The Dragon Den at the International School of Beijing is a series of three sensory rooms created within unused spaces across the elementary school. Designed as calm environments, the rooms offer children a place to step away when the day becomes overwhelming, together with a support teacher, before returning to class.

Each space responds to a different age group and is embedded within the existing building—under a staircase, along a corridor corner, and within leftover areas—transforming residual spaces into meaningful environments.

The design draws from natural landscapes inhabited by the school’s dragon, forming three distinct atmospheres: Terrestrial, Aquatic, and Celestial. From a soft, grass-like ground environment, to an immersive underwater space with interactive projection, to a quiet, sky-inspired room with constellation lighting and a large central beanbag, each space supports different ways of slowing down.

Soft materials, tactile elements, and carefully controlled lighting create environments that are both calming and engaging, while maintaining visual openness for supervision.

Part of a broader strategy to reclaim underused areas within the school, the Dragon Den introduces a quiet infrastructure that supports inclusion, wellbeing, and everyday learning.