JDS architects: beijing green visitor center

‘beijing welcome centre’ by JDS architects all images courtesy of JDS architects

commissioned by real estate company vanke to design a visitor center in china’s capital, JDS architects are developing the ‘beijing welcome centre’ a 5000 m2 structure which will stand as a gateway exhibition gallery for a new sustainable industry park in the chinese metropolis.

the overall form is a manipulated box envelope adopted to address environmental and contextual concerns in order that it is as low tech and low cost as possible. in their first manipulations of their plan, JDS architects have made it so that the site’s existing car park joins to the R&D centre, along with being accessible to the park loop. this arrangement allows the public to walk directly over the building, so that it also functions as an outdoor pathway, offering one the opportunity to experience an overview of the green space from an alternative height before descending again.

the facility’s features are based on providing a sustainable piece of architecture. its undulating rooftop offers varied heights to the center which in winter block the north beijing wind, while in summer promote a cool southeast ventilation, creating a shadow to the south and moveable sun shading / solar cells to the east and west. this arrangement will allow the public to walk over the building and experience an overview of the green space from a different height, before descending. its assembly from a series of pragmatic scientific operations make the green visitor centre help promote the notion of low tech sustainability.

the lowest points of the undulating rooftop touch the ground, allowing visitors to walk directly over the building

interior view of the exhibition building

aerial view

site diagram

illustrating the manipulation of the box envelope

a series of manipulations have been developed to promote low tech sustainability

floor plan

section

elevation

rain water usage

air system diagram

project info:

project: visitor center size: 5000 m2 location: beijing, china budget: confidential client: vanke team: JDS, transsolar, MUDI JDS partner in charge: julien de smedt, andrew griffin project leader: charlotte lieske type: commission status: ongoing 2012 project team: cristina marigo, iria carreira, amanda ripoll, mathilde claus, byeongmoo moon

julien de smedt / JDS architects (54)