GAJ (Godwin Austen Johnson), one of the largest British architectural and design practices in the UAE, said it has completed work on a K-12 school in Dubai and handed it over to UAE holding company - Al Zarooni Emirates Investments.

 

Located in the City Walk area of Jumeirah, the new Citizens School has been conceived and developed by Al Zarooni Emirates Investments. 

 

On the Jumerirah project, GAJ said it has been designed to inspire and stimulate and features a teacher training foundation, excellence centre and K-12 school. 

 

The first of the key spaces - the reception, parent’s cafe, lobby and learning stairs - help create a welcoming, relaxed, and immediate contact point for students, parents, and teachers, stated the UK design practice.

 

Forming the heart of the school the wide interactive staircase with connecting views encourages interaction and enhances a sense of community and shared purpose. A large skylight floods the entrance area with natural daylight - a theme that is followed throughout the school, it added.

 

Explaining the concept, Jason Burnside, partner at GAJ, said: "Our design approach for this school was to create an inclusive and collaborative learning environment, an ecosystem to encourage young people to be active agents in their own development."

 

"Our goal was to create a learning environment that was a reflection of the culture, the values and the ethos of the school. The interior design of the dining hall, for example, concentrates on creating a space where mealtimes become an enjoyable, social, and educational moment," observed Burnside. 

 

"It reinforces an environment that is more than just a place to eat. This is a space which can be converted into an activity hub to strengthen the school community," he explained.

 

The Citizens School is double the size of other schools in the catchment area spanning 43,000 sq m. It has a 2,900 sq m sports field with football and rugby pitches adhering to Fifa and World Rugby standards as well as a six-lane semi-covered swimming pool. 

 

In the Foundation Zone the aim is to excite the children about learning and exploring, stimulating young imaginations, with its hide and seek exploration zone, private reading nooks as well as various playful and flexible elements such as soft seating, and large floor cushions, said Burnside. 

 

Natural finishes with sound absorbing materials are combined with colourful elements to create a safe and friendly learning space, he stated. 

 

"The nursery design is a light, neutral space punctuated by pops of vibrancy and whimsical shapes of assorted sizes. It features a storytelling zone with soft seating and cosy reading nooks and access to indoor and outdoor play areas," he added.-TradeArabia News Service