Location: King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia.

Architect: INNOCAD architecture.

The World Academy at King Abdullah Economic City in Saudi Arabia has a mission to provide “Education for Life” to its K-12th grade students through a rich international curriculum and high educational standards. The school’s innovative interior design is based on two spatial filters: “we places” for communication and “me places” for individual recreation and group learning. The school’s interior is organized into six clusters, each with a “market place,” “assembly space,” and “knowledge space.” Each cluster has a particular color-code in its interior, symbolizing student affiliation, and a modular desk system that follows this color scheme. The design intention is to harmonize education’s physical, virtual, and social world, offering enhanced environments for “New Learning.” The transparent interior encourages student creativity through glass surfaces and white writable walls. The space, pedagogical approach, and technology prepare students for a professional future involving communication and collaboration with others. The school’s design fosters interaction between mixed age groups and promotes students’ well-being, creativity, and ability to learn. Overall, the school is progressive in both its design and social viewpoint, differing from typical school structures and concepts.

Photo credit: Paul Ott.