Project Description

Background: About 100 years ago, a group of Americans arrived in a small county in China, establishing schools and hospitals and leaving behind a collection of buildings that blended Eastern and Western styles. When I was a child, I often visited these houses to hang out with friends. However, as the city grew and changed, the old houses were gradually demolished, forever confined to photographs and my memories. Only one remains.

Current Status: This two-story brick-and-wood house with a pitched roof sits on a south-facing slope, surrounded by newer buildings of varying ages. A diagonal road runs northeast by the front yard, where three old Chinese toon trees flourish. However, the plot, nestled in the corner, have fallen into disrepair, neglected, dilapidated, facing demolition. Furthermore, the entire street lacks high-quality public spaces for people to gather and relax.

Design mission: to essentially restore the original style and texture of the old building, thoroughly renovate the front and back yards, and transform the negative, "scar-like" space into a vibrant space. This will stimulate neighborhood interaction, allow people to emerge from their homes and embrace nature, enriching their living experience while also preserving a historical memory for the city.

Design Concept: The site is divided from east to west into three relatively independent parts: the front yard, the main building, and the backyard. Based on three feasible functional themes, the designers developed a set of correlative spatial design, resulting in a collage-like spatial transformation strategy encompassing three plots with three respective orientations. The three trees in the front yard, as witnesses of history, were preserved in the design.