Image Credit : 10 Design
Project Overview
Dongguan University of Technology International Cooperation Zone is a world-class university campus in the heart of Dongguan, where state-of-the-art R&D facilities will be provided to attract talents from across the world and drive innovation of the entire city.
As an extension of the university campus, the Cooperation Zone will offer large-scale research and teaching facilities, multifunctional spaces, residential areas and amenities for students and researchers.
The design is to create a green campus with an emphasis on openness, collaboration and productivity.
Inspired by the natural attributes of the site, 10 Design has envisioned a vine of growth that defines the overall layout of the development.
A central courtyard is placed at the heart of the campus to foster social interaction and knowledge exchange. The University’s shared facilities, teaching buildings and laboratory spaces unfold around it, providing equal access and visibility to this central activity hub. The dormitory buildings on the west also provides a series of dining, fitness and leisure amenities to provide a healthy and balanced living environment for students and researchers.
Completing in 2024, the project will stand as a landmark at the northeast gateway of the University while setting a benchmark of green campus developments.
Project Commissioner
Dongguan Urban Engineering Construction Administration Bureau
Project Creator
Team
Design Partner: Nick Cordingley
Project Partner: Edmond Lau
Project Leaders: Mohamad Ghamlouch, Yushan Wu
Architectural Team: Bryan Diehl, Jan Henao, Shuo Zhang, Zack Cai, Hallen Deng, Mia Zang, Sylvia Li, Wesley Soo, Ted Tan, Christie Yeung, Freya Yang, Kevin Mok, Jackie Cheung, Tim Chow, Leanne Guo, Alan Yip
Consultant Team
10 Design - Lead Design Architect
Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd - Project Architect (Lead)
BIAD (Shenzhen) - Project Architect
Jiancai Guangzhou Construction Surveying Institution - Project Architect
Visualisation - Frontop
Project Brief
The Cooperation Zone is an east extension of the university campus to be developed in 2 phases. The masterplan addresses the overall connection with the existing campus while the 195,000sqm Phase 1 development fronting the public roads will set a benchmark for its future development.
The University Campus is situated along the ecological belt of Songshan Lake. The masterplan leverages the rich landscape and water resources of the site, seeking to invite dialogues between the architecture and its surroundings.
A central green space is placed at the core of the design, with water features to create visual linkage to the adjacent waterways while creating a soft boundary between the teaching zone and living zones. It serves as a biophilic communal space shared by all with campus facilities strategically positioned in a U-shape to embrace the central courtyard. The layout maximises views and accessibility into the courtyard from all directions within the campus, which will invite diverse activities and social exchanges into the heart of the campus.
The design places people and sustainability at the core of the development. By extending the waterscape and greeneries from the adjacent Songshan Lake, campus facilities are fully integrated with the surrounding environment. A truly open and vibrant education and research community is formed.
Project Innovation/Need
A shared ‘street’ colonnade meanders through the site like a sprawling vine to define the central courtyard. A prime objective of the design is to promote social interaction and knowledge exchange between talents in an amicable environment. Serving as sheltered connection between buildings, shared facilities and communal spaces, it creates additional opportunities of casual conversations and informal meetings. The colonnade also provides clear directions for pedestrians navigating through the campus.
Anchoring the central green space is a series of sculptural elements, each hugged by an artificial pond. They are homes to the shared amenities like multi-functional halls and activity spaces. The oval structures, standing in juxtaposition against the linear building blocks around it, create additional visual layers along the central axis and enhances the spatial flow within and outside the building. The curvy outline also lends an inviting and approachable air to this new check-in spot of the campus.
An iconic ‘window’ shaped structure addresses the major urban interface along the east public road and creates new visual focus of the campus. The building is framed by flexible research/office/exhibition spaces on either side with a series of cascading platforms to form a lush vertical green oasis. Topping the “window” is a large-scale executive meeting and exhibition space which offers unobstructed views towards the university campus and the Songshan Lake beyond. This new gateway to the campus will provide improved access to Dongguan and become a new landmark in the city.
Design Challenge
The design is to maximize the campus’ interconnectivity and integrate it into the surrounding natural environment. The masterplan strategically places dormitories on the west which links to the existing campus while the iconic building stands along the main street frontage on the east, guiding visitors from the city to the entrance. The street colonnade threading all campus facilities into a ‘U-shaped’ layout will also ensure easy navigation even for first-time visitors.
The campus will offer laboratories and research space for multiple departments, each would have different specifications of equipment and standards on the lab environment. Flexible lab planning module is thus adopted for research buildings. By setting the modular parameters defined by laboratory classifications, it is possible to create a series of modular spaces, which can be easily expanded to suit the requirements of each department.
Sustainability
The project is targeted to achieve 2-star ratings based on China’s national green building standard, while integrating international green building and WELL building standards to create a livable and sustainable environment for the future talents.
Responding to the humid sub-tropical climate of Dongguan, the building orientation, staggering volumes and varied heights of structures are strategically designed to allow cross ventilation, while the water bodies at the central courtyard also facilitated evaporative cooling.
Passive shading devices such as vertical louvers and horizontal blinds, are adopted throughout the buildings. The selection of system is carefully considered with the architectural massing, orientation of the buildings, and the requirement of thermal performance. Fritted glass treatment and high performance glass are also introduced to allow for sufficient natural light intake while further reduce energy consumption and glare from direct sunlight. These solar control approaches and new materials selected will enhance the building performance while providing the various façade expression in terms of visual appearance.
Architecture - Public and Institutional - Education - International
This award celebrates the design process and product of planning, designing and constructing form, space and ambience that reflect functional, technical, social, and aesthetic considerations. Consideration given for material selection, technology, light and shadow.
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