CAM Project Cambridge School Campus

  • Bucharest, Romania

    Location:

    Bucharest, Romania
  • 50,000 sqm

    Area:

    50,000 sqm
  • Newly Appointed 2016

    Status:

    Newly Appointed 2016
  • Type

    School Campus
  • Built Area

    20,000 sqm
  • Client

    Cambridge School
  • Local Architect

    SQA
  • Project Manager

    Renaud Jacqmin
  • Consulting Structural Engineer

    Marinela Mircescu
  • Consulting Mechanical Engineer

    Amber
  • Consulting Electrical Engineer

    Amber + Aurel Borcan
  • Consulting Landscape Architect

    Ana Marti Baron
  • General Concrete Contractor

    Colina Development SRL
  • General Finishing Contractor

    Colina Development SRL

We imposed a challenge upon ourselves - to create this school campus in a park as an extension of Bucharest’s Baneasa Forest rather than a series of traditionally juxtaposed buildings.

The site has pre-existing buildings from the communist era, and sits within a densely grown - and long-time neglected - space. The park absorbs historical layers and conflictions and creates a welcoming internal shared space for the students. For the students we’ve created a concurrent system of contrast and exchange between spaces of control and spaces of liberty. Control spaces (classrooms and teacher’s offices) are located in the reinvigorated communist-era buildings - their repetitive and systemic structure lends itself wholly to this. Connected to these are ‘the clouds’ - two spaces of liberty and free expression. Here we positioned the art classes, the music room, the gymnasium and the library; all the places where the student will experiment using their own skills and expression.

  • Plan 1
    Site Plan
  • plan 2
    Croquis
  • plan 3
    Conceptual Sketch
  • plan 4
    Conceptual Sketch 2
  • plan 5
    Conceptual Sketch 3
  • plan 11
    Mass Plan
  • plan 6
    Diagram 1
  • plan 7
    Diagram 2
  • plan 8
    Diagram 3
  • plan 9
    Diagram 4
  • plan 10
    Diagram 5

These clouds are elevated. With this sense of growth they are organic, and become an extension of the forest. Their light metallic finish absorbs the colour of the surrounding trees.

The exchange between the pre-existing buildings and the new ‘clouds’ happens through the landscape and the inserted activities that will link to a fifth, multifunctional, building housing many activities including a theatre, gymnasium and swimming pool. This building responds as a territorial landmark to the city of Bucharest - it becomes an attraction point not only to the students but also to the public.