Yamanashi Prefectural Seishu High School
A new learning hub where the community and three academic departments interact
This is a high school created by merging three high schools in the Kyonan region of Yamanashi Prefecture. The three different departments—General, Commercial, and Industrial—have each been carried over, and the school has been reborn as a credit-based comprehensive high school with these three departments.
Aiming for community-rooted architecture, we referenced the composition of "nagayamon" gates and inner courtyards scattered throughout the planned site of Ichikawadaimon, resulting in a layout consisting of a single-story community gate and a four-story main building with an inner courtyard.
In the design, we emphasized the architectural sequence. The community gate, which welcomes people broadly, is planned around industrial workshops that are not typically seen in normal school life, and the Seishu Hall, intended for community use, is located adjacent to the entrance. Passing through the gate and going up the stairs of the main building, the Academic Square unfolds—a library space surrounded by classrooms and special rooms where all students spend their time. Spiral circulation routes are planned from the library to each classroom, and scenes where students can discover each other's learning activities are arranged along these routes. In the adjacent courtyard, chorus practice and surveying exercises take place, and community-open concerts are also held. We hope that, centered around the Academic Square, the school will expand students' potential and continue to serve as a community hub.