The project is a nature centric campus in the tropics. It is a tertiary education institution, Center for Banking Studies, in an urban area of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It comprises 3 levels of podium and 3 levels to academic spaces connected by a circulation spine, with a total area of 27,000sqm on a 1.5 hectare land. The design aims to embrace nature to achieve an environment that allows better people connection and closer interaction with nature.

The design requirements by the client were brief and with a direction for a forward-looking progressive campus that could bring about conducive learning experience for the students.

The architectural design takes inspiration from the tropical context and it subtly resonates the rich Khmer culture of Cambodia to create a sense of place for the users. As it is a relatively dense campus with many usable spaces packed into a 6 levels of spaces. The overall massing of the blocks is fragmented into environmental deck levels with the intention of bring about more intimate scale for the students. Lush greenery is injected into all levels to increase the green footprint of the area. The circulation at the lower communal decks are planned to be fluid to enable more social interaction and a great sense of outdoor.

A passive design approach is adopted to the overall planning and building form. The building orientation is north-south axis to minimize direct heat gain and the porosity is optimized to encourage cross ventilation within the spaces. Most of the spaces around the campus are naturally ventilated so as to reduce on the use of energy and bring about better wellness for the users. Within the central spine, two large atrium spaces maximize air movement, natural light and visual connection between floors. It is an essential green relief space that all students would closely experience.

Natural materials such as locally sourced bamboo, bricks, laterite stones are incorporated with the landscape and façade for materiality and texture. The use of off form concrete from bamboo and timber form works, has a sustainable intent to minimizes the use of expensive wall finishes and for a durable future. One of the highlights is the arrival porch that fuses with the landscape and expresses the timber texture in a reinforced concrete shell structure. The use of bamboo as form work is also extensively carried throughout the campus, in the form of planter boxes and wall finish.