Exciting work on campus this summer has enhanced our learning spaces and brought brand new, innovative, dynamic and multi-functional improvements to how we teach and learn at WAB.
Our school’s journey to achieve the future of learning incorporates all aspects of the educational experience, including the reinvention and innovation of our learning spaces.
We’ve written extensively about how learning spaces can function as positive, active contributors to student learning, as well as the educational benefits of flexible, diverse learning environments.
Below is an outline of some of the spotlight changes that have come to our spaces, and you can follow the links to read articles we posted about the planning and design process, as well as how the spaces will enhance learning at WAB. Please also have a look at the listed dates for presentations by our school section administrators and teachers about how the spaces will be utilized.
High School Library & Interdisciplinary Space
Designed by: Rosan Bosch Studio
Implemented by: AnyScale Beijing
Main Contractor: S&W
Library: As the internet continues to change the way we consume information, libraries have had to evolve. The traditional model of libraries as silent, information storage centers has changed and now libraries are the places where conversations flourish and learning is happening all around. Our new Library includes fully equipped areas for independent work and collaboration spaces that suit a diverse range of group sizes
Interdisciplinary Space: Included in this space is a design laboratory, independent and collaborative workspaces, and a theater. This space will host interdisciplinary courses, with combinations of Grade 10 students connecting their learning in Individuals & Societies, English, and Design Technology. Read more about the HS space here.
Parent presentation: September 19, 8:50-10am
Middle School Learning Lab
Designed by: Rosan Bosch
Implemented by: AnyScale Beijing
Main Contractor: S&W
The next step in the evolution of our mathematics program has resulted in big changes to the Middle School learning spaces. The new space will help students to:
- consistently connect with real-world applications of mathematics,
- get them physically involved in their learning,
- immerse them in ways of thinking frequently used in math-based professions, like engineering, design, and architecture.
Along with a theater space that serves a more traditional lecture-based approach to teaching, these dynamic, flexible spaces will suit a variety of approaches that cater to different styles of learning mathematics. Read more about the MS space here.
Parent presentation: September 26, 8:50-10am
Early Years Outdoor Space, WAB's "Little Village"
Designed by: Greenspace
Main Contractor: Gao Bei Dian
WAB’s Little Village, the new play area at our Early Childhood Center, is the culmination of more than two years of planning among our expert early childhood education faculty and the Early Years students themselves. The decisions they made about the equipment, spaces, and functionality were based on:
- maximizing the utility of the space by increasing the diversity of physical, social, and sensory learning activities available,
- connecting students learning to the real world,
- increasing the incorporation of and focus on nature and encourage the use of imagination.
Read more about the Early Years space here. Parent presentation: September 12, 8:50-10am
Blu Theatre
Designed by: AnyScale Beijing
Main Contractor: Shanghai Jiarong
The enhancements to WAB's Blu Theatre have touched on every single detail of the space, taking into account the best experiences for our performers, audience members, and crews. These include:
- Enhanced acoustics by a world-renowned sound expert, with flexible equipment to meet the requirements of a variety of performances
- Nearly doubled performance space
- New seats with increased leg room
- State-of-the-art sound, light, and video project system with cinematic quality
- Expanded foyer, extended outdoor balcony, and new entrances
- Increased aesthetics, including wall designs with colorful Chinese carp and refreshed logos
Kitchens & Food Service Areas
- Renovated to meet the most up-to-date FDA standards and practices for food safety
- New state-of-the-art cooking equipment for safety, efficiency, and reducing environmental impact
- Varying themes around the school to meet different diets, styles, and preferences