Child, always remember the mountains and waters of your hometown.
In early winter 2019, we received an invitation to design the K12 campus located in the Wuling Mountain region. At that time, the high-speed railway from Changsha to Jishou was still under construction. Due to weather conditions, our team’s weekly flight to Huaihua was rerouted to Guilin. After enduring a five-hour taxi ride in freezing rain, I finally arrived at the site, shrouded in evening mist. It was then I truly understood why the children of Xiangxi in Shen Congwen’s stories possessed such purity. As an outsider, I was overwhelmed by the complex emotions and challenges involved in integrating over 100,000 square meters of man-made structures into this untouched landscape.
Though American characters have few strokes, they seem difficult to decipher.
The eastern extension of Qianzhou Ancient City in Jishou Center stretches two kilometers, with a branch road embedded in the hills running directly south. This shared mountain pathway connects the campus to a residential area under construction to the north. At the road’s end, only a native path in the site’s northeast corner provides initial access. This path winds southward along the foothills, linking to a planned urban road on the site’s southern edge, effectively separating the hills—which cover three-quarters of the site—from the relatively flat valley area. The site’s elevation changes by approximately 52 meters.
The original path captures the natural contours of the mountain.
The dense vegetation along the valley still largely retains its original state, completely isolating the area from the noise of the nearby western town and construction machinery atop the mountain. Supported by the occasionally exposed rough rock formations, recently cleared of surface debris, the Hangrui Expressway snakes through the cliffs, connecting the Tianjiri Mountains to the east and south.
Our ancestors taught us to persist in our ideals through the classic tale of moving mountains. Facing this site, our commitment is to preserve the original mountain shape and topography. I firmly believe these timeless, immovable stone mountains form the environmental foundation that shapes this landscape and nurtures the pure human nature essential for children here to grow as true “locals.”
To thrive in this land, structures must be resilient and robust.
The path, outlining the mountain’s natural form, serves as the guiding framework for the site’s initial planning. The slightly widened path becomes the campus’s main thoroughfare, with nodes at either end leveling into the primary entrances for the 3-12 and 13-18 age groups. The flat valley to the west of the path is designated as the main cultural and living area, while the clustered mountains to the east accommodate the primary teaching spaces.
The three main building volumes for the primary, junior high, and high school run parallel to the contour lines, positioned at about half the mountain’s height to preserve the hilltop. Within each volume, the terrain’s undulations are further expressed by varying the building height in a two-floor twist, allowing observers to perceive the mountainous landscape through the architecture itself.
Site profile analysis in hilly terrain.
Accommodating over a hundred teaching classes demanded a large number of outdoor sports fields, presenting a significant challenge in preserving the original environment. Although the valley’s terrain is flat, its area is limited, requiring cutting into more than one-third of the mountain to fit the facilities. After careful consideration, the 400-meter running track for senior students was placed on a plateau with gentle slopes southeast of the site. The soil and rock excavated during surface clearing and leveling were used to fill the valley, raising its elevation. This elevated valley now supports cultural, sports, and living spaces, including sports fields for younger students and various ball courts.
The site’s proximity to a highway tunnel restricts the use of disruptive methods such as blasting. We revisited and refined the site treatment plans multiple times during conceptual and detailed design phases, employing various software simulations to minimize earthworks. To simplify foundation work in the filled areas, the design strategically places functions like activity venues, garages, and shuttle stations—spaces that do not require natural lighting—beneath the elevated platform, maximizing the use of this newly created space.
Growing up under the wind and sun, my skin darkens while my eyes remain as clear and bright as the surrounding green mountains and pristine waters.
Within a broader strategic framework, the team’s vision for spatial intervention is gradually taking shape—aiming to ensure that the experience of the original environment goes beyond mere observation.
To address the long circulation routes inside the linear building volumes and to enhance the dialogue between the buildings and the western mountain environment, each teaching volume is oriented toward the western mountain. From these volumes, several perpendicular “branches” extend outward from the contour lines.
After calculating the rotation angle for each group, the mountain-facing surfaces of the “branches” form a frame integrating circulation cores and protruding platforms. The enclosed spaces between these branches, facing the mountain, serve as “private gardens” for each department. Cascading along the mountain slope, these volumes house rich scenario- and project-based learning spaces. The platforms have been scaled to echo the original valley experience, offering children spaces to relax during breaks and providing interesting routes between living and teaching areas.
△ Profile analysis
The overhead corridor connecting floors serves as an efficient pathway linking teaching, sports, and living spaces during compact class schedules. It also provides a space for students to relax and occasionally reflect alone on their way home. Large openings and elevated stairs in the main building blend the sounds of reading with the rustling of trees. The vertically twisted roof serves as an outdoor sketching venue for children and symbolizes their hopes for the distant world beyond the mist-covered mountains.
What followed proved to be profoundly important, and most importantly, this process shaped who you are.
In Shen Congwen’s “Border Town,” mountains separate people but never divide their emotions. It is these mountains that nurture and refine a purity, beauty, passion, and complexity that remain full of thought and spirit. The rural sentiments he describes are tinged with an inescapable sorrow, yet at their core lie positivity, endurance, and an undeniable human beauty. Educators often speak of cultivating “patriotism and global vision.” For me, my family and country are deeply rooted in the mountains and waters where I was raised.
With over a decade of experience designing primary and secondary school campuses, we have always believed in the profound influence of environment on human nature. Whether located in bustling cities or mountainous regions, within specific cultural contexts or usage patterns, each project possesses unique characteristics. Some reveal themselves quietly to the designer, awaiting discovery, while others remain hidden among living beings, requiring thoughtful exploration.
△ General layout plan
△ Stacked floor plan
△ Main entrance high-rise floor plan
After a two-year delay, the design and construction have largely been completed. The process was full of challenges, but we are fortunate to have worked on this project. Initially, our team called ourselves “Xiangwai,” aiming to explore “meaning” through form. Now, after many years, I see that by extracting and expressing each project’s unique characteristics, we have developed a methodology for seeking the “beyond the obvious.”
Project Information
Architectural Photography: Cui Xufeng, Time Difference Imaging
Project Details
Project Name: Jishou Zhongchi Xiangjun Lide School
Owner: Jishou Zhongchi Education Consulting Management Co., Ltd.
Location: Jishou City, Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture
Design Period: December 2019 – July 2020
Completion (Phase I): June 2021
School Capacity: 105 classes (K-12)
Site Area: 10.07 hectares
Building Area: 107,100 square meters total / 44,500 square meters (Phase I)
Design Team: Xiangwai Construction Studio, School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shandong Jianzhu University
Lead Architect: Liu Weibo
Project Architects: Zhang Zengwu, Yu Wenyuan (Phase I); Jiao Ertong, Zhang Hongchuan (Phase II)
Construction Drawing Design Team
Architecture: Liu Sitong, Li Xinhui, Chen Kuisheng, Yang Xiujin, Zhou Houpeng, Wang Lei
Structure: Wei Peng, Shao Changhao, Wang Meijie, Fan Xiulei, Yang Tong, Chen Weijun, Deng Xinyi
Equipment: Guo Guangrui, Wang Yansong, Liu Hongkui, Wu Ying, Dai Lisheng, Zhou Shaohui
Electrical: Han Qi, Teng Fei, Hu Qingyuan, Jiang Tianliang, Zhang Fengfei, Bi Jingyu
Landscape Design: Ding Guoxun, Fan Luyan, Yuan Yan, Liu Yaozong, Lv Xixi, Wen Jie, Meng Xiangyu
Interior Design: Wang Yiqun, Zhang Lu, Qin Feifei, Shi Dekang, Yan Jinxuan, Xu Junli
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