Hangzhou International School (HIS) by line+ studio + gad

Hangzhou International School (HIS), designed by line+ studio in collaboration with gad, represents a forward-looking vision of education, architecture, and community-building. Completed in 2022 and spanning an impressive 49,084 m², the new campus is located on the south bank of the Qiantang River in Baima Lake, Hangzhou. As one of the earliest K-15 international schools in the region, HIS has embraced innovation and inclusivity, providing education from early childhood through secondary levels for a diverse international community.

A New Vision for Education

The project is guided by the idea that future educational environments should be vibrant, collaborative, diverse, and adaptive. Architect Zhu Peidong describes it as a community where knowledge, information, vitality, and diversitycome together in an atmosphere of sharing and communication. With this philosophy, HIS was designed as more than just a school building—it became a prototype for the future of educational space.

The campus accommodates three academic departments: Primary School, Secondary School, and an independent Early Childhood Education (ECE) program. The design team redefined the conventional school typology, focusing on intensive land use, spatial efficiency, and shared communal hubs that prioritize collaboration and exchange over rigid classroom divisions.

Education Hub: Rethinking School Layout

The design introduces an innovative spatial concept: the Education Hub. Unlike traditional linear layouts, the school integrates teaching spaces around a centralized hub, which becomes the heart of student and teacher interaction. This hub acts as a flexible, multipurpose space where learning extends beyond the classroom, supporting activities like sports, performances, social gatherings, and informal exchanges.

The school’s L-shaped site with strict daylight and regulatory constraints led the architects to reimagine circulation and activity spaces. Classrooms connect to the hub at 45-degree angles, forming a concentric layout that maximizes sunlight, minimizes wasted transition time, and promotes interaction. By designing classrooms on only one side of corridors, the architects created open 4.2-meter-wide spaces that encourage spontaneous discussions and chance encounters.

Social and Activity Platforms

The atrium staircase is a defining feature of the Education Hub. More than just circulation, it serves as a social platformthat connects lobbies, corridors, and clusters into a continuous flow of activity. This dynamic vertical element turns the structure into a spatial landscape, breaking monotony while integrating various student pathways.

For younger students, the kindergarten atrium staircase includes a playful slide connecting to circular corridors, reinforcing the importance of learning through play and social engagement.

Beyond circulation, the Hub doubles as an activity complex, vertically stacking spaces for dining, games, clubs, rehearsals, and performances. After formal classes, the Hub transforms into a center for extracurricular growth and peer interaction, giving students a stage to develop confidence and creativity.

A Prototype for Future Learning Environments

The design of HIS draws inspiration from urban planning and transportation hubs such as airports and civic spaces, translating the idea of connectivity, efficiency, and shared resources into a school context. The centered radian configuration ensures flexibility, accessibility, and inclusivity while decentralizing authority, creating a more egalitarian relationship between teachers and students.

By shifting the focus from rigid classroom structures to dynamic, shared activity spaces, the Education Hub serves as both an educational experiment and a working prototype for future high-density schools. It optimizes land use, maximizes open space, and encourages collaborative growth.

Architectural Expression

The architectural language emphasizes a futuristic, modern aesthetic. Teaching clusters feature horizontal lines, silver aluminum panels, and crystal gray glass facades with concave folds, giving the campus a sleek, contemporary identity. The interplay of materials and form reinforces the balance between discipline and openness—a reflection of HIS’s educational philosophy.

A Living, Breathing Campus

Since its opening in August 2022, HIS has welcomed over 800 students and teachers from more than 50 countries. The campus has quickly become a vibrant, multicultural hub where architectural design, educational philosophy, and social life intertwine. Teachers and students continuously reinterpret the spaces, bringing the Education Hub to life in ways the architects envisioned—and beyond.

The school has earned the reputation of being a “small airport” for children’s dreams to take off, a metaphor for the limitless opportunities nurtured within its collaborative environment.

All the photographs are works of schranimage