A Circulatory School Building Generating a Spectrum of Activities

Kobe Gakuin, whose educational philosophy fosters collaboration between junior high school, high school, and university, decided to move its affiliated high school to a location neighboring the university campus with a new, integrated junior high and high school building. With the themes of “an environmentally friendly school brimming with nature, light, and wind,” “creating a place to 'connect' to society and the future,” and “a space of self-discovery, where each and every student can explore their individuality,” a facility with a defined yet flexible composition and distinct characteristics was realized.

An environmentally friendly school brimming with nature, light, and wind

The building has two volumes: a classroom block and a gymnastics block. Since the site is surrounded by apartment buildings, a hospital, research facilities, and schools, openings on the exterior were minimized in consideration of eyes and sound from the outside. In contrast, the classroom block completely opens up to an internal courtyard with glass screen facades and planters lining the eaves. We sought to create a space brimming with light, wind, and rich greenery showing the passing of the seasons.

Creating a place to “connect” to community and the future

Areas available for community use (multipurpose hall, gymnasium, etc.) were connected to the neighborhood (society) by arranging them in an easily accessible, highly visible way when approaching from the outside. By reusing stained glass windows from the former school building, using the exterior pavement to show 100 years of history, and applying red bricks inspired by the university campus, the building inherits tradition and connects it to the future.

A facility of self-discovery, where each and every student can explore their individuality

Many spaces for students to be engaged and carefree are offered, such as a cafeteria that can be used for purposes other than eating lunch, a covered space for activities even when it rains, a wood deck attached to the multipurpose hall, and terraces on different levels with exterior stairs tying them together. We hope for spontaneous, enriching communication that goes beyond school year and class, teacher and student, providing them with many options to grow their imaginative ability and challenging spirit.

Three core functions in the courtyard

In the center of the enclosed courtyard, three core functions—the multipurpose hall, library, and learning space—are interlocked three-dimensionally, “connecting” each outdoor terrace to a floor.

The multipurpose hall can be utilized as an open space or accommodate up to 300 seats. A steel frame and rail lighting grid allow for suspended exhibitions and event-specific lighting. When opening the sliding doors, the inside and outside stages become one, and everything from the library, cafeteria, pilotis, and lawn “connects.”

The library is positioned at the heart of the courtyard, constantly visible to students moving during break time and when entering and leaving school. The glass screens lining the indoor corridors towards the courtyard make the spaces comfortable and accessible to students. Bookshelves deliberately face the courtyard to make the library easy to spot from a distance.

The learning space is situated on the courtyard second floor at the center of the ICT floor, where the active learning classrooms and staff offices are located. Clearly visible from the terraces and corridors, the space and furniture arrangement enables group discussion and debate.

A seamless steel cladding

The exteriors of the three core buildings are seamlessly cladded with steel sheets. Due to transportation limitations, the units were segmented to 1.8 m x 4 m or less, welded on-site, and finished with a grinder to give the appearance of one single panel. As an anti-corrosion measure, the main surfaces were hot-dip galvanized, and the susceptible on-site welded joints were coated with a zinc thermal spray, ensuring sufficient weather resistance while maintaining a flawless finish.

A cohesive and open courtyard

The cantilever corridors have no structural supports towards the courtyard. By supporting the glass solely on the top and bottom sides, the need for mullions was limited, producing a highly visible and open space with a sense of uniformity. Additionally, linear LED lighting emphasizes the corridors facing each other across the courtyard and the outdoor terraces with brightness and transparency.

A gymnasium and martial arts gym inspired by the school crest (plum blossom)

The gymnasium roof structure was designed to express “vitality” and “dynamism.” By shifting two layers of hexagonal frames, pentagons appear. The martial arts gym truss framework composed of two types of differently sized angle bars is also reminiscent of the school’s pentagonal-shaped crest. The clever use of angle bars and its arrangement gives the impression of coexisting multiple sections, aiming to achieve a sense of harmony typical of a martial arts dojo.

A clear layout and color scheme

The classroom block was planned on an 8m x 8m grid. Homeroom classrooms are orientated north and south, connected by the specialized classrooms located east and west. The specialized classrooms are organized according to a theme on each floor, with glass screens between the classrooms and corridors providing a glimpse of the inside. Separate colors that are easily associated with the local areas were chosen for each direction and used in fixtures, furniture, and interior design, making it easy to quickly locate oneself and one’s destination.

Project name: Kobe Gakuin University High School & Junior High School
Purpose: Junior High School / High School
Location (city, prefecture): Kobe City, Hyogo
Site area (m2): 16,184.81
Total floor area (m2): 13,516.63
Number of floors: 4 floors above ground, 1 penthouse
Eave height / maximum height (m): 15.91 / 19.69
Main structure: Steel structure
Completion month/year: January 2016

Client name (English): Kobe Gakuin
Lead architect: NIKKEN SEKKEI LTD
Main scope: Proposal, concept design, schematic design, design development, site supervision Construction Contractor: ASANUMA CORPORATION

Photo credit (Japanese / English): 母倉知樹 / Tomoki Hahakura