China Science Academy Tech Campus

The China Science Academy (CSA) Tech Campus integrates sophisticated, state of the art buildings into a natural parklike setting to foster creativity, imagination and productivity among its tenants. Its unique design will become a prototype for urban modern science facilities in China.

LOCATION: Songjiang District, Shanghai, China

CLIENT: XIOPM Holding

SIZE: 100,000 SQ.M / 1, 076, 391 SQ.FT

STATUS: Design In Process, Expected Completion 2026

CATEGORY: Commercial – Tech Campus

The CSA campus organizes its incubators around a central park space that forms the spine and the focal point of the entire site. At its center is a reflecting pool and outdoor amphitheater which serves as a gathering space and social center for tenants to relax, enjoy and take a break from their intense research and development work. The arrangement and spacing of the buildings is meant to give maximum views and light to every building so that each tenant has visual connectivity to their natural surrounds.

The design of the incubator buildings is based on the notion of fractal geometry which allows each building façade to have its own distinct geometric pattern yet still remain related to the design of the campus as a whole. Fractals are geometric and arithmetic progressions that that infinitely repeat mathematically so that the smallest part of the pattern is related to the largest part. In design this allows patterns of various scales and shapes to be part of a whole and here the varied façade geometries can be seen as part of a singular design.

Despite the apparent contradiction of mathematically derived buildings and a natural landscape these two worlds are meant to support each other symbiotically. We used slightly reflective glass on all the buildings with multiple angled facets on the facades to reflect as much of the natural landscape so the buildings visually become part of the surrounding park. As well, abundant use of large glass areas from each floor allows unimpeded views out and multiple terraces on each building allow full integration of indoor and outdoor spaces.

The layout of the program elements also promotes interaction and communication among tenants within the site’s abundant outdoor space. By spreading out all of the key program elements throughout and providing an abundant pathway network the site naturally promotes personal encounters among the tenants as they traverse the site. The central park is a feature to be shared among all tenants and its prominent space in the center of the site with abundant trees and natural water features will become a central meeting place for all and an urban oasis within Shanghai.