the slow courtyard

Beijing, China

Add To Collection

the slow courtyard

Beijing, China

Firm

nsaaa

Type

Residential › Private House

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2022

SIZE

1000 sqft - 3000 sqft

BUDGET

$10K - 50K

The Yaoziyu Fortness, located in the Yaoziyu Ditch in the north-west of the Jiuduhe Town, Huairou District, Beijing, was built in the Ming Dynasty and is still home to 13 families in what was once a military defence site. The bridge yard, a contemporary courtyard-style residential structure, is located in the north-east corner of the fortress and is a completely new courtyard.

Humanity’s reliance on industrialization has reached an unprecedented level, from its beginnings as a convenience to the people to a point of total dependence, where human hands are gradually being withdrawn from making and perceiving into a numbing tool that only taps on screens and deliver food to the mouth. This is consciously and unconsciously changing the way people see and think of the world. We are always vigilant and suspicious of this. Therefore, in this design we wish to bring people back intentionally. By creating the sense of craftmanship through the very fundamental construction methods, we wish people come here to touch, to feel and to think with their deep heart. To really feel a building and thus nature.

As the main material for interior and exterior finishes, brushed stone emerges from the architectural remains of the Yaoziyu Fortress, which was a common exterior material that is now being forgotten. This material, which has survived the ages, is, in our opinion , the perfect choice for reconstructing the history and memory of the site.

With regard to the window and door system, we had a different idea. Firstly, we have abandoned the more industrialised system of break-bridge aluminium, and have instead adopted a system of square steel keel with bamboo and timber panels as the envelope structure made by workers on site, while considering the openable function as an extension of the 'door' rather than a window, avoiding the cumbersome practice of opening windows on conventional glass, and simplifying the toughened double glazing to a single The purity of the building façade in terms of solidity and transparency is expressed, thus making the specific construction effective and pointing to a combination of function and aesthetics. The handcrafted feel of the building is an undeniable testimony to the creation of a tangible entity.

Product Spec Sheet

Were your products used?

Join as a manufacturer to add your products.

Collaborating Firms

Was your firm involved? Add it now.

Team

Van Wang

director

Were you involved? Add yourself.

Keep Exploring Architizer by Creating a Free Account or Logging in.

the slow courtyard

Beijing, China

the slow courtyard

Beijing, China

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team