Taipei City Xihu Elementary School｜Project Eco－Eco Box

“Learning is not the product of teaching. Learning is the product of the activity of learners.”

— John Holt

Xihu Elementary School is surrounded by rich ecological resources.

The school’s ecology classroom is used for group discussions, collaborative lessons, and research presentations during the school week. On weekends and during school breaks, it transforms into a base for Taipei’s gifted education ecological camps, housing collected seeds, specimens, and biodiversity field guides. However, outdated equipment and chaotic infrastructure have hindered both visual clarity and storage capacity, limiting the potential for innovative teaching. 

TRANSFORMING SPACE INSPIRING LEARNING 

Inspired by the idea of a “mobile museum,” the team replaced fixed walls with sliding glass doors to bring in natural light and open up the space. Movable display cabinets become the flexible core of the classroom, easily adapted to support group work, presentations, and collaborative teaching—offering an agile learning space for today’s ecological curriculum. 

A NEW MODEL FOR ECOLOGICAL EDUCATION 

To meet the needs of teaching, display, and storage, the design team reimagined the classroom inside and out. Adjustable display shelves and custom lightboxes enhance how specimens are presented and observed. Outdoors, perforated metal panels beautify the walls while serving as platforms for student work and course updates. This bold redesign improves the environment and creates space for exploration, creativity, and curiosity.