Constructed on the rich green hills in the suburbs of Kisarazu City in Chiba Prefecture, the Gyosei International School No. 2 Gym is mainly for use as a gymnasium and hall for the elementary school. This Catholic school was built in 1979 as a sister school of Gyosei Gakuen with the Society of Mary as the parent body, and has elementary, junior and senior high schools located on the campus.
The No. 2 Gym is located in the ground zone in the middle of the campus, with the elementary school on the northern side and the junior and senior high schools on the southern side, and acts as a node, connecting the schools. There are mountains to the west of the site, with the gymnasium situated on the northern side, a small ground on the southern side, and a promenade on the eastern side. Also, the long side of the gymnasium is parallel to the axis of the management building, which is also the center of the campus, designed to give good coordination to the overall campus layout.
Both the roof and the walls are covered with the same Galvalume folded plates, designed to give a simple rectangular shape and harmony with the existing white school buildings. The eastern side of the roof extends out about four meters, creating a large pent roof and the impression of the main entrance. Also, by lighting up the large pent roof, it also becomes the lighting equipment for the promenade.
The floor plan of the central arena measuring 33 by 20 meters is also symmetric, with a storage area on the western side, and same-shaped stairway and service function area on the eastern side. Laminated lumber of larch is used for the inside of the arena, and the birch plywood and the soft sunshine from the polycarbonate boards which are the same shape as the exterior walls create a space with a warm feeling. The sun shining through the three slits in the exterior walls creates rich expressions during the course of the day.
The structure plan was to create a space with a simple, continuous gate-shaped frame using laminated lumber and steel, and with the roof purlines and the horizontal braces, the horizontal force is held by independent RC walls on both gable sides.
Furthermore, the positions and the sizes of the opening were determined by carrying out air-flow simulations, and by making north to south, and east to west "wind paths," positive use is being made of natural energy.