The Malaysian Academy of Han Studies is a new school in Malaysia which aims to build and function as a self-sustaining community. Parents, teachers, staff and children all live together, learning and teaching with the academy on a fully charitable and donated site.
Blending a Malaysian roof vernacular with an inverted Chinese historical community architecture, the centre is a contemporary fusion of tradition and new ideas.

Location

Status

Client

Architect

Local Architect

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(Concept)
The heart of the school’s curriculum and function lie in the core principles of Confucianism, Taoism, and ultimately Buddhism. The form of the academy is inspired by the Tulou Clusters in southern China and creates an inclusive village atmosphere, whilst promoting circulation of people, energy and ideas alongside the ventilation and light that flows through the buildings louvered walls.
(Facade)
The MAHS facade is composed of prefabricated panels that span around each drum. Each panel is broken down into three zones, allowing for different combinations of materials, and creating an engaging yet simple façade.
(Natural Cooling)
studio505 studied and utilised the prevailing winds of the Melaka region to incorporate passive cooling into the building’s design. A combination of minimal partitions and louvered walls on the building’s façade allows for excellent cross-ventilation at body level, providing natural and energy-efficient cooling.
(Landscape)
The landscape of MAHS is both productive and leisure based. Designed to be worked by the on-site populations and to connect people to the land through wholesome work, the school can produce more food than required for its entirely vegetarian population, such that it can also contribute produce and value-added goods to the greater market in an export model economy.

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Phoenix Valley

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Queen Street Mall

Malaysian Academy of Han Studies