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School Library Designed By Children

Civic + Public, Installation, NGO

Children Take the Lead in Designing Kwun Tong Government Primary School (Sau Ming Road) Library

In 2021, Kwun Tong Government Primary School (Sau Ming Road) entrusted us with the task of conducting classes and architectural design for their school library, with a unique twist: the library would be designed by the students themselves. This groundbreaking initiative marked the first of its kind in Asia, as it aimed to incorporate the actual drawings and ideas of the children into the library’s construction.

The library had a new demand in expansion. What we learned from post-COVID survey is that children preferred in majority to read physical books over digital screens. The demand for larger storage in the library is the original purpose of the renovation, but the school believed that the project can also become a teaching material. Over the course of two years, we engaged in a comprehensive process that involved four school-wide lectures, ten-week mentoring, twenty site visits with three contractors, and numerous school meetings to align the renovation with the school’s objectives.

The classes provided a realistic experience for the students, guiding them through various stages such as surveying, problem identification, idea generation, and implementing practical solutions. The children actively participated in every step of the process, gaining hands-on experience throughout the 10-week internship. They learned valuable skills, including data collection, plan drawing, model building, and material selection, all of which were utilized to transform the library’s interior.

The outcome of this collaborative effort is an educational, playful, and meaningful school library. We would like to express our deep gratitude to the dedicated teachers and enthusiastic students of KTGPSSMR for their invaluable contribution in making this project a reality.

Disclaimers:

Architecture For Children Limited is a registered NGO with section 88 status. The teaching was done by the NGO. Avoid Obvious Architects is the design company under AFC in this project to provide construction drawing for tendering purposes. Registered structural engineer in Hong Kong was hired by the contractor to endorse the structural integrity of the bookmount. To protect children and their privacy, all students’ faces have been blurred in final photos and the actual class photos are not shown.

Credits:

Teaching: Architecture for Children
Execution: Avoid Obvious Architects
Photography: Scott Brooks
Survey: KTGPSGMS
Contractor: Firwood

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Teaching by Architecture For Children

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Design by Vicky Chan

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Design by Vicky Chan

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