Four Tainan Schools Win National Excellence in Construction Award — Architecture Integrates Learning Spaces to Illuminate the Future

The winners of the 2025 National Excellence in Construction Awards have been announced, and Tainan City shone brightly in the highly competitive educational facilities category. All four schools recommended for the competition—Shalun High School, Liantan K–9 School, Anye Elementary School, and Xinshi Kindergarten—took home awards, earning one Excellence Award, two Gold Quality Awards, and one Quality Award. The results showcase Tainan’s strong capability in creating sustainable, friendly, and safe campus environments.

Mayor Huang Wei-Che expressed his appreciation for the joint efforts of the Education Bureau and the schools, highlighting Tainan’s commitment to high standards in architectural quality. He encouraged the Education Bureau and schools to continue building learning environments based on technology and sustainability—spaces that integrate smart technology with green energy. Tainan will keep promoting people-centered, eco-friendly design thinking to create an age-friendly, sustainable city of the future.

Education Bureau Director Cheng Hsin-Hui emphasized that a campus is not only a place for students to learn but also the starting point for dialogue with nature, interpersonal interaction, and exploration of the world. The four award-winning schools share core values of respecting local culture, harmonizing with nature, and inspiring learning. Through thoughtful spatial planning and rigorous construction quality, each new campus is more than a building—it is a tangible expression of educational values.

The Shalun High School reconstruction project, transforming it into a K–12 bilingual school, was designed by Malone Chang & Associates Architects and constructed by Sheng Fu Construction Co., Ltd. It received the Excellence Award, the highest honor in the Planning and Design category. Located in the heart of Shalun Green Energy Science City, it is the first municipal K–12 bilingual school in Taiwan. The campus is organized around a central “Learning Hub”, breaking away from the traditional grade-level zoning concept to connect learning spaces across age groups, fostering both horizontal interaction and vertical integration.

The starting point for igniting children’s knowledge and imagination.

The project also achieved dual certifications—Diamond-Level Green Building and Qualified-Level Intelligent Building—by incorporating systems such as rainwater harvesting, solar shading, and energy circulation. These features ensure that sustainability is no longer just textbook knowledge but an integral part of students’ daily learning experiences.

The Phase II construction of Liantan K–9 School, designed by Deko Architecture & Planning, won a Gold Quality Award in the Planning and Design category. The building volumes are connected to form an open central courtyard, allowing natural light and air to flow freely, creating a healthy and comfortable learning environment.

In terms of exterior colors, red, yellow, and blue accents are used to symbolize the school as a foundation for students, from which learning and application can create infinite possibilities.

The Xinshi Kindergarten, designed by Deko Architecture & Planning and constructed by Fan Hua Construction, won the Gold Quality Award in the Construction Quality category. The project not only had a solid design foundation but also demonstrated exceptional professionalism and meticulous execution during construction, precisely translating the design vision into a high-quality built environment.

The overall campus design emphasizes comfort, safety, and environmental friendliness. The roof uses materials with a low heat transfer coefficient, while large windows and well-planned natural ventilation pathways ensure excellent airflow. The transition between indoor and outdoor spaces is smooth, balancing shading, daylighting, and flexibility for children’s activities.

The building complex features a streamlined design complemented by a vibrant color scheme.

Wen-Hsiang and constructed by Fan Hua Construction, received the Quality Award in the Planning and Design category. The school and design team worked together to preserve valuable elements of the campus, including its treasured old trees and the iconic mushroom-shaped pavilion, carrying forward the school’s collective memory.

The new school buildings are staggered among the tree-lined grounds, allowing nature to become part of the classrooms. The design emphasizes a “nature-centered” spatial concept, creating a more welcoming learning environment while helping children understand the symbiotic relationship between people and the environment from an early age.

Pomelo-shaped staircase

The Education Bureau stated that the four award-winning projects not only demonstrate professional excellence in campus planning, design, and construction execution, but also highlight the city government’s commitment to the quality of educational spaces. Looking ahead, all design and construction teams are encouraged to continue advancing their capabilities—integrating school visions, community culture, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—to create distinctive, safe, disaster-resilient, and energy-efficient sustainable campuses. The goal is to ensure that students can grow and learn happily in a safe, healthy, and low-carbon environment.

Source：yes新聞