CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT
Campus Development >> New Performing Arts Center at Shanghai American School’s Pudong Campus In the fall of 2015, Shanghai American School (SAS) will be unveiling a new Performing Arts Center (PAC) at its Pudong campus. The facility will encompass more than 7,000 square meters spread over four stories, and will include a 750-seat theater, a Black Box theater, a Green Room, several classrooms, support spaces, as well as offices. One of the core values at SAS is the belief that, as global citizens, everyone has a duty to care for the earth and its inhabitants to ensure the wellbeing of humankind. Staying true to this belief, the design implements water conservation and sustainable energy practices into the building plans. For example, the PAC will be built and outfitted with green building materials: sustainable floor materials, such as bamboo and cork, carpet and fabrics with a National Sanitation Foundation rating of 140, as well as low Volatile Organic Compound paints and coatings are an integral part of the school’s efforts to stands behind its core values. Further, a building of this size would normally consume a significant amount of energy and water but SAS used sustainable design elements like LED light fixtures, solar thermal hot water heaters, and a high COP (coefficient of performance) heat pumps, all of which will help the school to lower its carbon footprint and conserve energy usage. Installation of water-saving bathroom facilities is also planned and SAS currently projects that it will save hundreds of thousands of gallons of water each year.The new PAC will also have a multilevel air filtration system. Particularly important in China, this modern air filtration system will include Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERV) technology that will directly lower PM 2.5 and CO2 levels for the health and safety of the school’s students and staff. The facility will be, without a doubt, one of the largest, most modern and energy efficient performing arts centers at a school in China. However, that was not the sole purpose behind building the new PAC. Shanghai American School’s themes and priorities as a school are continuing to advance 40 EARCOS Triannual Journal
educational excellence, investing in its community, and building futures. SAS believes that the PAC embodies these priorities. This new center will help ensure that students at Shanghai American School continue to excel in 21st century educational skills, such as critical thinking, cross-cultural understanding, communication, creativity, innovation, collaboration, curiosity, and risktaking. The Performing Arts Center will be an active, vibrant learning space for every student at SAS, and will offer teachers and students alike broader and richer educational experiences. While artistic performances will be held in the PAC, it is not solely intended as a performance center but also as a laboratory for everyone on campus to engage deeper in 21st century educational skills and practices. Shanghai American School’s desire is to continue to build upon a culture where a student can choose to be an academic, an artist and an athlete, without fear of mutual exclusivity that can naturally occur between these facets of student life. SAS also believes that the new facility will help continue to build its community of students, parents and educators. Not only will all come together to enjoy watching student-led and professional performances but the school also plans to further foster its community through cross-divisional engagement. This will come in many forms and include collaborative performances of all divisions and educational instruction amongst students of all ages. Shanghai American School takes pride in its history and is excited about its future. The new Performing Arts Center will contribute to ensuring that SAS remains at the forefront of international and innovative educational practices.
