Final design of the American School of Ras Al Khaimah. Rehabilitation of an Existing Building to an Elementary School and Kindergarten

The Ground floor (of approximately 2.690sqm) houses the Kindergarten and the Elementary School, comprising 3 and 9 classrooms respectively. The area also provides room for Gymnasium, Student Cafeteria and Offices.

The first floor (of approximately 1.310sqm) houses the Art Room, the Library and the Music Room along with rooms for administrative uses (offices).

Within the surrounding space there are two separate Yards for Elemenrary School and Kindergarten respectively, as well as an open car parking area.

Plot area : approximately 6.450sqm Building area : approximately 4.000sqm

The project was completed

in 2008

The total Plot area is 4877 m². The already existing building, as well as the green area, on the west of the existing peripheral wall, exceed the plot limits (part of the building is outside the plot limits).

The total plot area in our Site plan is therefore larger (6450 m²). This is an aggregation of the real building area (ground floor of 2692 m²), the eastern yard in front of kinder garden (979 m²), the sports court yard (1214 m²), and the green area on the west, outside the peripheral wall (1565 m²).

The building space on this floor is (according to the Drawings) a 2692m2 GFA. The north-western part of it seems to be outside the building plot limits.

Entrance.

The building retains the same (old) Main Entrance from the South, but with new arrangement in the Lobby. There is a Reception and an Accounting-Front Office nearby. There are two more entrances from the East and West, one more emergency exit  on the North and a separate entrance from the CUSTODIANS’ APARTMENT.

Student Cafeteria and Kitchen.

The Room on the western side of the entrance is connected to a yard on the outside and is rather “sonically isolated” from the rest of the classrooms, and is isolated far from the “silent” part of classrooms. It therefore seems as a right place for the Cafeteria. There is a kitchen which supports direct catering from the side Entrance.

Gymnasium (with complementary spaces).

The same, functional, side entrance and open space are also appropriate for the Gymnasium. Near the big closed Sports Hall there are storage rooms, a clinic, a coach office and WCs.

Custodian’ s Apartment.

Mainly serving “supervision reasons”, this apartment is located in the middle of the other rooms It also has its own entrance.

Offices – Classrooms.

Circularly located, around a central core of services’ rooms (WCs, E-M room, Storage) and between axes Nr 16-22 are classrooms and offices. The classrooms are on the northern part of the building because the light conditions are more appropriate there.

Kindergarten.

There are three Classrooms on the east side of the Building each with an open space area and a separate entrance. This one is also used as a Fire Exit for the building (in an emergency case).

Two internal doors separate the kindergarten from the rest of the ground floor area

The first floor is (according to the Drawings) a 1312m2 GFA. On its western side there is a terrace with an extra 223sqm surface.

Corridor and Lobby.

There are 282 m2 disposed for circulation on the first floor. Two main staircases lead us there. A third staircase is added on the right side serving as a FIRE EXIT .Like the floor below the corridor lies around a central core with Services (WCs, E-M

room, Storage).

Faculty Lounge with Kitchen.

This is laid on the side of the Terrace.

Computer Classrooms.

There are three classrooms oriented to the north.

Special Classrooms and Storages.

The Music and Art classrooms with their complementary spaces are on the eastern side of the floor. A Library and Media centre lies on the south.

Other Offices.

Some other offices are placed along the main Corridor between the two main staircases.

E-M Services

There is the possibility for E-M equipment to be placed above the main corridor and/or the Faculty Lounge. The northen staircase can access the upper level, or an external ladder from the terrace