has become a gap in the 'school'."

▲high school students are under heavy study pressure

▲on campus, nature is within reach

on the other hand, the current involution of education makes people nervous. madi has a daughter who is in the first grade of junior high school. he has a deep understanding of this. the child's schoolbag is getting heavier and heavier, and the homework books on the small desk are getting higher and higher...

the inspiring slogan of "seize every minute and seize every second" is ringing in the ears of adults and children.

madi hopes to design a school that can truly relax people: "when children are overwhelmed by heavy schoolwork, they can waste time and empty themselves for a moment on campus."

the new campus covers an area of ​​about 62,000 square meters. how can we make more room for activities in the existing space?

▲the four teaching buildings are closely connected, forming a “目” shape

madi split the efficiency of the "school" and the "garden". "the four teaching buildings of the school form a '目'-shaped layout in an efficient and concentrated way. all the classrooms and corridors are designed to the most economical size. all the space is saved and put into the remaining 'garden'."

the huge sky forest and the rooftop promenade are considered “useless spaces” in traditional campus design. however, madi feels that “inefficient” or even “ineffective” spaces can help children relieve stress.

this also stems from madi's observation of his daughter. during the epidemic, his daughter was particularly happy when she heard the words "home study", even if the class time, course schedule, and homework amount did not change, because "the space at home is relaxing and you can waste time at any time, instead of being like a big machine in school, where every corner is full of efficiency."

▲there are many “informal” outdoor learning spaces in the forest

▲madi believes that the "garden" for relaxation on campus is equally important for children's growth

“wasting time is not a derogatory term. if a spring is compressed too tightly for a long time, it will lose its elasticity. wasting time is actually the best way to relieve stress.”

in 2022, after the new campus was put into use, madi went to share the project. when he said that the school was a public key high school, many people were stunned, "it turns out that the ningbo municipal education bureau is so accepting." everyone originally thought that only private high schools could accept this unconventional campus design.

madi talked about his experience of reporting to the education bureau: "when such a large forest was placed in front of them, they were also very surprised. they felt that it didn't look like a school at all."

but after he shared his thoughts, the education bureau immediately made the decision and decided on this plan. "they are very courageous, willing to embrace imagination, and willing to listen to the architects' thoughts and ideas."

▲school playground with 400-meter running track

▲there are some small hidden spaces in the forest where students don’t have to worry about being monitored all the time

huizhen high school is a boarding high school. children spend three-quarters of their time on campus, which almost takes up the entire space of a person's adolescence.

traditional campus designs rarely reserve private space for students. madi intentionally reserved some "hidden spaces". the three-dimensional interwoven corridors of huizhen forest and the winding walkways on the rooftop can moderately block the line of sight.

"it gives adolescents a little hiding place to relax for a while or be alone for a while without having to worry about being watched by teachers."

▲the buildings are built like building blocks so that no corner is exposed to rain.

▲forest details

in order to make learning more interesting, the school has set up many unconventional learning spaces, including the terraced classroom on the roof, the tree house in the forest, and the round tables and benches scattered around the campus. classes can be held outdoors at any time.

zhang qing, a chinese teacher at the school, said that she is currently teaching bai juyi's "pipa xing" to her high school students. she suggested that everyone go to the rooftop to feel the bleak mood of "the maple leaves and reeds rustling in autumn";

the glass house in huizhen forest has been transformed into a hydroponic plant room for the school's award-winning "new seedling cultivation program";

the school’s psychology teacher is also preparing an outdoor group counseling class, allowing children to sit among flowers and plants to practice mindfulness, because nature is the best way to heal.

▲a cabin in the forest was transformed into an aquarium

▲periscope interactive device on campus

during the school visits, many teachers mentioned the current educational involution, especially the zhejiang candidates, who face unprecedentedly fierce competition.

teacher zhang qing, who has over 15 years of teaching experience, lamented: "many students' lives are a straight line between home and school, and the connection is seamless. how can we help them get through such a difficult three years? the campus is a place that can provide children with the maximum room to live."

this was also madi's original intention when designing the campus. "if there is no way to change the education model, then from the perspective of an architect, make students hate school as little as possible" and "let the children have a thought and motivation when they go to school."