courtyards and vertical gardens weave through atelier LI's modern country villa in shanghai

pudong villa overlooks an orchard in rural shanghai

Pudong Villa is a holiday home in the countryside of Shanghai, designed by Atelier LI as a modern, relaxing retreat from urban life. The white structure faces an orchard, with a traditional oriental garden-inspired yard that eliminates isolation between interior and exterior. Greenery weaves into the home and ties together the program, with several internal courtyards and vertical gardens dotted across the different floors. Further, the Chinese practice has completed the design and build in collaboration with local construction workers, guiding them to create a modern architectural volume combining steel and concrete.

all images by WM STUDIO

atelier li weaves greenery and light through the home

The proprietor hoped to demolish the old house and to build a new one for two families to return to the countryside in Pudong, where they could spend weekends and holidays with grandparents. As a house for a large family, shared open spaces are integrated throughout to create planned and chance encounters for residents. The design team at Atelier LI further adopted principles of modernism, conceiving a geometric white structure in the rural context that stands in stark contrast to its neighbors.

According to the construction specifications for country houses in Shanghai, the volume of the old house determined the shape of the new Pudong Villa. The outline of the first floor is fixed, while the height of the eastward volume is limited to two floors and the rest is three floors. Topped by a sloped roof, the height of the cornice is also limited to 1.8 meters. The main volume unfolds in an extroverted gesture, measuring 21 meters in length and facing the orchard. The 3.5 meter overhung volume in the west reaches the limit of the site, which makes up the loss of the interior surface caused by the introduction of courtyards.

Atelier LI completes Pudong Villa

a contemporary retreat in the countryside

After the villa was completed, its modern design began to influence the perceptions and acceptance of the local village community. The client’s elderly parents continue their traditional farming life, growing vegetables and raising poultry, while the proprietors bring their urban lifestyle to the countryside, enjoying coffee in the courtyard. Here, different ways of living coexist.

Local residents believe that a self-built villa is more organic and better suited to their living needs compared to most commercial houses. Moreover, according to Chinese land policy, building one’s own house is more economical than buying. ‘We hope this project can explore a typology of country house that suits contemporary China in terms of aesthetics, practicality, and construction technology,’ shares Atelier LI.

a traditional oriental garden-inspired yard that eliminates isolation between interior and exterior