As a child, I was mischievous and loved to fantasize. Lying on the grass, gazing at the clouds, I would create countless stories to entertain myself. Children’s imagination holds a unique charm and deep meaning. That is why we strive to design environments that awaken and nurture their free imagination of the world.
— Chief Designer Cheng Fengqi & Team
△ 2F Outdoor Play Area © Huang An
△ 2F Outdoor Play Area © Zhang Chao
△ Main entrance on the first floor © Zhang Chao
△ Front of the main entrance on the first floor © Zhang Chao
We began with a question: while children are exposed to rich teaching content, their daily living spaces rarely change. This lack of variation limits their environmental engagement.
To address this, we intentionally minimized the use of explicit symbols like “big tree,” “small house,” or “castle.” Instead, we designed a visually chaotic and non-intuitive space using simple geometric forms. Our goal is to encourage children to interpret and imagine their surroundings freely.
The new campus of BeneBaby International College is located on Lanjiang Mountain in Futian District, Shenzhen, spanning 2,000 square meters. This kindergarten emphasizes comprehensive quality education. The VMDPE Roundabout Design team was commissioned to explore the relationship between space, art, and children’s innate curiosity.
△ Classroom © Zhang Chao
△ Classroom © Zhang Chao
Child-Centered Functional Details
BeneBaby International College offers more than traditional classrooms. It includes drama rooms, art and music studios, and extensive indoor and outdoor activity areas, all designed to cultivate children’s global mindset and lifelong learning skills.
The classrooms are thoughtfully scaled to children’s sizes and equipped with accessible facilities such as hangers, backpack storage, and homework cabinets, as well as large whiteboard walls for interactive learning.
△ Classroom © Zhang Chao
Custom-designed lighting fixtures provide soft, abundant illumination throughout the space, serving also as ceiling mounts for teaching aids. The washbasins are specifically designed to prevent water splashing on children’s clothes and floors, reflecting thoughtful attention to the needs of growing children.
△ Art Classroom © Zhang Chao
Vibrant Activity Spaces
Free play areas are a joyful haven for children. Each floor dedicates a large portion of its space to such areas, a rare luxury in a city where land is precious.
△ 1F Multi-Functional Hall © Huang An
Indoor spaces include a dynamic “chaotic circular space” and a crop-circle styled activity center, while outdoor areas feature vibrant sports fields and natural elements like sand, stone, and grass. This diverse range of venues supports varied curriculum needs, encouraging children to experience learning in multiple environments.
Relationship between outdoor areas on the first and second floors © Huang An
△ 1F Outdoor Play Area © Zhang Chao
△ 1F Outdoor Play Area © Huang An
Understanding Children’s Exploration
Exploration is how children comprehend the world, through both behavioral and cognitive means.
Plato believed that beyond the observable reality lies a world of ideas. Similarly, a child’s mind is a Platonic realm—pure, spiritual, chaotic, adventurous, and philosophical.
△ Emotional Buffer Zone © Zhang Chao
△ Emotional Buffer Zone © Zhang Chao
Disorderly Yet Harmonious Design Language
Inspired by this concept, VMDPE Roundway Design introduced a new visual approach—not to create concrete images, but to inspire open-ended imagination. Using only basic shapes and colors, the design stimulates children’s creativity and sensory experience.
Mondrian described this New Style art as a self-discovering form, embracing abstraction through straight lines and primary colors.
△ 1F Multi-Functional Hall © Zhang Chao
As children move through the space, they encounter subtle randomness—from floating spheres to unexpected openings—where straight and curved lines intertwine. This complexity encourages them to associate ideas and think creatively, embodying the essence of early education: liberating the mind.
△ First floor aisle (left); Second floor aisle (right) © Zhang Chao
Additionally, the elongated, rectangular spaces are visually expanded by emphasizing corridor forms, breaking away from traditional corridor layouts. This enriches spatial hierarchy and creates varied corners and zones, fostering unpredictability and fun. Children can freely select spots for play and social interaction, exploring with curiosity.
△ Transportation Hub Atrium © Zhang Chao
△ 1F Front Desk Area © Zhang Chao
△ Waiting Area © Zhang Chao
△ 2F Aisle © Zhang Chao
△ Passage © Zhang Chao
Within every child lies a universe. BeneBaby International College aims to create an innovative school aligned with international standards, building a professional, creative environment that resonates with children’s inner worlds.
△ First Floor Plan
△ Second Floor Plan
△ Axonometric Diagram
Project Information
Project Name: BeneBaby International College (Futian Campus)
Location: Lanjiang Mountain Skirt Building, Futian District, Shenzhen, China
Design Company: VMDPE Roundway Design
Design Period: June 2019 – September 2019
Construction Period: September 2019 – February 2020
Site Area: 2,260 square meters
Status: Completed
Design Director: Cheng Fengqi
Design Team: Zhang Jian, Lu Yuchun
Development Team: Wei Zhuren, Deng Jingyu, Chen Zilong
Project Scope: Facade renovation, interior design, lighting design, prop design
Materials & Brands:
Lighting: Philips
Flooring: TAJIMA
Wall Paint: MYLANDS
Photography: Zhang Chao, Huang An
Text: Zhang Sen Text Working Group
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