INTERNATIONAL DESIGN PROJECT
Climate-inspired
Adam Letch
King’ s College School reimagines the design of learning environments in the Bahamas, moving toward a contemporary, climateresponsive, and communitycentred approach.
Designed by SAOTA for the Inspired Education Group, the King’ s College School campus reflects a broader shift in education that prioritises adaptability, collaboration, and a deeper connection to place.
Traditionally, classroom blocks facing outwards beneath deep verandas or within symmetrical structures have defined Caribbean school architecture. King’ s College School challenges this convention by introducing a continuous base structure
– a“ plinth” – that anchors the campus and creates an interconnected network of learning spaces.
Above this, classroom volumes rise at varying heights, establishing a dynamic rhythm that echoes the fragmented yet unified nature of the Bahamian archipelago. The island’ s cultural and environmental realities shape the design, drawing from Bahamian vernacular architecture, where shading, ventilation, and natural materials are essential to comfort and longevity.
52 summer 2025-26 | www. tobuild. co. za