UWCSEA Campus Labs

As discussions about the expiry of the UWCSEA lease on Dover Road in Singapore progressed, and our move to Tengah had yet to be decided, it became clear that whatever the outcome, we would need to transform our learning environment to be able to deliver our Learning Programme on a smaller plot of land. This would mean designing new facilities, with careful planning for a new ‘school of the future’.

With this in mind, the College leadership teams began to explore what the future of UWCSEA in Singapore could look like and launched 21 “Campus Design Labs.” These labs brought together volunteers and experts from both East and Dover campuses to imagine what a next-generation campus could offer.

Leveraging the experience of East Campus which was inaugurated in 2011 at Tampines, this was a dynamic, cross-campus collaboration to identify the key elements of a UWCSEA campus and envision how we might deliver our outstanding learning experience in a second sustainable, purpose-built campus. Over the course of 18 months, the labs engaged in research, collaboration, and visualisation to map out ideas, concepts, and key considerations for each aspect of campus life. The result was a series of specialised briefs that played a crucial role in guiding the formal concept and design tender process for a new campus.

Read on to learn more about these exciting and forward-thinking labs and how they helped shape the vision for UWCSEA in Singapore!

Aman Singh Chauhan, Director of Campuses Development, UWCSEA

Aman explains how this collaborative approach to campus development planning is aligned with our College mission, and how these initial steps are setting us on a positive path forward as we start to plan for moving from Dover Road to Tengah.

"The Campus Design Labs were created in order to help us to tap into the expertise and experience across the College to truly design what the features of a UWCSEA campus should be."

Our 21 Campus Design Labs

Infant School • Junior School • Middle School • High School • OED, Activities, PE • Environmental • Sustainability and Service • DT, Digital Learning, Innovation • Boarding House • Performing and Visual Arts • Wellness and Counselling • Science Labs and Practical Spaces • Libraries • K-12 Recreational / Play Space • Learning Support • Building Sustainability, Biomimicry, Landscape • Dining Services • Campus Safety, Security, Parking, Bus Bay • Community Engagement (Parents, Alumni, Partners) • Community Interface and Experience • Infrastructure • Future of Work, Office Design and Clustering

"For us as a community to be planning a move to an area which is going to be the flagship sustainability area of Singapore, and for us to potentially be at the heart of that, it doesn’t get much better than that for a school with a mission like ours."

Ellie Alchin, Director of Teaching and Learning, UWCSEA Dover

Ellie explain how Tengah fits with UWCSEA's values and mission, how to plan for an uncertain future, and the importance of continued commitment to our current campus on Dover Road.

You can watch Ellie delve into more detail here.

INNOVATION with Tim Lovatt, Head of Digital Learning, K-12, UWCSEA Dover

We sat down with Tim to discuss the Innovation Campus Labs, where his team found input and inspiration, and their key findings for incorporating Innovation into our new campus.

"It's how we design a school for the future, as opposed to a building for the future, with a school in it."

MIDDLE SCHOOL with Cameron Hunter, Head of Campus, UWCSEA Dover

Cameron talks about the Campus Labs process and why it's a vital effort that not only benefits our campus of the future, but our current teaching and learning on Dover and East.

"Tengah is part of the Singapore journey. And I think we’ve been part of the Singapore journey. I feel that the work that we’re doing now to help get there is just a little bit a part of that UWC Singapore relationship, and I feel quite excited about that. "

JUNIOR SCHOOL with Andrea Strachan, Primary School Curriculum Coordinator, UWCSEA Dover

Andrea shares her Campus Lab's vision for our youngest learners in the Infant and Primary schools.

"I think what’s really important to remember is that a school isn’t just a physical space, it’s a community of people. And so when we’re moving from one learning space to another, what doesn’t really change is that community. The community can move to that new space, but the mission that drives us is still there."

PLAY SPACES with Pauline Markey, Principal of Primary School, UWCSEA East

Pauline led our Campus Lab focused on Play Spaces. Here, she explains why these spaces are important to our entire community, not just our youngest members.

"Play doesn't stop when you start to grow up. So when we were looking at all our projects and our brief, we were looking at children from our four-year-olds right up to our 18-year-olds."

GREEN BUILDING with Gowtham Kanagaraj, Sustainability Planner, UWCSEA

Along with colleagues from Dover and East, Gowtham led a Lab focussed on Building Sustainability, Biomimicry and Landscape. They looked at how our physical spaces and operations might further support our mission-aligned sustainability goals in a campus of the future.

"We gained valuable insights into the interdisciplinary functions across the campus and the complexity of the entire ecosystem. This highlighted the need to focus more on these functions and to build a greener campus that meets their needs while ensuring a sustainable future."