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Architects: Zaixing Architectural Design
- Area: 540 m²
- Year: 2021
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Photographs:SHANJIAN Photography Studio, Arch-Exist
Text description provided by the architects. Anshi Village, Yibin, Sichuan, is an ordinary village behind Nianpan Mountain. The villages are connected by lots of lanes, scattered fields and ponds, and different houses and trees. It is a typical forest area in western Sichuan. Zunsheng Courtyard is located in the central area of Anshi Village. It faces the falling terraced fields to the east and is backed by a dense bamboo forest, which together constitutes a peaceful picture of farmland landscape and village buildings. There were originally three low-rise farmhouses with different orientations on the site. The design faced three challenges. That is, how to integrate the existing three independent buildings, how to echo the curved site boundary formed by terraced fields and rural roads, and how to balance the current functional needs and the future living needs of farmers. Based on a deep understanding of the rural texture and living conditions, the repair and re-creation of the small courtyard were completed through partial demolition, renovation, and addition, and this renovation method borrowed the concept of traditional "curium porcelain" craftsmanship.
A curved grey tile roof slowly unfolds along the site boundary and the country road, connecting the two original farmhouses into a continuous whole after partially demolishing the temporary firewood house. The integrated volume not only completes the sorting out of the elevation relationship from the road to the interior of the site but also forms the interface transition from the farmland landscape to the building community. Compared with the original roof, the new curved roof is slightly raised, which not only makes it appear lighter but also allows light to penetrate into the interior through the gap between the eaves and the wall.
The connection between the two farmhouses is used as the entrance to the new building. At the same time, the original old stone pillars are preserved, welcoming the arrival of new villagers and reminding the memory of the past. The reorganized door and window system adopt the method of wooden mullion doors, which gives the building a more transparent feeling. Entering the front hall, there are the school hall and the exhibition hall on the left and right sides, while a few bamboos in the small circular courtyard at the back of the house lead people to the restaurant in the distance.
The southernmost end of the curved roof, as the first impression of the Zunsheng courtyard facing the village road, is slightly overhanging, forming an open space under the eaves with a welcoming attitude, and together with the transparent gable wall, it attracts people to visit.
Behind the curved roof, a slightly curly double-slope roof unfolds soothingly, which is the original three-story building after the transformation. The gable wall of the small building is almost perpendicular to the curved volume and has the best view facing the terraced fields. Therefore, the gable wall is also opened, so that you can stop here to see the countryside in the near view and the mountains in the distance. Compared with the original small building with a relatively rigid volume, the renovated three-story slightly overhangs the surrounding, combined with the slightly curved roof, forming a more flexible volume relationship. The lower two-story volume is the same as the part under the curved roof and is mainly painted in white, while the overhanging part of the third story is decorated with gray bricks, forming a whole with the gray tile roof. From a distance, when the white bottom volume echoes other newly painted buildings in the village, the gray hut seems to float on it, forming a "lookout" overlooking the terraced fields and the distant landscape.
Compared with conventional construction projects, the design and renovation of the Zunsheng courtyard not only needs to consider the recent rural operation needs but also must meet the future living needs of relevant farmers. During the design process, the designers, operators, managers, and farmers are constantly conducting multi-party consultations to jointly formulate design strategies and spatial details, and implement the "rural revitalization" strategy. Terraced fields, bamboo forests, farmers, white walls, and grey tiles, as well as the combination of old and new in space, are like the "curium porcelain" in the local ancient craftsmanship. Gained a new vitality.
