A bright and spacious lobby with large glass walls and orange hanging pendant light fixtures. The seating area is furnished with matching orange and blue upholstered soft seating, creating a vibrant complementary color palette

SHENZHEN K-12 SCHOOL

EDUCATION

SHENZHEN, CHINA

SEPTEMBER 2019

624,300 SF

A large dining hall with long dining tables alongside smaller groups of tables for four. The orange hanging pendant light fixtures match the orange flooring

Exterior

Courtyard

Interior

This building represents the first Whittle School & Studios (WS&S). It will be part of a system of thirty campuses worldwide. Eleven of Eleven was selected to develop the global standards for the interiors of all of the campuses and to design and specify all of the furniture, fixtures, and equipment for these schools. In doing so, we had to understand which brands and services were available across markets and globally. We created a set of design drivers to evaluate each brand and product during our process. A few of examples of these drivers are quality, aesthetics, costs, lead times, continuity, and customization.

We worked through programming the educational spaces, faculty spaces, and support spaces that would make up each facility. Once programming was in place, we curated over 144 unique pieces of furniture and developed a kit-of-parts. Our design supports WS&S’s curriculum, establishes a school culture, and reinforces an aesthetically-cohesive experience between campuses.

This first building is over 600,000 square feet and will be home to the initial student body of 2,200 preK-12 students.

Open outdoor seating area with white bar-height tables and high top chairs, offering a scenic view with greenery

Close-up view of a long dining table with a view to the outdoors through floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminated by natural lighting

Classroom with groups of four tables and wooden swiveling chairs. Features a wall-mounted TV display and a whiteboard. A white shelving cubby is positioned against a glass wall, allowing for a see-through view.

Classroom with desks arranged in a U-shaped layout and wooden swivel chairs. Features a wall-mounted TV display and a whiteboard. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer a view of the city.

Very large classroom with a folded-up wooden room divider. The space includes large tables with wooden swivel stools tucked underneath. Features both a wall-mounted TV display and a TV hanging from the ceiling.

Classroom with groups of white tables and wooden stools. Floor-to-ceiling windows provide bright light capable of illuminating the entire room

Classroom with child-height tables, wooden pull-out chairs, and Hokki stools. The room is decorated with bright, colorful children's drawings and children's books. Features a wall-mounted display and whiteboards.

Alternate view of classroom with child-height tables, wooden pull-out chairs, and Hokki stools. The room is decorated with bright, colorful children's drawings and children's books. Features a wall-mounted display and whiteboards.

Pre-K classroom with different zones adorned with beanbags, throw pillows, toys, and books. An overhead linen canopy provides shade. Floor-to-ceiling windows and a glass door open out to a garden.

View from corridor revealing multiple classrooms with glass walls allowing views into classroom,

Library with child-height shelves filled with books. Features include bright green soft seating, slim side bar tables, and bar height working station.

Parent cafe with wooden tables and orange and blue upholstered seating, complemented by matching orange pendant hanging lights. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer a view of greenery in the background.

Auditorium with rows of chairs. The space features adjustable ceiling lights and a projector. Glass wall provides view of cascading stairs.

Room set up with rows of chairs facing a large wall for projections with mounted speakers. Features adjustable show lights and orange pendant hanging lights.

Breakout lounge with bright orange soft seating, with a see-through classroom visible in the background

View of a see-through (glass wall) lecture-style classroom with long tables and swivel chairs. Features movable whiteboards and a teacher's podium at the front