2023’s Building Of The Year Is A ‘Floating Forest’ School
World Building of the Year: Approach Design Studio - Zhejiang University of Technology Engineering Design Group Co.,Ltd, image via World Architecture Festival / v2com newswire
As designers and architects gathered under the dazzling lights of Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, the World Architecture Festival unveiled its annual accolades. From a high school that doubles as a “floating forest” in China to a uniquely crafted multi-story house in Australia, the festival’s top honorees exemplify the transformative power of creativity erected in the real world.
These standout projects, along with others acknowledged at the event, exemplify the evolving landscape of architecture and design, where creativity, sustainability, and practicality intersect to shape the future of our built environment.
The crown jewel, the World Building of the Year, was awarded to Huizhen High School in China, designed by Approach Design Studio/Zhejiang University of Technology Engineering Design Group.
This architectural marvel, nestled in Ningbo City’s Jiangbei District, reimagines campus life with its “efficiency-first” design. Dubbed a “floating forest,” the school presents a stunning blend of nature and learning spaces and encourages the “wasting” of time in a wholesome way.
Classrooms are suspended within this verdant setting, linked by meandering paths and complemented by secluded treehouses that offer students a respite from academic rigors.
World Building of the Year: Approach Design Studio - Zhejiang University of Technology Engineering Design Group Co.,Ltd, image via World Architecture Festival / v2com newswire
World Building of the Year: Approach Design Studio - Zhejiang University of Technology Engineering Design Group Co.,Ltd, image via World Architecture Festival / v2com newswire
The school’s unique design extends to a sloping roof that serves dual purposes: a rooftop park complete with sports facilities, and an open-air lecture hall accessible to the public on weekends.
World Building of the Year: Approach Design Studio - Zhejiang University of Technology Engineering Design Group Co.,Ltd, image via World Architecture Festival / v2com newswire
World Building of the Year: Approach Design Studio - Zhejiang University of Technology Engineering Design Group Co.,Ltd, image via World Architecture Festival / v2com newswire
“We always try to explore the boundaries of architecture while making something that’s fun,” shares Di Ma, director at Approach Design Studio/Zhejiang University of Technology Engineering Design Group. “Our focus was not just about designing a school, or working with new forms, spaces, materials and facades, but about designing new school life and bringing the power of nature into the building.”
World Building of the Year: Approach Design Studio - Zhejiang University of Technology Engineering Design Group Co.,Ltd, image via World Architecture Festival / v2com newswire
“The building gives students a space to relax and relieve their stresses between their lessons,” Di Ma elaborates.
World Building of the Year: Approach Design Studio - Zhejiang University of Technology Engineering Design Group Co.,Ltd, image via World Architecture Festival / v2com newswire
World Building of the Year: Approach Design Studio - Zhejiang University of Technology Engineering Design Group Co.,Ltd, image via World Architecture Festival / v2com newswire
Paul Finch, the program director of the World Architecture Festival, praises the school for its innovative approach that contrasts starkly with traditional academic institutions. He highlights the design’s emphasis on leisure and reflection, facilitated by its unique “floating forest” and nature-centric architecture.
“We loved this building as it is unexpected, and delightful,” notes Finch. “The architects have managed to create a school which is very different to the usual model where students are boxed in and put under teaching and architectural pressure. By contrast, this design encourages, walking, fresh air and the possibility of reflection away from academic intensity.”
World Building of the Year: Approach Design Studio - Zhejiang University of Technology Engineering Design Group Co.,Ltd, image via World Architecture Festival / v2com newswire
“You are at your most relaxed when you are wasting time, but not wasting; instead enjoying walking to classrooms through a ‘floating forest’ with plug-in buildings and amenities, all with views of nature,” Finch details. “Simple materials are deployed for a combination of the innovative and the everyday. There are elements in this project that could be used for schools anywhere.”
World Interior of 2023
World Interior of the Year: Waterloo Street by SJB © Anson Smart, image via World Architecture Festival / v2com newswire
19 Waterloo Street by SJB in Australia claimed the World Interior of the Year title. This compact multi-story residence, nestled on a narrow strip beside a road, is described as a personal “wardrobe for the architect himself to live in.”
Despite its modest street presence, the interior unveils a harmonious array of rooms. Dotted with seemingly random openings, this serene urban retreat plays with limited space through a meticulously arranged stack of rooms, characterized by alignment, light play, and bespoke furniture and artwork.
World Interior of the Year: Waterloo Street by SJB © Anson Smart, image via World Architecture Festival / v2com newswire
Judges have lauded this project as a masterful blend of craft, detail, and innovation, transcending mere architecture to become a “pocket-sized tour de force.”
World Interior of the Year: Waterloo Street by SJB © Anson Smart, image via World Architecture Festival / v2com newswire
World Interior of the Year: Waterloo Street by SJB © Anson Smart, image via World Architecture Festival / v2com newswire
World Interior of the Year: Waterloo Street by SJB © Anson Smart, image via World Architecture Festival / v2com newswire
Future Project of 2023
Future Project of the Year: The Probiotic Tower by Design and More International © Karim Mousa - Founder and art director of Mozses, image via World Architecture Festival / v2com newswire
The Future Project of the Year was awarded to The Probiotic Tower by Design and More International in Egypt. This exprimental design proposes the repurposing of obsolete water towers into adaptive systems to combat climate change.
Central to the tower is a large algae bioreactor tank that absorbs CO2, complemented by a bamboo plantation and a facility for producing bamboo Cross Laminated Timber.
Future Project of the Year: The Probiotic Tower by Design and More International © Karim Mousa - Founder and art director of Mozses, image via World Architecture Festival / v2com newswire
Future Project of the Year: The Probiotic Tower by Design and More International © Karim Mousa - Founder and art director of Mozses, image via World Architecture Festival / v2com newswire
This sustainable scaffold is further enhanced with algae panels on the exterior, reed beds for wastewater treatment, and photovoltaic panels, underscoring its commitment to green efforts.
Future Project of the Year: The Probiotic Tower by Design and More International © Karim Mousa - Founder and art director of Mozses, image via World Architecture Festival / v2com newswire
Future Project of the Year: The Probiotic Tower by Design and More International © Karim Mousa - Founder and art director of Mozses, image via World Architecture Festival / v2com newswire
Future Project of the Year: The Probiotic Tower by Design and More International © Karim Mousa - Founder and art director of Mozses, image via World Architecture Festival / v2com newswire
