PKU UNIVERSITY OF LAW(Leo KoGuan Building) in Beijing, China by Kokaistudios

BALANCE ARCHITECTURE WITH LIGHT

A challenging project for the most prestigious University in China in the heart of its historical campus

In 2009 a prestigious American Foundation (The Leo KoGuan Foundation) and Beijing University invited Kokaistudios to design the building for the new faculty of law located in a prestigious location within the historical campus of China leading University. This particular site, where the pagoda symbol of the university is standing, required considerable effort in terms of design in order to find architectural answers that could satisfy and meld in a harmonious way the heritage elements; the beautiful natural environment and the new contemporary building. This prestigious project currently under construction and scheduled to be completed in mid 2010 is considered the milestone of a new era for Beijing University, and a symbol for better and more environmentally sustainable standard of living for the future University Community and for architectural buildings within that community.

Main Facade

• Architect: Kokaistudios
• Location: Beijing, China
• Project: PKU UNIVERSITY OF LAW(Leo KoGuan Building)
• Team: Andrea Destefanis, Filippo Gabbiani, Li Wei, Fang Wei Yi, Liu Wen Wen, Yu Feng
• Local Architect: BIAD
• Structure: BIAD
• Mechanics & Electricity: BIAD
• Project Area: 10,000 sqm
• Photography: Charlie Xia

Night view

In 2009 a prestigious American Foundation (The Leo KoGuan Foundation) and Beijing University invited Kokaistudios to design the building for the new faculty of law located in a prestigious location within the historical campus of China leading University. This particular site, where the pagoda symbol of the university is standing, required considerable effort in terms of design in order to find architectural answers that could satisfy and meld in a harmonious way the heritage elements; the beautiful natural environment and the new contemporary building. This prestigious project currently under construction and scheduled to be completed in mid 2010 is considered the milestone of a new era for Beijing University, and a symbol for better and more environmentally sustainable standard of living for the future University Community and for architectural buildings within that community.

Main Entrance

This project has been conceived on a rigid volumetric shape imposed by the strict regulation protecting the historical site and at the same time by the necessity to fulfill all the functional requirements of the new faculty. The rigorous style requested to be accepted by the large number of heritage commissions have been interpreted in creative way by Kokaistudios by proposing an elegant use of few materials, concrete plasters and local stones with capabilities to transmit day light and a clever use of skylights, sinking gardens in order to increase the use of natural light and thermal efficiency of the building.

Library Facade Detail

Kokaistudios transformed the facades to become light filters and diffusing soft daylight light all over the interiors. The entire system of internal spaces has been designed by our team so to upgrade the standards of working, living, and studying of the future professors and students, using sustainable materials and creating aggregation facilities and spaces that could satisfy the flexible demands of the faculty in the future.

Library

KOKAISTUDIOS BACKGROUND INFORMATION

FIRM INTRODUCTION

Kokaistudios is an award winning multi-disciplinary design firm founded in 2000 in Venice by Italian architects Filippo Gabbiani & Andrea Destefanis. Founded with the dream to create a collaborative office of young and talented architects devoted to researching and formulating the design solutions to the demands of tomorrow and capable of working on a worldwide basis; the firm has grown after 10 years into a team of 25 people headquartered in Shanghai, P.R.C.

Kokaistudios has completed over 120 projects in the last 7 years in all fields of design, and we have received numerous awards including the “Top 40 under 40 award” from Perspective magazine and 2 UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage awards for our the Bund 18 and Huai Hai Lu 796 projects.  Our focus remains firmly on working throughout Asia on challenging; interesting; and innovative projects, and to offering our clients creative solutions and the highest levels of service.

Court Hall

DESIGNER BIOGRAPHY

Andrea Destefanis

Kokaistudios – Founder and Chief Architect

Born in Turin, Italy from a family of Theater artists, Andrea Destefanis developed very early a strong interest for visual arts and scenography.  Growing up in a refined cultural environment he moved to live in Venice where completing his education at University of Architecture of Venice he started to cooperate with several architectural firms and developed award winning projects in architecture and city planning. Moved by his personal interest in different fields of design he founded a cooperative studio focused on research of innovative instrument of design in computer graphics. In 2000 he met with Filippo Gabbiani with whom he shares the same architectural vision and interest in heritage renovation and environmental design, and they started a deep cooperation with resulted in the founding of Kokaistudios. Since the establishment of Kokaistudios in 2002 in Shanghai, Andrea has resided full time in Shanghai where he jointly oversees Kokaistudios and focuses also on researching and promoting sustainable instruments of development for social and urban environment.

Education:

Graduated in Architecture at Istituto Universitario di Architettura

di Venezia, Venice, Italy.

Entrance Lobby

Filippo Gabbiani (Arkitekter MAA)

Kokaistudios – Founder and Chief Architect

Born in Venice, Italy, from a famous family of artists and glass makers, Filippo Gabbiani developed very early a multidisciplinary interest for art and design. Starting to cooperate with his family in designing and producing artistic glass he completed his studies at University of Architecture of Venice where he graduated with an innovative research sponsored by European Community on usage of alternative energies in architecture. Following his instinctive curiosity for different disciplinary and other cultures he worked in several countries in Europe and in U.S.A. cooperating with prestigious firms of architecture, interior and industrial design before meeting Andrea Destefanis with who founded Kokaistudios in 2000. From the establishment of the firm in Shanghai he move permanently to live in Asia where together with the mission of Kokaistudios he continue its personal research in artistic glass design and the cultural promotion of sustainable architecture and protection and preservation of heritage of Asia.

Education:

Graduate at Architecture University Institute of Venice IUAV (Venice, Italy).

Passage/Extention of Simulated Court

Facade Detail

Project Drawings

Project Drawings

Ground Floor Plan

Section A

Section B

Tags: Beijing, China

Categories: Sustainable Design, University Building

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