SENATE HOUSE, QINGDAO UNIIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, SHANDONG PROVINCE, CHINA

QINGDAO IS SITUATED NORTH OF BEIJING, AND WAS A TREATY PORT GOVERNED FOR A CENTURY BY GERMANY,  HENCE, PERHAPS, ITS FAMOUS LAGER BREWERY.

 

THE SENATE HOUSE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY  WAS A DIFFICULT DESIGN CHALLENGE BECAUSE THE CLIENT ASKED US TO EXPRESS THE MODERNISM OF THE INSTITUTION AND COUPLE IT WITH WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ITS ANTITHESIS - A STRONG SUPPORT FOR ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY. ALL THIS HAD TO BE ACCOMPLISHED ON A LIMITED BUDGET AND IN A SHORT TIMESCALE.

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THE RESULTING DESIGN WAS A SIMPLE AND EASY TO ERECT CONCRETE SKELETON ENCLOSED WITH A GLASS CURTAIN WALL. ON THE SHORT SOUTH ELEVATION THAT OVERLOOKED THE LARGE CENTRAL SPACE OF THE UNIVERSITY, THE CURTAIN WALL BELLOWS OUT AND THE INTERIOR FRAME IS CUT BACK TO PROVIDE AN INTERNAL PLANTED SPACE TWENTY EIGHT METRES HIGH, TO BE PLANTED WITH MATURE SUB-TROPICAL TREE SPECIES AND STRUCTURED PLANTING. AN ENCLOSED SUSPENDED CORRIDOR PASSES THROUGH THIS SPACE FROM THE STAFF RESTAURANT AND IS EXTENDED TO A CANTILEVERED VIEWING WALKWAY TO DEMONSTRATE THE BUILDING'S ENGINEERING CAPABILITY INTERTWINED WITH THE SYMBOLISM OF ECOLOGY.

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THESE SIMPLE DESIGN DEVICES ELEVATE THE BUILDING FROM A BASIC GLASS BOX AND WERE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED BY THE UNIVERSITY CLIENT. THE ELEMENTS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED AND INCORPORATED INTO OTHER BUILDINGS ON THE CAMPUS THAT GIVE THE COMPLEX A SIGNATURE STYLE. 

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