tao trace architecture office split courtyard house beijing design week designboom

 

beijing design week 2016 — in the historic hutong area near the white pagoda temple in beijing, china, stands ‘split courtyard house’ — a project of urban regeneration designed and developed by TAO trace architecture office. the transformation of the traditional hutong typology aims to generate an adaptable space able to match our new lifestyles through the creation of an experiment on scale and construction.

tao trace architecture office split courtyard house beijing design week designboom
the famous beijing hutong area includes pitched roof buildings covered with grey tiles and bricks

 

 

 

the historic urban structure is composed of well-preserved single-story courtyard houses (siheyuan) and narrow alleys (hutongs). in these traditional structures, the central courtyard is the place where all rooms front. such spatial layout responds to the traditional family’s way of living — but it no longer suits the lifestyle of today’s young individuals. the core need of individual living is privacy; and with this in mind, TAO trace architecture office has divided the site into four sets of spaces, each with a room and a private small yard. with each set facing a different orientation, they form a pinwheel configuration on layout.

tao trace architecture office split courtyard house beijing design week designboom
this project launches the urban regeneration plan for this area

 

 

 

when changing the idea of collective living to individual living, the spatial sequence was carefully considered and transformed. traditionally, the person enters the courtyard and then the room, meaning the courtyard is public and the room is private. in ‘split courtyard house’, the path is from room to yard, resulting in the yard being the most private place. although small in size, the enclosure is great in significance, as it creates an intimate relationship between man and nature.

tao trace architecture office split courtyard house beijing design week designboom
two apricot trees and two date trees are carefully chosen for the four yards

 

 

 

in each room, the bed is lifted into the attic space to free the ground area, designated for living room and bathroom. the skylight and the full-height glazing facing the yard bring in natural light and make contact with nature, offering a quiet and introverted atmosphere. the central joint of the four individual units is turned into a shared living space for dining and chatting.

tao trace architecture office split courtyard house beijing design week designboom
in each room, the bed is lifted into attic space to free the ground space

tao trace architecture office split courtyard house beijing design week designboom
the yard is small but of great significance for chinese life

tao trace architecture office split courtyard house beijing design week designboom
split courtyard house is a new type of single story courtyard house inserted into the hutong context

tao trace architecture office split courtyard house beijing design week designboom
the central joint of the four individual units is turned into shared living space for dining and chatting

tao trace architecture office split courtyard house beijing design week designboom
the skylight and the full-height glazing facing the yard bring in natural light

tao trace architecture office split courtyard house beijing design week designboom
a window is opened between the shared living space and each yard

 

 

project info:

 

project title: split courtyard house
client: huarong jinying investment & development co., ltd.
location: no.24, gongmenkou sitiao hutong, xicheng district, beijing, china
program: shared rental house
architect: hua li / tao (trace architecture office)
design team: hua li, zhang feng, liu xiaoya, lai erxun, liu wenjuan, igor bragado fernandez, zhang
zhiming, shen zhouya, zhao wei
structural system: luxwood lightweight wall panel system
site area: 97 ㎡
floor area: 82 ㎡
design: 2014.01 – 2014.06
construction: 2015.02 – 2015.05

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