Eishin Campus – High School: Campus Pedestrian Streets Network

1986 to 1989

Nihongi 112-1, Iruma-shi, Saitama Prefecture, Japan

Educational, Realized , Construction completed in 1989

The Eishin Campus pedestrian network includes a main square connected to the homebase wide street, narrow streets, arcaded alleys, paths and courtyards, fences, gates and terraces. It starts with a small square in front of the small gate, continues with the entrance street stretched up to the main gate, which leads into the main square. The main square, facing the lake, leads into the homebase street, which is the heart of the High School. The main homebase street is formed by the individual homeroom buildings. It is a wide, lively, sunny street, which creates a forum where the students can come together outdoors, as a larger group, and where lively activity can unfold. Gates were designed to invite the visitor to continue along the paths and streets of the site, as well as to create an act of entrance and passage.

Client:

Higashino High School - Hisae Hosoi, Managing Director

C.E.S. staff:

Christopher Alexander, Hans-Joachim Neis, Gary Black, Ingrid Fiksdahl-King

Contractor:

Center for Environmental Structure, Japan

Project cost:

$1,500,000

Design and construction process:

The design of the landscape for the Eishin School Campus is created by, and influences the buildings on the site. The intent was to create a complete environment to compel learning and creativity in the most positive and beautiful way. Various elements designed into the landscape work to create this harmonious atmosphere, of which the following are examples. Gates were designed to invite the visitor to continue along the paths and streets of the site, as well as to create an act of entrance and passage. The main homebase street is formed by the individual homeroom buildings. It is a wide, lively, sunny street, which creates a forum where the students can come together outdoors, as a larger group, and where lively activity can unfold. In between the buildings, small gardens are created, separated from the activity of the street by fences. Other gardens are formed along the galleries which connect the rooms of the faculty hall. In front of the lounge is a teacher's garden for resting and enjoyment. The lake was created as a major element of the campus. In the early phase of design for the school, teachers and students indicated that one element they felt most important to be a part of the school, was a body of water. It is a focus for activity, with ducks and boats accessible by students, as well as for quiet reflection and beauty. A wooden bridge arches over the lake, making the entire campus accessible.

Project stages:

Layout on the site by clients and C.E.S. Direct construction management and on-site design decisions Budget and subcontractors under C.E.S. control

Content of

Project

Eishin Campus - High School 1982 to 1995

Nihongi 112-1, Iruma-shi, Saitama Prefecture, Japan

Educational, Realized , The first largest part was completed in 1985, the second part in 1988, and one more building was added in 1995

Client:

Higashino High School - Hisae Hosoi, Managing Director

C.E.S. staff:

Christopher Alexander, Hans-Joachim Neis, Gary Black, Ingrid Fiksdahl-King, Artemis Anninou, Astrid Chwoika, Neville Mathias, Eleni Coromvli, Ken Petermann, Robert M. Walsh, Randall Schmidt, Hajime Odagiri, Kohsuke Izumi, Hiroshi Nakano, Takeshi Ishikubo, Tamio Shiohara

Contractor:

Fujita Corporation, Tokyo, Japan

Project cost:

$11,000,000 in 1985 $14,000,000 in 1988

Design and construction process:

The work on the design and construction of the project performed by C.E.S. was divided in five phases. 1) Creation of a pattern language; 2) Layout on the site; 3) Design of the individual buildings; 4) Working drawings; 5) Construction 1) The first step in the project was to create a pattern language for the school. This was achieved by spending a total of 1200 man-hours discussing the many requirements with the various teachers, professors and staff of the Eishin School. The results of these interviews and discussions were condensed into a coherent vision, which was written up in the form of patterns (a written documentation that describes a physical reality). A copy of the pattern language that was created had been included as part of the submission to the client. 2) The next step in the process was to lay out the various buildings and outdoor spaces on the site. The main goal in this step was to position the buildings so that they form positive outdoor spaces, and to use stakes to mark the corners so that all of the concerned parties can get an actual physical sense of how the site will feel when the buildings were built. When the site felt as though it was laid out just right, the position of each building was recorded. From this record an overall site plan was drawn. At the same time that this process was going on, a large-scale site model was under continuous development in the C.E.S. office in Japan, where the users could see it and discuss it, day by day, as the work proceeded. This played an important role in helping to establish a direct connection between the users, and the site plan of the finished campus. 3) The third step in the process was the design of the individual buildings. In the Eishin School project, 35 buildings in all were designed. During this phase, various types of construction were considered which could capture the vision of the project. Some of the buildings were designed as concrete block, some were plastered concrete, and others were constructed out of heavy timber. 4) In the fourth stage, preparation of working drawings and permission, C.E.S. did its own engineering and construction estimation. Many of the buildings have unique engineering behavior, which was developed on the C.E.S. computer programs by the C.E.S. engineering staff. C.E.S. also did extensive full-scale mock-ups of crucial materials and construction details during this stage, to guarantee that the final buildings would have the emotional reality with project staff was seeking. 5) In the construction phase of the project C.E.S. worked with Fujita Construction Company, the sixth largest construction company in Japan. During this phase, C.E.S. kept a full scale on-site office in place throughout the work, and had its own staff working closely with the details of the buildings, every single day. Many on-site changes, decisions and details of the buildings were made as the construction proceeded. Because of our method of cost accounting, these changes were made without increasing the cost of the finished project.

Project stages:

Pattern language for the project by clients and C.E.S. Layout on the site by clients and C.E.S. Generic rules for urban growth process Use of full scale mock-ups Design Development and Construction Drawings done after layout Construction management a

The High School is the part of the Eishin Campus that was constructed, with a total construction area of 12,000 square meters. It is a complex of thirty-five buildings, with pedestrian colonnaded streets, gates and gardens, and a lake with ...

Contents

Drawings

Eishin Campus - High School: Campus Pedestrian Streets Network: Sketches 01/01/1986

Architectural Design, Sketches, Perspective

Designers:

Christopher Alexander, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Medium:

Original on Paper

Size:

8 1/2"x11"

Perspective of part of the exterior landscape for the Eishin School campus and the pedestrian network.

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References

Scientific Research

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