South Field School by Bloom Architecture: A Sustainable Educational Oasis in Phnom Penh

A Vision for Dignified and Sustainable Education

Commissioned by the French NGO Pour un Sourire d’Enfant (PSE), South Field School is a transformative project in Phnom Penh designed by Bloom Architecture. Tasked with modernizing a rapidly growing campus that serves over 7,000 underprivileged students, the project focuses on creating a dignified, sustainable, and inspiring environment for learning.

PSE began its mission in 1995, aiming to lift children from the harsh realities of Steung Meanchey’s landfill into classrooms filled with hope. With rising land prices and urbanization putting pressure on the campus’s limited space, Bloom was brought in to implement a scalable densification strategy that would maximize land use while maintaining a serene, child-friendly atmosphere.

Design Concept: Learning Within Nature

The architecture seeks a harmonious balance between density and openness. Limiting the buildings to a maximum of three stories allows the structures to sit below the tree canopy, preserving a vital connection to nature. This modest vertical expansion enables the creation of a network of interlinked courtyards designed for recreation, stormwater management, and social engagement.

These green courtyards are at the heart of the campus, functioning not only as climate buffers but as spaces of reflection, learning, and play. Open corridors, shaded walkways, and interconnecting passageways promote fluid movement and interaction across the school, encouraging a strong sense of community among students and staff.

Materiality: Local, Natural, and Lasting

The project also honors the site’s past. The land, once a dump, was PSE’s first major acquisition. Some old Khmer wooden houses—symbols of the transformation from despair to hope—once stood here. While structurally unsound, their reclaimed timber was charred using traditional techniques to enhance durability against sun and termites, and was reused within the new construction.

Local materials were deliberately chosen:

• Terracotta tiles for floors and roofs
• Compacted red laterite for outdoor paths
• Natural soil-colored renders for facades

This organic material palette blends with the environment while reducing costs and enhancing sustainability. The textures and tones foster a calm, tactile, and grounded learning environment that respects Cambodian heritage.

Human-Centered and Scalable Design

The school accommodates 43 classrooms and up to 1,500 students, offering spaces that go beyond functionality. Every design choice is rooted in educational dignity, cultural sensitivity, and environmental stewardship. Bloom Architecture’s approach highlights efficiency without excess, underscoring values of respect, sustainability, and curiosity.

By creating spaces that celebrate learning and heritage, South Field School becomes more than just a building—it’s a symbol of resilience, opportunity, and forward-thinking design in Cambodia’s evolving urban context.

All the photographs are works of Hiroyuki Oki, Antoine Raab