“Temporary Tiger addressed an issue that we were all collectively facing in a way that was responsive to the seriousness of both our public health crisis and our education crisis as a result of that public health crisis, in a playful manner and in a way that was unique and replicable.”
— Bryan Lee Jr.

Location Austin
Client Little Tiger Chinese Immersion School
Architect Murray Legge Architecture
Design Team Murray Legge, FAIA; Lincoln Davidson; Travis Avery
Contractor Mike Osborne
Structural Engineer Fort Structures

As a solution to the educational challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Little Tiger Chinese Immersion School chose to move a large portion of its classes outdoors into this temporary structure. Composed primarily of 2×4 wooden studs and secured to the ground with threaded pile anchors, the A-frame walls include built-in benches where children can sit and pull up plastic desks when required. The east-facing wall is draped with a vertical shade, providing protection from the morning sun. Spanning the distance between the opposing A-frame walls is a retractable shade cloth roof that reduces the radiant heat from the sun. The classroom has become popular with the children, who also use it as a play structure when it is not being used as a learning space.

For more on “Temporary Tiger,” see the article “Schoolhouse Revisited” in the November/December 2020 issue of TA.

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