trace architecture office constructs raft factory in china

trace architecture office (TAO) has designed a raft factory located atop a plateau in a rural chinese village. situated in the province of fujian, the building serves as a manufacturing and storage facility for bamboo rafts, which are used by tourists on the nearby rivers. each winter 22,000 bamboo stems are harvested which, following a storage period, are used to manufacture 1,800 rafts each year.

hollow concrete blocks have been used for the exterior wall system
all images © su shengliang

trace architecture office has laid out the complex in response to programmatic, topographical, and climatic demands. spanning 14 meters, the open-plan L-shaped workshop accommodates six fire areas for the bending of bamboo and the assembling of rafts. natural illumination enters through oblique north-facing skylights. aside from manufacturing areas, the workshop houses storage, restrooms, courtyards, and other service functions.

the project is situated in the province of fujian

an additional building adopts a veranda layout, with offices occupying the ground floor and a dormitory and cafeteria found at the level above. bamboo stalks are applied across the upper storey, forming shading louvers that also provide well-ventilated insulation. the scheme has been built primarily using in-situ concrete, with hollow concrete blocks for the exterior wall system, cement tiles for the roof, and bamboo and wood for the sunshading, doors, windows, and handrails.

the building serves as a manufacturing and storage facility for bamboo rafts

bamboo stalks are applied across the upper storey

the complex is laid out in response to programmatic, topographical, and climatic demands

the open-plan workshop accommodates six fire areas

rafts are assembled within the L-shaped volume

natural illumination enters through oblique north-facing skylights

the scheme has been built primarily using concrete

the workshop also houses storage areas, restrooms, courtyards, and other service functions

an additional two-storey building adopts a veranda layout

the bamboo louvers also provide well-ventilated insulation

cement tiles have been used for the building’s roof

the factory is located atop a plateau in a rural chinese village

project info:

title: wuyishan bamboo raft factory
client: wuyishan tourism development incorporated company
location: xingcun town, wuyishan mountain, fujian, china
program: workshop, storage, office, dormitory
architect: hua li / TAO (trace architecture office)
design team: hua li, elisabet aguilar palau, zhang jie, laijing zhu, lai erxun, martino aviles, jiang nan, shi weiwen, lianjunqin
site area: 14,629 sqm
total floor area: 16,000 sqm (workshop 1,519 sqm office, and dormitory 1,059 sqm)
materials: in-situ concrete, hollow concrete blocks, cement tile, bamboo and wood
photography: su shengliang