zoka zola architecture + urban design: hostel in southern china

‘hostel in southern china’ by zoka zola architecture + urban design, southern china images courtesy of zoka zola architecture + urban design

currently awaiting construction is ‘hostel in southern china’, a training facility and corporate retreat by chicago based practice zoka zola architecture + urban design. innovative in its form and materiality, the building boasts a configuration that acts like a large ventilation system.

orientated towards the east and west and sheltered from the sun, the building has a zero carbon footprint, instead relying on ventilation and natural conditions.  a raised and cantilevering roof shades the unit, protecting the exposed bamboo structure from rain while simultaneously acting as a refined and optimized wind catcher. undulating in its form, the roof appears to pull away form the edges of the unit, increasing the amount of wind is both caught and extracted.

overall view

twenty-four bedrooms are housed on the second level, while communal areas such as the restaurant, bar, living room and conference rooms are organized on ground level. exposed to the elements, the main social spaces are void of most walls, allowing them to become fully integrated with the surrounding environment and weather conditions.

rendering of overall structure

rendering of open ground floor with bedrooms above

floor plan / level 0

floor plan / level 1

roof plan

section and ventilation diagram

section and ventilation diagram

section and ventilation diagram

section and ventilation diagram

sectional perspective of second level

sectional perspective of ground floor

diagram

diagram of wind paths

concept sketch

physical model

detail of physical model

aerial view of physical model