【English translation: Peng Hsin-yi；Photos by Pao Chung-hui】
Namasia's Green Diamond Elementary School
 |
| 最迷人的山裏小學 Taiwan's most charming mountainside elementary school |
|
In 2009, Typhoon Morakot completely destroyed Namasia Mincyuan Elementary School. The children feared it would never be rebuilt. Fortunately, the school was relocated in a safe location, 800 meters above sea level. With the generous sponsorship of Delta Electronics Foundation, complete reconstruction of the school was made possible. The foundation appointed architect Kuo Ying-chao to lead the project. In February 2012, the school finally reopened, featuring three buildings, including classrooms, a teachers' dormitory and a library. Constructed from mostly recycled wood and state-of-the-art environmental initiatives, it is a leader in the Green Campus movement and is expected to become Kaohsiung's second construction project (after The World Games 2009 Main Stadium) to obtain the Diamond Level certificate from EEWH.
There are many initiatives that make the new campus unique. The school stands on two hectares of land which is entirely free of cement, with buildings that incorporate natural elements and resources such as seasonal winds. They have also been designed to be durable in extreme weather and ensure as little human impact as possible. The buildings have been elevated to resemble traditional native dwellings and indigenous architecture. This allows wind and rain to pass freely around and under the building. In the past, people did not take nature into account; however, this green architectural initiative shows respect and consideration towards nature. Electricity is generated by solar panels that have been installed on the roof of the classroom building, as well as six windmills that fully utilize renewable energy.
 |
| 圖書館 The library |
|
Architect Kuo Ying-chao is renowned for his award-winning design, Pavilion of Dreams at Taipei's International Flora Exposition. On February 8, 2012 the new campus was officially inaugurated. Many children showed their appreciation by telling Kuo Ying-chao, "I love you, Mr. Architect" and he felt there was no greater praise for a job well done. The school is located very high up in the mountains where the roads were washed away during Typhoon Morakot. Every time there is a heavy rainstorm, the roads always get washed out; however, the residents are not daunted by these conditions. Guo Ying-chao was impressed by the locals' spirit of perseverance and steadfast spirit to rebuild. One parent told Kuo Ying-chao that they hadn't wanted the school to restore the past, but to lead them into the future. Therefore, the project was designed to give the children a great future.
The charming little schoolhouse in the mountains
Kuo Ying-chao is from Taipei, with most of his life having been spent in big cities. Therefore, he spent a great deal of time going through documents and historical records, so the school would reflect the traditional culture and architecture of Tsou and Bunun tribes. He also worked to preserve the traditions and ideology of indigenous living spaces.
Kuo Ying-chao also consulted the children and asked them to write down what they believed a school should be. He said the children had some really creative ideas; one even asked for a rollercoaster. They did however all convey a unanimous message: to create a school that would be fun! Mr. Kuo took this into account and designed the classroom building to resemble a Bunun grand-house. He hoped the school would give the children the feeling they were just walking through rooms in their own homes. It was designed to give the children a comfortable place to study and play.
Considering severe winters in the mountains, Kuo Ying-chao designed the building to have classrooms facing each other with the corridors running down the middle. This also resembles the traditional living space of the Bunun family. The classrooms and corridors are also separated by dividers instead of walls. Therefore in an emergency the entire building can be converted into a big open space and serve as a shelter for local residents. The buildings' exterior exhibits a dynamic, fluid design; however, Kuo Yi-chao believes the inside is even better, especially the roof in the classroom building. He has added several traditional tribal totems and used resources made from environmental and recycled materials. This is exemplified in items such as space dividers that are made of compressed recycled paper and bamboo arrows made from a plant found in abundance in surrounding areas. Venting windows are placed in strategic positions around the classrooms, so the wind can pass through and under the building. An electricity monitoring system has also been installed in the building, ensuring energy efficiency. With solar panels and windmills, 50% of all the schools energy is produced sustainably.
The teachers' dormitory is another fine example of green architectural design. Before construction began, principle Wu Ting-yu explained his first priority was to provide the teachers with a safe and comfortable living environment, so they would be able to better focus on their teaching. The big windows and corridor were constructed from drift wood and allows airflow to cool the rooms naturally, abolishing the need for air conditioning. The dormitory contains twenty-four single occupancy rooms. Each room has its own solar powered water heater. Therefore in emergency situations, the system can provide hot water for three-hundred people, for six days.
 |
| 一座為小朋友未來而設計的學校 The school has been designed to give the children the best possible future. |
|
The library was built to resemble the architecture of male tribal culture. Traditionally young males attended to the elders, where they would pass knowledge and wisdom down to the younger generation. Mr. Kuo wanted the library to reflect a place where knowledge can be found, learned and passed on. The library is constructed from wood and resembles the shape of a datura flower, native flora indigenous to the area. The flower can be seen blooming along the road and pathways leading to the school. In additional, an eco-pond was created outside of the Library and is surrounded by plants of different heights and sizes. The water and the plants are not just for the purpose of landscaping, but also serve the purpose of temperature regulation and land preservation.
