GEMS School of Research & Innovation

The Brief

When GEMS Education envisioned the School of Research & Innovation (SRI), they weren’t looking to build another school. They wanted to redefine what a school could look and feel like.
Their brief to Praxis was simple yet ambitious:

“Design an experience that embodies the future of learning. Something the world hasn’t seen before.”

SRI was meant to become a global benchmark in innovation-led education—a place where every corridor, wall, and interaction would reflect curiosity, creation, and collaboration.

Aesthetic Meets Philosophy

We approached SRI not as a school, but as a living innovation lab. A place where design acts as a dialogue between students and space.
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Every corridor became a chapter of discovery:

• The AI & Research and Innovation Zone, immersing students in the future of intelligence
• The E-Sports Zone, celebrating competitive creativity and digital skill
• The Dance & Performing Arts Zone, designed as a kinetic expression of rhythm and movement
• The UAE Innovation Timeline, paying tribute to the nation’s visionary leaps
• The Sustainability Zone, where ideas of environmental responsibility take shape
• The Food Tech Journey Wall, tracing the path from farm to fork

From materials and typography to spatial flow, every decision was made to feel futuristic, tactile, and human—creating a new design language for learning environments.

The result: a school that looks like tomorrow, functions like a lab, and feels like home.
A global example of what education spaces can become when creativity and purpose come together.

Bringing Spaces to Life

We approached SRI not as a school, but as a living innovation lab. A place where design acts as a dialogue between students and space.
Every corridor became a chapter of discovery:

• The AI & Research and Innovation Zone, immersing students in the future of intelligence
• The E-Sports Zone, celebrating competitive creativity and digital skill
• The Dance & Performing Arts Zone, designed as a kinetic expression of rhythm and movement
• The UAE Innovation Timeline, paying tribute to the nation’s visionary leaps
• The Sustainability Zone, where ideas of environmental responsibility take shape
• The Food Tech Journey Wall, tracing the path from farm to fork

From materials and typography to spatial flow, every decision was made to feel futuristic, tactile, and human—creating a new design language for learning environments.

The result: a school that looks like tomorrow, functions like a lab, and feels like home.
A global example of what education spaces can become when creativity and purpose come together.