Stamford American School Hong Kong has spread its wings with the opening of a dedicated campus for students in Grades 9 to 12. We went along to the recent launch and can confirm that this is an impressive-looking place to learn!
The new campus is located in Olympic, West Kowloon, within the commercial podium of the Imperial Cullinan residential estate. It’s a three-storey, purpose-built harbour front learning space designed to support Stamford’s High School programme and the delivery of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). It also aims to prepare the students for university – not just for getting a tertiary education, but for the kind of innovative and interactive atmosphere they can expect to experience there.
About the West Kowloon Campus
The new Stamford campus is organised across three floors, with each one forming a dedicated “learning community” that groups related disciplines and activities.
Ground Floor – Campus Life and Creative Expression
This is the welcoming heart of the building, with a harbourfront canteen that transforms into an open auditorium with tiered seating for 180. It’s ideal for assemblies, performances and discussions, plus there’s access to the Hoi Fai Road Promenade for outdoor extensions.
Key features of the floor include the Black Box Theater (with seating for over 100), two advanced art studios, music practice rooms, drama spaces, and two design and technology workshops equipped for prototyping and engineering
The café-style tables in the communal corridors invite students to interact and collaborate.
First Floor – Humanities and Library Collaboration Zone
This level centres on intellectual inquiry and dialogue, with a library and research hub bathed in natural light and harbour views, offering serene spots for individual study alongside open areas for group exploration.
The flexible humanities classrooms are kitted out for seminars, debates and workshops in literature, history and more, and supported by integrated audiovisual technology and ergonomic furnishings that bring to mind university-style discussions.
Second Floor – Scientific Inquiry and Wellbeing Environment
The top floor emphasises hands-on discovery and holistic wellness, and includes three specialised science laboratories for biology, chemistry and physics, along with wellbeing areas such as reflection spaces and movement-oriented corridors to nurture mental and physical equilibrium. The adaptable classrooms here are ideal for both team-based experiments and solo research, backed by reliable connectivity for data analysis and simulations.
Staircases serve as natural gathering spots between the different floors, and transparent glass partitions promote the free flow of ideas between levels.
Some specific design elements
- Circadian lighting system: The classrooms feature “tunable” lighting, which adjusts automatically between invigorating morning brightness and soothing evening warmth. This aligns with the body’s natural circadian rhythms to enhance alertness and endurance. Instructors can also customise the intensity and colour to suit diverse needs, from energetic collaborations to subdued creative sessions. The classrooms feature “tunable” lighting, which adjusts automatically between invigorating morning brightness and soothing evening warmth. This aligns with the body’s natural circadian rhythms to enhance alertness and endurance. Instructors can also customise the intensity and colour to suit diverse needs, from energetic collaborations to subdued creative sessions.
- Advanced acoustics: Acoustic treatments and panels in classrooms and shared areas reduce ambient noise, creating tranquil settings for concentrated study – whether it’s a contemplative humanities class or detailed scientific work.
- Biophilic and ergonomic elements: To help alleviate stress and inspire creativity, the design features a palette of natural hues and flowing architectural curves; similarly, curved furniture and gentle forms in the wellbeing zones encourage effortless movement and restful pauses. There’s loads of natural daylight, too, to help alleviate stress and inspire creativity.
High School Principal Ocki Fernandes describes the building in this way: “It’s a more mature, centred atmosphere compared to the lively energy of our Ho Man Tin campus (Pre-Primary to Grade 8) – one that thoughtfully mirrors the poise of university life. Students feel calm and focused here.
They also feel a sense of empowerment on the new campus, according to one Stamford senior, who added that the environment fosters student-driven initiatives, from clubs forming in ground-floor lounges to social moments.
Stamford by numbers
The new campus at West Kowloon
75,000 Size in square feet
3 Number of floors
3 Science labs
3 Design and tech workshops
2 Art labs
2 Drama studios
6 Practice rooms in
the music wing
630 Student capacity
322 Current number of students (1,050
overall at Stamford)
Class of 2025 results for Stamford American School
35 Average IBDP score (world average, 30.58)
44 High score
14 Percentage of students who scored 40-44
33 Percentage who scored 35-39
24 Percentage who did the Bilingual Diploma
200 Number of university offers
10 Number of countries where offers came from
25 Percentage of offers from top 100 QS World Universities, including Imperial College London, King’s College London, The University of Sydney, UCL, University of Toronto and the University of Hong Kong
Stamford American School Hong Kong
- Ho Man Tin Campus: 25 Man Fuk Road, Ho Man Tin
West Kowloon Campus: G/F-2/F, Imperial Cullinan, 10 Hoi Fai Road, Tai Kok Tsui - 3467 4500 | sais.edu.hk
This article first appeared in the Winter 2025 issue of Expat Living magazine. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe so you never miss a copy!
