This is a mixed use project for the expanding city of Bin Yang, located in southern China. This project was done in conjunction with Altelier Alter based in Beijing, with the conceptual design and programming carried out by Ben Lepley. The government backed developer asked us to present three schemes which included four residential towers, a long term hotel tower, and a high end hotel.In both schemes seen here the bottom three levels serve as a public open-air shopping center. The top podium levels serve as a marketplace for residents. Both concepts draw direct inspiration from the tectonic qualities of nature, pointing to similar inspirations found in traditional chinesepainting and poetry. The spaces formed by manipulating the massing should in essence emulate the feeling of being in nature itself, where cliffs are broken leaving room for plants to grow on ledges, where rivers carve canyons into mountains.Special thanks to Bu Xiaojun for his help!