RAK Academy Khuzam represents one of the clearest expressions of the Marjan Design Lab approach, demonstrating the value of early strategic and community involvement through a research-led, child-centred approach to educational design. Transformed while the school remained fully operational, the project introduced collaborative learning oases, social hubs and flexible academic spaces designed around how students learn and interact.
Completed in 2025, RAK Academy Khuzam is a globally recognised case study in research-led, child-centred educational design. Developed through Marjan Design Lab, the project demonstrates how early strategic thinking can transform an existing campus into a more flexible, collaborative and community-focused learning environment.
Working at Stage 0, Marjan Design Lab re-evaluated the school’s original brief through stakeholder engagement, school visits, operational analysis and academic planning. This research-led approach established a new design vision for the campus, mirroring how students learn, move, gather and interact throughout the school day.
The refurbishment transformed 226,042 sq ft of existing space while 750 students remained in active learning on site. Through careful planning and value engineering, the project achieved a 31% cost reduction, proving that design ambition, operational continuity and commercial discipline can work together.
At the heart of the renewed campus is a new spatial strategy designed to support connection and wellbeing. Thirty classrooms were converted into learning oases, creating flexible spaces for collaboration, quiet study, reading, group work and informal learning beyond the traditional classroom. A central ‘School Heart’ brings students of different ages together, supporting shared experiences, natural interaction and a stronger sense of belonging and community.
The design introduces a more open and adaptable educational environment, with social hubs, collaborative learning areas, improved circulation and spaces scaled to the needs of different age groups. Rather than treating the school as a series of classrooms, the project considers the full student experience, from movement and acoustics to comfort, daylight and community use.
RAK Academy Khuzam shows what is possible when educational environments are planned around people, not just programmes. It reflects Marjan Design Lab’s wider approach to design governance: setting a clear vision early, aligning communities and project teams around shared values, and creating places that support long-term learning, wellbeing and community life in Ras Al Khaimah.