BEIJING COURTYARD REFORM | Z LINEAR | | AND lab | APAC Glocal Commercial Design Consultants Group

Architectural Design | Courtyard Residence

BEIJING COURTYARD REFORM | Z LINEAR

This is a hutong located within Beijing's second ring road.

The site covers an area of 273 square meters.

There are three existing trees in the original courtyard, which we will retain within the courtyard of the new building.

As per the owner's request, all existing structures will be demolished and rebuilt from the ground up.

We considered how to create interconnected courtyards within this long and narrow site, enabling residents to feel immersed in greenery and experience the city's seasonal changes within their homes—appreciating nature without being disturbed by it.

At the same time, we sought to ensure every living space enjoys southern exposure for optimal natural lighting.

After multiple attempts, we discovered an effective solution:

We organized the residential layout into a linear sequence based on levels of privacy, imagining the home as a continuous linear space connecting each functional area seamlessly.

If we fold a strip of paper at an angle, we can create spatial relationships that allow mutual visibility. The clients are a young couple who plan to have children. With this design approach, despite the site's depth, the inter-visibility between spaces will enable family members to be aware of each other's presence.

By continuing this angled folding, we can create courtyards with increasing depth and layered spaces.

Even from the innermost master bedroom, one can still see the living room.

While ensuring that all living spaces receive southern exposure for natural lighting,

They also benefit from north-south cross ventilation.

In the building section, we further enhanced natural lighting by raising the southern roofline, creating a single-pitch roof.

Client

Individual