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Architects: UP Architecture
- Area: 336 m²
- Year: 2023
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Photographs:ArchiTranslator
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Manufacturers: Gree, Jiazhu Glulam
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Lead Architects: Chao Zhou
Project Background. Located in Jiukouyan Village, Luoyang Town, Zengdu District, Suizhou City, Baimei Station is the pioneer demonstration building of Baimei Village constructed by China Foundation for Rural Development (CFRD), aiming to provide cultural, exhibition and activity space for the countryside. The site which is located halfway up the mountain connects to the village road with a 3-meter wide path. The strip-shaped site faces west, with a view of the verdant green hills, and there is a two-hundred-year-old ginkgo tree in the courtyard. The project discussed the following issues, how to integrate the new building into this site, and how the publicity of the station can coexist with the daily life of the villagers.
Rustic dailiness. The two buildings of the Baimei Station were not built at the same time. Building No.1 was constructed on the vacant home site and completed in May 2022 and Building No.2 was demolished the old adjacent house firstlyand completed a year later. The two houses almost maintain the original base contours, with only Building #2 sticking out of a view box, suggesting a boundary. We hope that the new building can be integrated into the current state of the countryside rather than transplanting a simple urban public space, so we call it a "Rustic dailiness" and develop it from the perspective of both the space and the events in the countryside. On the one hand, we preserve the original elements of the site, including the stone wall, the stone steps, and the rammed earth remnant wall, so that the daily life of the rural memory can be maintained. On the other hand, we ensure the openness of the station, so that the activities of the visitors and the activities of the residents can happen at the same time and be integrated into the daily life of the countryside.
Multiple lightweight. Continuing our idea of "light intervention" in the countryside, the Baimei Station is constructed with wood-frame assembly. Both buildings use the same structural prototype, a timber frame system with a span of 10 meters and no columns, while the double-sloped roof of Building No.1 is staggered to form side-height windows, and the interior of Building No.2 has a mezzanine floor and a large stepped book bar.
The main structure is made of Douglas fir glued laminated timber, while other parts of the building use a diversified approach, such as masonry combined with wood veneer on the main wall, re-built piece of adobe brick wall, steel structure, piece of adobe brick wall, and a view box suspended by steel structure, etc., As the result the building looks like airy and penetrating. Lightweight materials and construction methods, compared with traditional construction methods, not only improve construction efficiency but also less pollution to the environment and are better able to present the beauty of natural materials.
Native to nature. Baimei Station is a rural public space, but also a place to feel nature, light, earth wall, and plants are all materials in the site. Building No.1’s colonnade and high windows capture the afternoon sunlight, and the interweaving of light and shadow creates a poetic spatial ambiance. The design utilizes the gable porch, the mezzanine strip window, and the view box to crop the exterior scenery. Here you can hear the rustle of wind-blown bamboo leaves, see the golden ginkgo leaves all over the ground, and the verdant green hills in the distance, allowing you to feel the native nature and experience the tranquility and beauty of the countryside.
