The Zhengze school is an elementary school which is located in an area of the old city in Beijing. However, the high urban density of Beijing's old city, coupled with restrictions imposed by urban planning regarding volume limitations make the location challenging. The Zhengze School, which was transformed from an abandoned paper mill dating back to the Republican era into a school, needed to maximize every inch of the building area in order to meet diverse teaching and learning needs.
The best primary schools in Beijing are typically located in areas of the old city. The schools have a long and rich history, and benefit from a prolonged advantage in terms of various social resources. The best teaching staff have always been closely associated with these prestigious institutions. However, the high urban density of Beijing's old city, coupled with restrictions imposed by urban planning regarding volume limitations make the location challenging. In these circumstances, the renovation of old buildings in the old city cannot usually include an increase in the building area or alter the building's external contours. For these reasons, the Zhengze School, which was transformed from an abandoned paper mill dating back to the Republican era into a school, needed to maximize every inch of the building area in order to meet diverse teaching and learning needs.