Working closely with ISKL’s Board, faculty, students and parents, HOK has created a sustainable K-12 learning environment for the school’s 1,700 students. The building features a curved, north-south spine which connects the different teaching blocks. HOK’s design borrows from two aspects of traditional Malaysian architecture to improve thermal comfort: screens and shelter. An open undercroft creates sheltered spaces for socializing and dining, while naturally ventilated, covered walkways lead to the center of each teaching wing. Public elements are at the center of the campus, with the auditorium, recital hall, gallery, studio theatre and elementary school theatre all grouped around a central open plaza, forming the heart of the school. Passive solar design strategies drove the form and layout of the building, which is projected to use 60 percent less energy than the average school in similar hot, humid climates. (ISKL is Malaysia’s first school to achieve the World Wildlife Fund’s Eco-Schools Green Flag award, and the first school to r achieve Malaysia’s Green Building Index Platinum rating for sustainable design.) HOK collaborated with local architectural partner VERITAS Design on this project.