A research team led by Prof. Zhu Jingxiang of the School of Architecture at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has developed an advanced architectural system for the construction of the New Bud Study Hall in Sichuan this summer, based on the experience of building the first New Bud Primary School at Xiasi village in Sichuan’s Jiange County, The new Study Hall is built to outperform the first New Bud Primary school in energy efficiency and space design, while retaining critical distinguishing features of the first school, such as earthquake resistance, durability and a short construction time of only two weeks. The new Study Hall is located in a remote minority village, Dazu, a hilly region of an altitude of 2,600 m on the border of Sichuan Province.

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The design is a compact single - storey building housing three classrooms and a reading space, without wasting the precise 260 sq. meter space on corridors. Each room has distinct proportions and orientation in order to give its users a clear sense of location when inside. The classrooms are divided by translucent partition walls without keep out noise but allow light to enter. The Study Hall is abundant in scenic views of the nearby Lugu Lake and the village fabric. A simple timber-trellis cladding design allows the Study Hall to fit into the vernacular of the village while reducing the consumption of the raw timber required to build such a space.