Xinyang University South Bay Campus Gateway Landscape by Sasaki

Built in 2025 / 2025 Built Landscapes / 2025 Campuses and Corporate / 2025 Entries / China /
sasaki.com

Born out of the 2020 Xinyang University Campus Master Plan, the new South Bay campus amplifies the liberal arts institution’s educational mission, focusing on interactive and experiential learning with a landscape that is both functional and evocative. Phase 1 of this plan includes a 3.6-hectare Gateway Landscape, completed in February 2025, with subsequent phases underway.

The gateway landscape transforms derelict fishponds, invasive overgrowth, and construction debris into a nexus of ecology, education, and cultural identity, blending nature-based stormwater management with immersive learning.
Inspired by the region’s agricultural legacy of rice paddies, cascading wetlands and a retention pond purify runoff through time-tested methods, marrying ecological innovation with cultural reverence.
Salvaged mature trees from a nearby abandoned factory site and locally sourced stone underscore adaptive reuse, reducing the project’s carbon footprint while celebrating regional craftsmanship. These materials, paired with native plantings and pollinator meadows, revitalize the landscape.
The gateway’s open, welcoming design embodies inclusivity and accessibility. In the plaza, a mirrored XYU sculpture reflects the dynamic interplay between nature and campus life, symbolizing collaborative and experiential learning.

Project Narrative:
The gateway landscape of Xinyang University’s new South Bay campus emerged as a profound response to a site once dominated by abandoned fishponds, invasive overgrowth, and construction debris. Completed in 2025, this project represents the first step in the university’s broader vision to integrate ecological stewardship with experiential learning. Rather than imposing grand and monumental gestures, the design team sought to listen—to the land’s history, the region’s agricultural legacy, and the university’s aspiration for a campus that fosters both environmental and intellectual growth. The following text describes how this initial phase lays the groundwork for a campus that learns from the past, adapts to the present, and prepares students to thoughtfully shape the future.

: default

: default

ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION: FROM DEGRADATION TO REGENERATION

Stormwater as a Catalyst for Change
The gateway landscape serves as the culmination of a campus-wide hydrological system, channelling stormwater through cascading wetlands into a reflective retention pond. This system not only mitigates flooding but also purifies runoff, mimicking natural processes while creating biodiverse habitats. The terraced waterway, inspired by the region’s agricultural heritage of rice paddies, exemplifies this dual purpose: it efficiently manages surface runoff while honoring historical land practices, bridging ecological innovation with cultural reverence.

Revitalizing Biodiversity
Over 200 native plant species, including pollinator meadows and evergreen camphor groves, now thrive in the restored landscape. These plantings support local wildlife, from birds to pollinators, while revitalizing the regional watershed. Salvaged mature trees from a nearby abandoned factory site and locally quarried stone underscore adaptive reuse, reducing the project’s carbon footprint. The result is a resilient ecosystem that fosters year-round biodiversity.

Thermal Comfort and Public Spaces
Beyond its ecological function, the landscape offers a range of multifaceted social benefits. The reflective pond helps create comfortable microclimates, while adaptable open spaces host campus events and social gatherings. Visual porosity—achieved through strategic plantings and open sightlines—invites the public into the campus, dissolving barriers between academia and community.

CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTEGRATION: A LIVING CLASSROOM
The gateway embraces an open, welcoming design that reflects the institution’s commitment to inclusivity. At the heart of the entry plaza, a mirrored sculpture of the university’s logo captures the dynamic interplay of nature and campus life. Its reflective surface merges sky, water, foliage, and bustling activity into a living narrative, symbolizing the university’s mission of collaborative and experiential learning. This installation not only anchors the space aesthetically but also serves as a daily reminder of the institution’s forward-thinking ethos.

COLLABORATIVE DESIGN PROCESS: INTERDISCIPLINARY INNOVATION
The project’s success stems from its integrated design process, spanning landscape architecture, civil engineering, ecology, and architecture. For example, the ravine system, which channels stormwater from a 64-hectare drainage area into wetlands, necessitated close coordination between hydrologists and landscape architects to strike a balance between aesthetic and functional outcomes. Such collaboration turned technical challenges into opportunities for innovation.

• All landscape architecture offices involved in the design of landscape:  Sasaki; L&A Landscape

• All architecture offices involved in the design:
Sasaki; TJAD

• Other credits you need or wish to write:
Holi Photography; Liangxiang Wayfinding; Ning Field Lighting Design