Beijing Modern Courtyard Home Design | Villa HN | Beijing | China | Maison H

Villa HN is a private home situated in the north-east of Beijing, conceived as the example of a modern, responsible, sustainable and family oriented home. Currently under construction; to be completed in February 2019.

The home is situated in the north-east of Beijing. The location is very special considering it’s green surroundings, so close to the center of the city.

The site poses many design challenges, from severe environmental challenges, such as air pollution, local climate, a tight plot in an overcrowded city, and a limited building height allowance.

From the start of the design process, the client’s biggest desire was; “I just want a good home for my family”. For us, putting the family at the center of the design brief was therefore the most important thing.......more

Housing Estate | Tri House | Kunshan | Jiangsu | China | Atelier Deshaus

In a country housing estate beside the Dianshan Lake, a weekend retreat built for three friends is designed in a minimalist way, totally different from the surrounding villas with sloping roof. The two-story house consists of four cross walls and four longitudinal walls placed on a formal orthogonal grid. The first floor contains the public studio, the kitchen and the dinning-room, and the second floor three individual living units. The horizontal walls divide the vistas and narrow down the view available for the open and flexible ground area, while the vertical walls on the upper level lead the sight across the garden towards the Lake. As a feature of the traditional local residence, courtyards are inserted between rooms to lend sunlight to the north wings. Here, three small yards separated on the second floor form a whole large one on the ground, where dozens of bamboos are linearly planted at the side of the workshop. These bamboos are treated as important space elements to humanize the scale of the yard and create poetic atmosphere......more

The Water House | Li Xiaodong Atelier | Lijiang, Yunnan Province, China

Seperated from the outside world by gently defensive elements Li Xiaodong Atelier create an open and permeable house.

Though it often seems that any sense of history has been ruthlessly cauterised in China’s dash for growth, Beijing-based architect Li Xiaodong is on a mission to reconnect contemporary architecture with the nuances of place and vernacular tradition.

This does not involve aping historical models, but sensitively nurturing physical and experiential connections with the past to create an authentic and modern Chinese architecture. Li’s projects include the Bridge School in Xiashi, which won the 2009 AR Emerging Architecture Awards (AR December 2009).

The Water House is a family home in Lijiang, an ancient trading settlement whose old town is famous for its historic network of waterways and bridges. The site lies at the foot of Yulong mountain, its peaks forming a dramatic backdrop to Li’s architecture. The house synthesises traditional forms and techniques to make a contemporary building that resonates with place and history.

Conceived as an interlocking series of contemplative, inward-looking courtyards, the house is separated from the outside world by gently defensive elements such as low stone walls and shallow pools. Yet it is also has openness and permeability, conceived as a place to contemplate the grandeur of its surroundings.

The architectural language is refreshingly modest and unassuming. The cluster of simple timber and glass pavilions with tile-clad pitched roofs evokes traditional forms but is still evidently of its time. Lightweight, slatted walls delicately veil the light, and bamboo plants form a luxuriant green heart in the building’s central courtyard. The cooling, calming presence of water threads through the house and low eaves frame and enclose indoor/outdoor spaces.

Much of the construction was executed by local labourers. Li regards local involvement as essential to his projects, affirming a spirit of engagement with the region. The jury admired both his thoughtful approach and its highly poetic outcome....more