Campus: Main Concepts 

As a masterplan strategy, the Republic Polytechnic is conceived as a campus with a central nucleus of main educational programmes serviced by 5 satellites of ancillary programmes. The central nucleus contains 11 identical learning Pods (8-9-storeys high) and 1 staff admin hub. The 11 learning Pods house study clusters and dry labs. They are then unified by 2 elliptical decks of common facilities, namely the Lawn and the Agora. These 2 decks are envisioned to be large, continuous and non-hierarchical student/ semi-public domain where informal activities could occur.

The Atrium is proposed at the corner of the Main Administration Building. Juxtaposed to address the main pedestrian approach, the Atrium forms a recognizable symbolic element, crystallizing the formal architectural characteristics of the buildings behind. The element serves as a City Room and houses a series of terraced Sky Gardens on various levels as well as on the roof, expressing the idea of the Campus-in-the-Park.

3. Integration with Nature 

Our Green Campus is surrounded by the greenery of the Regional Park, the green fields of the Sports Complex and existing planting to the East. The Campus is planned into the existing site contours, and integrates well with the existing stream. Public spaces are placed around these natural elements to enhance the architectural spaces within the campus and improve appreciation of nature. A series of both formalized and informal courtyards, lawns, and green plazas are composed along main circulation routes to provide visual and spatial relief within the campus.

4. Flexibility and Adaptability 

Another key design issue is the flexibility and adaptability of the Campus to programmatic changes. On a Macro-scale, the 11 Pods allow for the different combinations and permutation of labs, facilitators offices and clusters. On a Micro-scale the design of the 40m x 40m Pods is modular and thus adaptable. As the Republic Polytechnic evolves, space requirements for study clusters, dry labs, lecture rooms or facilitators’ office etc. can interchange freely. The floor-to-floor height of 4.5m is selected to further to enhance this flexibility and adaptability concept.