AZL architects: CIPEA number 4 blockhouse, nanjing, china
with concrete planes and curved facade apertures, the home seeks to abstract the forms of a stacked pagoda while inviting in the natural beauty of the valley site.
[FEATURED]
AZL architects: CIPEA no.4 house, nanjing, china
image © yao liall images courtesy of AZL architects
among the lush greenery of the laoshan forest in the eastern chinese city of nanjing is an architectural complex that brought together twenty-four designers to manifest ideas about built space. among those twenty small homes is the ‘no.4 block house’ by local firm AZL architecture, the five bedroom dwelling channels the formal spirit of the pagoda with four cubic floors tacked vertically. the spatial organization allows for minimal excavation of the valley site while making for optimal synthesis of the roofline with the horizons of the landscape.
with the bucolic environment swathes the home, the architecture simultaneously creates a visual break from the textured vegetation with curved concrete planes that lift and reveal open hallways and ample glazing. the understated facade geometry also helps reframe views more dynamic than simple horizontal breaks, while alluding to the chinese landscape scrolls through its curved apertures as well as the quiet contemplation inherent in a chinese garden. the roof itself is fitted with a dark wooden deck, thereby using program and sight-lines to invite the surrounding greenery and nearby stream into the home.
the home is nestled into a lush valley
image © yao li
the cubic stacks are meant to refer to a pagoda
image © yao li
curved openings reframe the landscape and make the building envelope replete with dynamism
image © yao li
each horizontal break is accompanied by a sinuous aperture
image © yao li
the sculpted concrete is meant to invite the landscape into the home
image © yao li
interior view displays a rich material palette
image © yao li
bathroom interior
image © yao li
open halls are clad in dark wood
image © yao li
the decked roof is meant to help users contemplate the terrain
image © yao li
1/9
project info:
location: nanjing, jiangsu province, chinaarchitect in charge: zhang leiproject team: zhang lei, jeffrey cheng, wang wang, wang yi collaborator: architectural design & planning institute, NJUproject area: 500 sqmproject year: 2008-2012
shop
your own online design shop — no sales commission collected
