Seoul Foreign School has been recognized for its architectural design that promotes unique learning experiences.

The Seoul-based independet international school announced Tuesday that its high school building, designed by New York-based Ennead Architects, was awarded an International Distinguished Building, Landscape Architecture, and Urbanism Award from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design.

The SFS building will be featured in “Global Design + Urbanism XX: New International Architecture,” the 2020 edition of a yearly book published by the Chicago Athenaeum.

SFS explained its high school building architecture breaks the traditional definition of classrooms and incorporating “third spaces,” which are ideal for learning and collaboration by combining the college and high school experiences.

The building’s classrooms were co-designed with the faculty and administration to be ideal and flexible enough for various teaching styles and configurations.

Its classrooms’ walls can be used as writing spaces and projectable surfaces, while solar analyses were used to provide just enough natural light into each classroom without excessive glare, the school said. Such environmental shifts have allowed the school to provide better academic learning environment for its students, it added.

“Not only has it created collaborative spaces and flexible classrooms to give our Grade 9-12 students new ways to pursue academic and creative excellence, but it is a beautiful and bright environment in which our whole community can gather, work and socialize,” said Colm Flanagan, head of SFS.

By Ko Jun-tae (ko.juntae@heraldcorp.com)