This building is a preserved building and no alteration to the size of the exterior walls, including window openings, is allowed. The outer wall and the wooden floor slab have lost their structural functions. Therefore, we removed half of exterior wall and poured a new concrete house on the inside of the building using the exterior wall and the wooden floor as a formwork on one side. The wooden floor as a formwork was removed last. The entire house retains the most original wooden staircase and even the painted surface as the memory inheritance of this house.
We did not use specific symbols to please the traditional cultural preferences of the owner. Instead, the ink painting is used as the tone to shape the space. The courtyard and the living-dining room on the first floor are designed in black tones. Emphasizing the visual openness of the first floor of the traditional building, the black color symbolizing public space stops in front of a continuous landscape screen wall, behind which is the private space of the owner. The public space and the black withered landscape courtyard then become one. Black also appears on the window casings and the second floor facade, expressing the mood of ink painting with the interplay of ink colors.
Since the size of the window openings could not be enlarged, there was not enough light even though the largest size of glass was used. Therefore, a number of skylights were opened to create an unexpected experience of twilight, as permitted by the specifications.
It is an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, conceived by the architect and the owner. The dappled light has a soothing effect here.
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