Red bricks serve as a gateway to history and time, embodying the strength of materials and structures. When human creations blend with nature, their return to simplicity reflects a vibrant vitality, lending the campus a gentle and beautiful atmosphere.
Located in Zhongkai District, Huizhou City, the project covers 26,603 square meters. Honghua School is a private primary school jointly established by the owner and South China Normal University, an institution with nearly a century of history. The school inherits the excellent educational traditions of South China Normal University.
The primary design focus was to deeply explore the historical evolution of this prestigious school, creating a symbolic main entrance and an educational building that conveys solemnity and dignity within a modern campus setting.
Disorderly / Ordered
To honor the school’s heritage and educational vision, red bricks were chosen to maximize the expression of the campus’s rich humanistic history. Originating in ancient Babylon, red bricks have endured through time. Their antique, textured surface reflects the layers of human history embedded in the building’s facade.
△ Material sample selection
After two rounds of testing with overly mottled and insufficiently deep colors, the final red brick material was selected in the third round for this project.
Three types of dark red split bricks, uniform in size but with varying shades, are randomly combined. This rich texture honors native materials and adds a unique historical charm to the campus through its natural colors and tactile quality.
Mega Structure / Detail
The corner staircase draws inspiration from a bell tower, creating a soaring volume that serves as a visual focal point. The clock tower’s exterior omits traditional clock faces and intricate lines, instead incorporating the school’s logo to enhance its visibility. The interplay of horizontal and vertical elements results in a balanced, dignified composition.
Before selecting building materials, a well-balanced composition was established to support the red brick walls. Tall, imposing colonnades were added around Building 8 to enhance the building’s sense of stability and order.
To enrich the facade dominated by red bricks, horizontal white lines were selectively introduced, enhancing the building’s mass and adding richness and vitality to the facade’s elements and colors.
Architectural details mainly constructed from red bricks offer a fresh interpretation of traditional materials. Their intricate masonry and natural hues create lively shadows under sunlight, evoking a sense of time accumulated since the campus’s inception.
Bright / Dark
Walking through the campus, one encounters spaces filled with mystery and striking light and shadow. The charming red brick buildings are beautifully accentuated by these natural light effects.
The colonnades, square, raised floors, and moldings, all adorned with red bricks and bathed in sunlight, create a rich natural light and shadow display that fosters a relaxed and joyful atmosphere on campus.
Limited / Vague
The first floor features an elevated staircase designed for student activities and relaxation. The courtyard enclosed by the outer colonnade integrates seamlessly with the elevated stairway, simultaneously defining and blurring indoor and outdoor boundaries to create an open, unified campus experience.
This interplay of layered spaces, soft diffused light, and timeless materials aims to evoke a dynamic and organic spatial atmosphere within a solemn yet elegant architectural environment.
A careful selection of materials, harmonious composition, and meticulous attention to detail have ensured this project’s seamless execution from concept to completion, achieving a high level of refinement.
△ Design sketches © Li Ming, Chief Architect and Director, Botao Architecture
Red bricks emerge from the earth and carry a subtle weight. We look forward to this red brick showcase at Honghua School in Huizhou, which expresses the beauty of architecture and the importance of education, leaving a timeless red brick landmark in Zhongkai District.
Project Drawings
Project Details
Project Name: Building 8, Huizhou Honghua School
Location: Huizhou, Guangdong
Owner: Huizhou Hongyi Real Estate Group
Lead Designer: Li Ming
Design Team: Zhang Guangliang, Zhu Guangnan, Jiang Xin
Land Area: 26,603 square meters
Total Construction Area: 8,450 square meters
Project Photography: Chen Guiming
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