International School of Tianjin

IST sits on approximately 7.2 hectares of park-like grounds and has 30,000 square meters of purpose-built facilities across two main buildings, the Qin Building (12,000 m2) and the Han Building (18,000 m2). The Han Building, completed in 2011, is primarily for the secondary school but also houses school-wide facilities including a magnificent library, four science laboratories, a 520-seat theater, a Black Box theater, and extensive music suites. The Qin Building, renovated in 2020, is primarily for the elementary school and includes a high-tech Design Centre with a machine room, CAD and robotics laboratories, a ceramics studio and kiln, 40 classrooms, a kitchen and science laboratory, and a fully equipped ceramics program with a kiln. The campus grounds feature running tracks, football fields, basketball courts, playgrounds for both elementary and secondary students, gardens, ziplines, a paddle ball court, a beach volleyball court, and various outdoor spaces designed so that virtually every classroom has a view of a garden or the outdoors. The facilities are connected by walkways and outdoor learning spaces that encourage teacher collaboration and student socialization across age groups.

IST provides substantial athletic facilities, including a double-sized gymnasium in the Qin Building with a floor-to-ceiling climbing wall. The campus supports outdoor sports with a 400-meter running track, fully sized football fields, and multiple basketball courts, as well as spaces for table tennis, paddle ball, and beach volleyball. Additional outdoor play spaces and gardens complement the athletic areas, supporting physical education and after-school sports.

The Han Building houses the library, Literacy Lab, and Media Center, along with a 520-seat theater, Black Box, and music suites, and four science laboratories. The Qin Building contains state-of-the-art Design Centre facilities, including a machine room, CAD and robotics laboratories, and Visual Arts suites, plus a ceramics studio and kiln and multiple general classrooms. The Design Centre and Maker Spaces are equipped with 3D printers, laser cutters, wood and metal work stations, and robotics resources, with projector-enabled classrooms and interactive screens throughout. The school provides six Mac computer labs, additional IT-equipped classrooms with projectors, and a 1:1 iPad program in elementary, alongside iMacs and laptops for other age groups; secondary students have access to iPad Pros as part of AR/VR learning, and the Library and Information Literacy Center houses IT support. A fully operational school clinic and dedicated Visual Arts facilities support health, arts education, and creativity across the campus.

IST supports a wide range of extracurriculars and performing arts spaces, including the Han Theater, Black Box, and extensive music suites for choirs, ensembles, and orchestras, as well as musical and dramatic productions. Social and collaborative spaces such as the Student Center and Atomic Café support student life beyond classrooms. A broad program of CCAs, service learning, leadership opportunities, and community activities runs after school, with Week Without Walls trips and other excursions enriching the global dimension of the IB programs. The Media at IST (MIST) Studio and Literacy Lab support student-led media, literacy, and digital learning initiatives, complemented by a high-trust, inclusive secondary environment.