After a devastating earthquake in sichuan in 2008, a community pooled together to rebuild the local elementary school of the old town of xiaoquan. while the new school hosts 900 students and accommodates myriad buildings and programming the overall concept is to understand the learning environment as a as a small city, giving diversified space so as to enrich children's experience and activity.
The cluster of small buildings creates a micro city, replete with the spatial compositions of the urban landscape. analogous to original xiaoquan's urban space in scale and pattern, the school is a rhythm of typological places such as plazas, courtyards and steps so as to provoke a familiar feeling from everyday life. built space is open and diversified to encourage and nurture the spontaneous activities of children. a labyrinth of passages and playgrounds provoke curiosity and imagination.