30th July 2014,
With its impressive facade and thoughtfully designed classrooms, Pin Hwa High School is now setting a new standard in school design – one that promotes devotion to education.
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Established in the 1960s, Pin Hwa High School has stood steadily past the trials of time, and throughout the years, this school has steadfastly delivered thousands of high scorers that currently are and will pose as the leaders of tomorrow – all thanks to the passion and dedication of those who lead and run the school. When it came to refurbishing the building, the same level of zeal and devotion was applied, not just by the headmistress herself but also the interior designer who is a former student.
“For the refurbishment of the school, we had commissioned Beng Yeow (known as Jesse) from D, Concepto Design to help us out,” says Pin Hwa’s headmistress. “It’s a wonderful advantage that Jesse’s a former student of Pin Hwa High School because the design of the school would come from someone who understands our school.”
What prompted the refurbishment is a recent case of termite infestation. But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise because the refurbishment of the school has consequently transformed the old and dated school structure into a 8-storey contemporary institutional building that now stands proudly in the heart of Klang.
However, termite issues aside, the prime purpose of the school’s refurbishment was really to fulfil the spatial requirements needed to cater to the increasing number of student enrolment. With 200 new students enrolling into the school each year, more classrooms and activity spaces are definitely needed. The headmistress is adamant that no matter how many students there are, it is imperative that every student experiences the best educational environment.
Taking cue from this brief, Jesse proceeded to work on the main structure of the refurbishment which includes the planning of a series of new and old spaces. “Through this refurbishment exercise, the school’s board of directors planned for a new 8-storey administrative office in the central block of the school, a left and right wing to accommodate the student classrooms as well as laboratories,” says Jesse who has also been requested to upgrade the interior design of the English Learning Centre and the hostel block of the school. “The new 8-storey building linking to the old school building now holds an English Learning Centre, auditorium, library, classrooms and a swimming pool on the roof top.”
On top of this, large open spaces as well as features that ensure better learning, safety and health must be though of. Above all, the headmistress has requested for spaces where students, parents, teachers and school staff can interact, study and work with ease. “When it comes to a conducive environment for study and learning, many things are vital,” she says. “These include good ventilation, adequate lighting, an attractive façade as well as practical, fun and updated interior space design.
Jesse couldn’t agree more as he believes that interiors and furnishing play an essential role in creating an accessible and enjoyable experience for students. “We have used a universal design concept to achieve this which allows for environmental de-stigmatization,” Jesse shares. “It was important that we made the interior spaces of the school as welcoming as possible for students. Hence, discrete security features along with unconventional designs and colour motifs were used.”
Granted, designing a school at this scale is no easy feat. Throughout the design and construction process, there have been many challenges – time was one of them. “Creating a design as effective as this and as close to the requirements of the school’s board of directors was no stroll in the park,” Jesse says. “Also, everything has to be completed within a short frame of time – it was certainly not easy chasing a tight deadline when there are many details to be implemented. But eventually, with good input from the headmistress and our team’s meticulous planning, we managed to get it done in time.”
All the hard work has truly paid off. Today, Pin Hwa is garnering much attention with its impressive design – teachers, students and the public are definitely pleased with the outcome. “The colourful design of the buildings exterior as well as its contemporary design and 8-storey tall building is extremely outstanding and catches the attention of many,” the headmistress comments with a smile. “I am truly happy this has been a great success.”
