A Chinese husband-and wife team of developers has introduced a rural retreat that is within a stone's throw from one of the Seven Wonders of the World aimed at China's affluent, touting the development as 'collectible architecture'.
RIDE NORTHWARD ALONG THE BADALING EXPRESSWAY in Beijing, get off at the Shuiguan exit about 10km away from the Great Wall of China, and drive through a small village. The destination? The site for the Commune by the Great Wall development.
The brainchild of 30-something Chinese couple Pan Shiyi and Zhang Xin, Commune by the Great Wall is a cluster of luxury housing that represents the ultimate bourgeois status symbol for China's growing elite: a second home in the country. Built on a valley amidst rolling mountains and lush green in the shadow of the Great Wall, the development was envisioned by the couple to be a museum of contemporary architecture. Pan and Zhang wanted to "form a collection of contemporary architectural art and leave a fine legacy for the construction age in China".
In what has been dubbed as an opportunity "to collect the art of architecture", Commune by the Great Wall is the couple's most creative project to date. Twelve relatively young architects from Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong SAR, Thailand and Venezuela were invited to shape the buildings in the 8sq km development. Zhang says that they chose young architects for their avant-garde ideas: "they emphasize concepts and insist on transcending form. Their work challenges people's current ideas about living."
The first phase of Commune by the Great Wall includes 12 buildings, among which there are eleven villas and one clubhouse. Each has been designed individually by one of the 12 architects. Much to their credit, developers Pan and Zhang have done little to stifle the architects' creativity. The 12 architects were told that most of the houses would not sit on the tops of hills, ("too imposing, says Zhang"), but rather be cradled within the contours of the valley slopes. "I told them they should use local materials," she explains. "And think about flexibility I also eliminated the use of bright colors. I didn't want them to create fashion show kind of things. The rest I left to them."
The functionality and geography of the area dictated that most houses are split level, riding up the slopes of the hills, and supporting balconies and upper rooms on cantilevers, like in Mainland-based Venezuelan architect Antonio Ochoa's design. South Korean architect Seung H-Sang's design for the 3,744sq meter clubhouse, the only truly communal building in the development, sits around the spurs of the valley, with numerous private dining gardens tucked behind concrete, stone and wood constructions. Other innovative designs include Japan's Kengo Kuma's bamboo-and-glass structure and Singapore's Tan Kay Ngee's L-shaped house.
Overall planning, which is no doubt daunting, given the engineering challenges of building on a hilly rural landscape, not to mention the unprecedented nature of the project, was the responsibility of Hong Kong-based architect Rocco Yim. On top of his master planning responsibilities, Yim also designed one of the 12 model homes. Distinguished contemporary Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was the landscape designer.
The 12 buildings in the fist phase are scheduled to be completed this month and will be opened to the public. In line with the original intention of Commune by the Great Wall and to make it convenient for the public to appreciate the "contemporary architectural art", Beijing Redstone Industries Co. Ltd. (Pan and Zhang's company) has decided not to sell the first 12 buildings and promote them as a hospitality development instead. Phase two will replicate the original 11 private home designs in 40 additional homes.
In March this year, Redstone Industries announced that the Commune by the Great Wall has received an invitation from the organizers of La Biennale di Venezia, and will go to Venice to attend the convention in September this year.
Celebrated curators including Harald Szeeman, the former director of La Biennale di Venezia, and Museum of Modern Art's Terry Riley strongly recommended the Commune by the Great Wall to La Biennale di Venezia. Having heard from Szeeman and Riley, Deyan Sudjic, the director of La Biennale di Venezia, wrote to Redstone Industries, "I looked at the web site, and the project certainly sounds very appropriate for exhibition in the Architecture Biennale in September. The theme this year is 'next'-we are looking for the key projects around the world that are setting the agenda for architecture foe the decade to come. Your project with its combination aesthetic ambition, and the reinforcement of Asian identity through architectural innovation does that in so many ways."
The history of La Biennale di Venezia dates back to 1895. It is regarded as the "Olympics of the art world" and is listed together with the Bienal International de Sao Paulo and Kassel Documenta as the three major visual arts conventions in the world. In 1975, La Biennale di Venezia added an international architectural convention, and since then has consisted of six major fields including visual arts, music, dance, architecture, theatre and film.
Commune by the Great Wall is the only single-project entrant in the history of La Biennale di Venezia. Of the achievement, Redstone Industries said in a statement, Redstone Industries said in a statement, "the Commune by the Great Wall's participation as a single project indicates that Chinese alternative architecture has drawn the attention of the world. It is a historic moment for the Chinese architecture industry."
Split House
Yung Ho Chang, China
The 'Split House'-also known as 'between the mountains and the rivers'-is located on a mountain peak,at the highest vantage point of the twelve buildings of Commune by the Great Wall. It consists of two wings that hug the peak of the mountain. The house has been cleverly designed to incorporate the mountain into the architecture of the house itself, The two wings of the house encircle the peak, creating a courtyard that is half natural, half architectural; thus is the environment "invited indoors".
There is also a small stream that meanders through the garden and up to the front door, at which point it flows beneath a glass walkway into the vestibule of the house. Visitors to the house, passing over the glass as they approach the door, are given the feeling that they are'walking' on the surface of the water itself. It is a natural space a space that succeeds in bringing architecture and nature back together, the way they once were.
The 'Split House' is remarkably versatile, in that the design can be adapted to the surrounding topography. The two wings of the house can be placed anywhere from 0 to 360 degrees from each other, to suit the surrounding terrain. If the two wings are placed together, it is a single house. If the wings are opened up, juxtaposed, they will form two parallel houses. With the wings at 90 degrees angles, the structure resembles a carpenter's square; at 180 degrees, the wings form one very long rectangular structure; and at 360 degrees, they are back-to-back.
The 'Split House' is an ecologically sound structure: it is a wood-framed, earthen-walled house in the Chinese tradition, so its impact on the environment is minimal. The clay walls act as insulation to keep the house warm in winter and cool in summer. The 'Split House' represents a respect for tradition, but is not an attempt to recreate it; rather, it is an attempt to create a new architectural vision for a modern China.
Cantilever House
Antonio Ochoa, Venezuela
Long-time Beijing resident Antonio Ochoa designed a space that is multi-storied, albeit sublimely low-rise, complete with a rooftop garden, Jacuzzi and barbecue area. The house, made almost entirely of concrete, glass and wood, is perched atop a central platform that appears to suspend the structure, as it 'hangs' from the gently sloping mountain base of the valley. Each level creates a discrete living space on varying planes of the slop. With only one central stairway, the house's additional levels are integrated by gradation into the mountainside for discrete seasonal use, as organic appendages to the mountain slope, with one level favoring a winter climate, and another built to accommodate greener and warmer seasons.
Villa No.3
Cui Kai, China
People go to the mountains for the scenery. For this reason, Villa No.3 was designed to look out onto the scenic vistas to the north and northeast of the home. From the windows of Villa No.3, one can see Villa No. 1 nearby and further away, the country club. In the distance is the most stunning scenery of all, the ascending peaks of the rolling mountains. To maximize the view, the living room and dining room were designed to face the scenery to the north, while the bedrooms were left open to the vistas in the northeast. The most difficult thing about building villas in the mountains is to avoid 'blocking' the scenery. In this case, the architect also had to keep in mind villas numbers 4, 5 and 6, which are located behind villa No.3.
The living and dining rooms are built on a sunken terrace, which gives them the appearance of 'crouching' in a thicket of trees. The sunken terrace itself has been covered with soil and greenery, transforming an otherwise unremarkable hillside into a 'hillside of glass'. The bedrooms are located in a section of the house that has been raised on stilts, in order to maintain the flow of the topography and allow an unobstructed view of the surrounding hillside.
It is impossible to predict who, besides the owners and their staff, will be occupying a home. Weekend guests come and go, and it is sometimes hard to know how many people will be coming, if they are male or female, or what their relationships to each other and the owners are. The elegant, connected living and dining rooms of villa no. 3 create the perfect setting for these sorts of gatherings. The guest bedrooms can be divided into a series of smaller or larger rooms to suit the number and type of weekend guests. The two restrooms can be divided as well - one for men and one for women, if need be.
The master bedroom is raised above the terrace to provide exclusive access to both clear vision and privacy. The bathroom in this room is opened to the outside view and the occupants can enjoy the landscape when taking a bath. The spacious kitchen is designed with an open floor plan, somewhat like a bar. There is a separate servants' entrance leading from the service kitchen to the dining area, so that meals can be brought in when hosting large parties, without disturbing the guests, In addition, there are a driver's room, a laundry, a facility room and a garage in the villa.
In the darkening evening, a string of bright lanterns illuminates the owners' path home, as warm light radiates from the glass entry hall to herald their return. Light from the two-story living and dining rooms illuminates the courtyard of the house. The scenery inside the courtyard changes with the time of day, as daylight and artificial light, trellises and trees throw picturesque shadows onto the walls of the courtyard. The scenery outside the courtyard is equally varied, offering green grass, ivy, fall leaves and snowflakes, as he seasons change. This is a living representation of the harmonious dialogue between man and nature.
Wall
Kengo Kuma, Japan
Kengo Kuma's design is rich with implications--meticulous and careful scrutiny is required to decipher the full meaning of the design. This is not something that can be fully understood at a cursory glance. As with any important thing, one must transcend first impressions and view the design without any pre-conceptions. Fortunately, this is not an arduous or even unpleasant task; rather, it is merely a process of contemplation and reflection. Put simply, one must cast aside the dictates of tradition and abandon the usual categories, and use the eyes and ears of an explorer to see and to hear.
The formal quality of the Great Wall running almost endlessly along the undulating ridgeline without being isolated from the surrounding environment was the nature he was attracted to. It appealed to him as a criticism towards the conventional form of architecture that tends to seek to be an isolated object among the environment. His intention was to apply this nature of the Great Wall to the act of dwelling, and thus naming the house the 'Wall', and dropping the 'house'.
As for the material, he used bamboo as much as possible, since it is considered as having a significant meaning among Chinese and Japanese cultures. Depending on the density and diameter of individual bamboo, it offers a variety of partitioning of space. In order to make the most of these characteristics, he decided to place bamboo wall, a layer of bamboo along the site's inclination just like the Great Wall. The Great Wall in the past portioned off two cultures, but this bamboo wall will not only partition but also unite life and culture in various manners as the Great Wall in particles.
Suitcase House
Gary Chang, Hong Kong SAR
The design for 'Suitcase House' represents a radical rethinking of the concepts of warmth, privacy, spontaneity and flexibility in architectural design. Gary Chang's innovative design challenges the notion that a house should have a set of definite shape. Its simple design demonstrates the importance of infinite adaptability in architecture.
At first glance,'Suitcase House'appears to be a series of layers, or strata. The first layer serves as a convenient storage space, which also contains service facilities and servants' quarters. This layer is located beneath the inlaid floorboards, and remains hidden from view until the floorboards are raised to reveal the space underneath. The ceiling provides storage of a different sort. It contains a set of panels that can be raised or lowered to serve as room dividers. The theme of "layering" is continued in the outer shell of the house, made up of a stratum of vertically arranged layers. This shell consists of an outer layer of double-glazed folding glass doors, and an inner layer of folding screens that encircle the house to form a sort of 'open matrix'.
The middle layer of the house is designed as a living, entertaining and activity space. It is an infinitely flexible space that can be adapted to suit the needs of residents by simply adding or taking away certain basic elements. With a minimum of effort, this level of the house can be transformed from one large empty space into a series of inter-connecting rooms.
The house is located on a slope next to the Shuiguan Great Wall. To maximize the view of the Great Wall, the architect chose a north-south orientation for the structure. This orientation assures that residents will always be able to see the panorama of the Great Wall from anywhere in the house, whether they are standing or seated.
Tucked away beneath the inlaid paneling of the floor of the house are cleverly designed storage spaces, reminiscent of 'cubby-holes' found in passenger cabins on luxury cruise ships. These cubbyholes are easy to open and use friendly and infinitely adaptable to the needs of residents and their guests. 'Suitcase House' was designed with ample storage space in mind, which minimizes the need for furniture. And the simple, sleek design of 'Suitcase House' ensures that, no matter what style of furnishings residents choose to add, they will only serve to compliment this unique and adaptable home.
House
Chien Hsueh-Yi Taiwan
Because of the unique historical and environmental significance of the site of Commune by the Great Wall, Chien Hsueh-Yi's guiding principle was to respect the history of the land by designing a structure that would blend seamlessly with the environment and with nature.
The most striking aspect of the structure is the rough-hewn stonewall that runs along the slope of the mountains here, a simple wall that contrasts nicely with the steep and intricately sloping hillside. The wall is made of stones form the building site. It is both a microcosm and an echo of the nearby Great Wall, though it also resembles a spinal column of sorts, a nerve, and an artery providing the basic structure for life and linking the structure with the surrounding environment.
The house is divided into simple rectangular spaces that both enclose and reach out. These open, rectangular spaces link the natural environment outside with the human activities inside, and serve to modify structural space to blend with natural space. The architecture of the house serves as a simple foil to the rugged intricacy of nature.
Clubhouse
Seung H-Sang, Korea
The goal of the Korean architect's design was to create 'architecture as landscape'--a landscape that can accommodate both functional and cultural diversity, and something he called the 'culturescape' in this project. The club is situated at the center of the Commune by the Great Wall project; it is the nucleus both literally and figuratively. To ensure that the club is conveniently close to all of the homes within the project, it is located at the entrance to the two main valleys, the south and the east. It faces west onto the panorama of the Great wall, commanding the most impressive view in the entire Commune by the Great Wall project. To the east of the club, one can see the east valley; mountain ranges are visible to the north and south. The gradient of the building site ranges from 0-10 percent.
Amenities at the club, which will be open to residents of Commune by the Great Wall and their guests, include two restaurants, a swimming pool, a gallery and a retail facility. The club will also house the Commune by the Great Wall management offices and employee accommodations.
The Chinese restaurant within the club offers ten private rooms with ten enclosed private gardens. When the restaurant is opened into one large hall, these small gardens are even more spectacular. One of the motifs in the restaurant is the series of small apertures or 'gaps' in the walls. When light flickers through these gaps, it creates distorted patterns and a luminous play of light that suffuses the restaurant with a sense of mystery. All of the functional areas of the club (with the exception of the employee dormitories) are interconnected, linked by a series of corridors that link section of the club at different elevations. The western restaurant above the Chinese restaurant and the swimming pool both command stunning views of the Great Wall, and are excellent spots to watch the sunset.
As one enters the lobby of the club, he or she will see lovely trees that have been preserved as part of the interior landscape. The outdoor landscaping serves to link the architecture and the roads with the surrounding environment. There are fountains, wooden decks and parking lots, but most of the original landscape has been preserved. Manmade architecture is inextricably and delicately linked with the natural physical environment.
The overall impression one gets is that the five wings of the club somehow 'grew' directly out of the mountain, rather than being constructed on top of it . The building is constructed of natural materials such as wood, stone and steel plates that will gradually rust and change their color over time, to harmonize with the environment. Rough-hewn stones from the building site are also used, continuing the theme of unity with the environment.
Furniture House
Shigeru Ban, Japan
With the dwindling number of master carpenters and the decline of traditional craftsmanship, the price of high quality woodwork has increased astronomically in recent years. In the case of the 'Furniture House', however, the process of creating the furniture and the framework of the house is one and the same. This brings the process of framing the house into the 'workshop', and allows the improvement of structural precision while reducing costs.
Shigeru Ban's 'Furniture House' represents a radically new concept in residential housing construction--something completely different from traditional building methods.
In typical residential housing construction, walls and columns are used to support the house and sub-divide areas within the house. The 'Furniture House', however, replaces traditional walls and pillars with furniture, of a uniform height, that is incorporated into the actual structure of the house and functions to support the structure, upper story and roof of the house. This 'furniture-as-building-material' not only resists heavy winds and earthquakes, but is also strong enough to form the outer walls of the house as well. The difference between this furniture and typical furniture is that the furniture that forms the outer walls includes an insulation layer, and has been treated to withstand harsh weather.
In the areas hit hardest by the recent Kobe earthquake, homes were toppled but most of the furniture within these homes emerged unscathed. On the surface, this might seem to have been fortuitous, but in fact the very solidity of the furniture exacerbated the tragedy, with negative consequences for residents and rescue workers. Still intact furniture often blocked rescue teams from entering the rubble to search for survivors, and many of the injuries from the quake occurred when residents were crushed under heavy furniture. The 'Furniture House' system, however, uses a series of furniture of uniform height. The furniture is built right into the structure, functioning to support the roof and overall framework of the house, so there is no danger of the furniture toppling in a quake. The end result is an exceptionally stable, earthquake proof home.
The 'Furniture House' concept is valuable not only for its decreased building costs and shorter building time, but also for its outstanding earthquake protection. At the same time, the 'Furniture House' has achieved an elegance and modernity that places it in a class by itself. No other so-called pre-fabricated house has ever come close. The 'Furniture House'concept is the vanguard of today's changing lifestyles.
House
Nobuaki Furuya Japan
Nobuaki Furuya believes that the main role of architecture is to encourage encounters between people and people, people and places, people and things. "The primary task of architecture, whether urban or rural, is to create a space that people have never experienced before, offer them new vistas and the chance to explore unknown landscapes. Architecture is also a ground where people come together and encounter others amidst the anonymity of the city or the natural environment. For this reason, architecture is a space that represents the accumulation of memory, perhaps a collective memory. It allows people to reminisce about other encounters they have had, and to realize the value of those human encounters."
The villa he designed, in the forested hills beneath the Great Wall, offering distinctive topography and stunning views, represents an opportunity for people to encounter one another. The interior of the home has been 'sculpted' from out of these very woods, which gives one feeling of being within the forest, even when one is inside the home. In this architectural environment,it is easy to sense what the Swiss sculptor and painter Alberto Giacommetti meant by his quote about man "becoming a ball of light" when wrapped in the bosom of the vast forest. Here in this forest, this is something one instinctively senses when enjoying the four seasons and communing with nature and cherished friends.
Though the villa employs ordinary, locally sourced materials, innovative building techniques create a truly extra-ordinary space. The vertical slats on the windows of this home offer a variety of vantage points from which to look out onto the surrounding scenery--change your position, and you will find that an entirely new landscape awaits you. The design of the villa thus encourages visitors to actively choose their own place, and enjoy their own spatial experience.
Distorted Courtyard
Rocco Yim, Hong Kong SAR
Rocco Yim's design for the 'Distorted Courtyard' is an updated version of the traditional Chinese courtyard. It is distorted both literally and figuratively. Literally, because he has made the traditional 'perfect square' courtyard into a parallelogram, in order to suit the topography of the land and to maximize the view of the surrounding landscape. It is distorted in the figurative sense as well, because Yim has maintained the security and privacy of a courtyard but distorted it slightly to reflect the more adventurous and open spirit of modern society. By opening up, or 'distorting' the courtyard, he has created a fusion of the environment and man-made structure, the public and the private, that manages to overcome the bounds of tradition. The distorted courtyard is a modern vacation villa full of possibilities, capable of adapting to the needs of modern Chinese families and their changing activities and lifestyles.
The distorted courtyard was designed without rigid functional boundaries, designed for infinite flexibility. There are no set boundaries to limit the space, but residents can use the illuminated screens to divide the home into functional areas as they wish. They can set boundaries or overlap them at will, according to their own needs and activities. 'Distorted Courtyard' represents the peaceful co-existence of modern architecture and the traditional concept of the Chinese courtyard home.
The walls of the courtyard serve to unify the structure. There are no superfluous elements here; only white walls, wood floors and stone walkways, which emphasize the simplicity of this country home. Delicate, lightweight bamboo blinds of excellent craftsmanship, shield the windows on the exposed southwest side of the house from the sun. There is a sense of the eternal and the unchanging in this courtyard.
The L-Shaped House
Tan Kay Ngee, Singapore
This villa was designed to make the most of the hilly, multi-level terrain on which it sits. The dining room is suspended above the slope of a hill, where it receives ample sunlight and creates a pleasant contrast with the terraced hill to the south, Servants quarters and a garage are tucked away under the house, while the guest bedrooms are situated along the rise of an adjacent slope.
The design strategy was two-fold: to adapt to different types of terrain and meet the needs of a variety of residents. The house is a reflection of the many possibilities open to the designer. It can be altered to suit the contours of a terraced hillside, just as it can be altered to meet the various needs of its residents. The focal point of the home is the entry hall, located between the two wings of the house. The length of these wings can be altered to suit a variety of needs.
The floor plan of the house is marvelously clear and succinct; the space itself is profound and rich with implications. The two wings, arrayed around a central hall, are clearly demarcated and have their own unique character.
This is home far from the city, set amid the forested landscape where one can relax and enjoy the scenery. The walls of the house are a combination of brick and glass. The generous windows offer 360-degree views of the surrounding scenery, which allows residents to wake each morning to a view of the forest. The outer wall of the hone thus becomes a metaphor for the forest outside.
Each of the bedrooms is designed differently, so that overnight guests can enjoy a different experience every time they visit. Every guest bedroom is simple and elegant, with two full stories and a sunroom. Some of the bedrooms face the forest, and others face the shunning scenery to the south. Some offer guests a view of the setting sun from two-story glass windows, and others look down onto the central courtyard. Each bedroom offers a completely different experience.
The house was designed with ample public and private space. There are various small private nooks, as well as large public spaces scattered about the house For example, the entry hall includes a sitting room for guests. There is a circular room for tea and snacks,and a large traditional Chinese hearth in the sunny central vestibule. A suspended staircase links the first and second floors. There is also a sunken living room that doubles as a 'salon' and offers residents excellent views of the sunset.
The central hall can be adapted to whatever use the residents wish.In the standard floor plan,the hall is open to the sky and to the outside.it is also possible to cover it with a roof,or a glass sunroof if residents prefer.it is also possible to build a small room onto the facade of the hall,or use it as a sun-filled Jacuzzi room.
The spacious,open dining room offers splendid views of the sunset and the nearby Great Wall. Residents and guests can enjoy their evening meal while watching the sun dip below the horizon.The extended dining table can accommodate both large and small dinner parties.
The simple design employs familiar,local materials,yet the result is a truly extraordinary space.One of the goals in designing these villa was to work with materials that are famiar to all,such as locally available brick made by local craftsmen,and use them to create a house that is very out of the ordinary.The main structure is constructed of brick and comcrete,reinforced with steel,and the roof is framed wood and reinforced steel.
House
Kanika R'Kul, Thailand
Thai architect Kanika R'kul sought to expose the spirit of the site in coming up for her design for this house. "I think that the weekend home in the mountain in addition to the weekday home in the city is intended to provide variation to the lives of the users. The 'inwardness' as well as 'non-physical' nature of our relationship to our surrounding in the city tends to leave us 'shielded' from the nature as well as our physical self. I see that the weekend home in the mountain serves not necessary to take us 'away' from the city life--because city life itself can also be wonderful and stimulating in one way--but to 'expose' us to the 'missing components' that would give all of us a more 'balanced' existence," she says.
Hence, the house she has designed exposes the users to the positive sides of the surrounding-the mountainous context, a view of the Great Wall, the sky glittering with stars at night, good air, various viewpoints-and at the same time shields the users from the natural elements. Featuring terraces and courts, her concept focuses on creating a strong relationship between the indoor and outdoor spaces.
RIDE NORTHWARD ALONG THE BADALING EXPRESSWAY in Beijing, get off at the Shuiguan exit about 10km away from the Great Wall of China, and drive through a small village. The destination? The site for the Commune by the Great Wall development.
The brainchild of 30-something Chinese couple Pan Shiyi and Zhang Xin, Commune by the Great Wall is a cluster of luxury housing that represents the ultimate bourgeois status symbol for China's growing elite: a second home in the country. Built on a valley amidst rolling mountains and lush green in the shadow of the Great Wall, the development was envisioned by the couple to be a museum of contemporary architecture. Pan and Zhang wanted to "form a collection of contemporary architectural art and leave a fine legacy for the construction age in China".
In what has been dubbed as an opportunity "to collect the art of architecture", Commune by the Great Wall is the couple's most creative project to date. Twelve relatively young architects from Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong SAR, Thailand and Venezuela were invited to shape the buildings in the 8sq km development. Zhang says that they chose young architects for their avant-garde ideas: "they emphasize concepts and insist on transcending form. Their work challenges people's current ideas about living."
The first phase of Commune by the Great Wall includes 12 buildings, among which there are eleven villas and one clubhouse. Each has been designed individually by one of the 12 architects. Much to their credit, developers Pan and Zhang have done little to stifle the architects' creativity. The 12 architects were told that most of the houses would not sit on the tops of hills, ("too imposing, says Zhang"), but rather be cradled within the contours of the valley slopes. "I told them they should use local materials," she explains. "And think about flexibility I also eliminated the use of bright colors. I didn't want them to create fashion show kind of things. The rest I left to them."
The functionality and geography of the area dictated that most houses are split level, riding up the slopes of the hills, and supporting balconies and upper rooms on cantilevers, like in Mainland-based Venezuelan architect Antonio Ochoa's design. South Korean architect Seung H-Sang's design for the 3,744sq meter clubhouse, the only truly communal building in the development, sits around the spurs of the valley, with numerous private dining gardens tucked behind concrete, stone and wood constructions. Other innovative designs include Japan's Kengo Kuma's bamboo-and-glass structure and Singapore's Tan Kay Ngee's L-shaped house.
Overall planning, which is no doubt daunting, given the engineering challenges of building on a hilly rural landscape, not to mention the unprecedented nature of the project, was the responsibility of Hong Kong-based architect Rocco Yim. On top of his master planning responsibilities, Yim also designed one of the 12 model homes. Distinguished contemporary Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was the landscape designer.
The 12 buildings in the fist phase are scheduled to be completed this month and will be opened to the public. In line with the original intention of Commune by the Great Wall and to make it convenient for the public to appreciate the "contemporary architectural art", Beijing Redstone Industries Co. Ltd. (Pan and Zhang's company) has decided not to sell the first 12 buildings and promote them as a hospitality development instead. Phase two will replicate the original 11 private home designs in 40 additional homes.
In March this year, Redstone Industries announced that the Commune by the Great Wall has received an invitation from the organizers of La Biennale di Venezia, and will go to Venice to attend the convention in September this year.
Celebrated curators including Harald Szeeman, the former director of La Biennale di Venezia, and Museum of Modern Art's Terry Riley strongly recommended the Commune by the Great Wall to La Biennale di Venezia. Having heard from Szeeman and Riley, Deyan Sudjic, the director of La Biennale di Venezia, wrote to Redstone Industries, "I looked at the web site, and the project certainly sounds very appropriate for exhibition in the Architecture Biennale in September. The theme this year is 'next'-we are looking for the key projects around the world that are setting the agenda for architecture foe the decade to come. Your project with its combination aesthetic ambition, and the reinforcement of Asian identity through architectural innovation does that in so many ways."
The history of La Biennale di Venezia dates back to 1895. It is regarded as the "Olympics of the art world" and is listed together with the Bienal International de Sao Paulo and Kassel Documenta as the three major visual arts conventions in the world. In 1975, La Biennale di Venezia added an international architectural convention, and since then has consisted of six major fields including visual arts, music, dance, architecture, theatre and film.
Commune by the Great Wall is the only single-project entrant in the history of La Biennale di Venezia. Of the achievement, Redstone Industries said in a statement, Redstone Industries said in a statement, "the Commune by the Great Wall's participation as a single project indicates that Chinese alternative architecture has drawn the attention of the world. It is a historic moment for the Chinese architecture industry."
Split House
Yung Ho Chang, China
The 'Split House'-also known as 'between the mountains and the rivers'-is located on a mountain peak,at the highest vantage point of the twelve buildings of Commune by the Great Wall. It consists of two wings that hug the peak of the mountain. The house has been cleverly designed to incorporate the mountain into the architecture of the house itself, The two wings of the house encircle the peak, creating a courtyard that is half natural, half architectural; thus is the environment "invited indoors".
There is also a small stream that meanders through the garden and up to the front door, at which point it flows beneath a glass walkway into the vestibule of the house. Visitors to the house, passing over the glass as they approach the door, are given the feeling that they are'walking' on the surface of the water itself. It is a natural space a space that succeeds in bringing architecture and nature back together, the way they once were.
The 'Split House' is remarkably versatile, in that the design can be adapted to the surrounding topography. The two wings of the house can be placed anywhere from 0 to 360 degrees from each other, to suit the surrounding terrain. If the two wings are placed together, it is a single house. If the wings are opened up, juxtaposed, they will form two parallel houses. With the wings at 90 degrees angles, the structure resembles a carpenter's square; at 180 degrees, the wings form one very long rectangular structure; and at 360 degrees, they are back-to-back.
The 'Split House' is an ecologically sound structure: it is a wood-framed, earthen-walled house in the Chinese tradition, so its impact on the environment is minimal. The clay walls act as insulation to keep the house warm in winter and cool in summer. The 'Split House' represents a respect for tradition, but is not an attempt to recreate it; rather, it is an attempt to create a new architectural vision for a modern China.
Cantilever House
Antonio Ochoa, Venezuela
Long-time Beijing resident Antonio Ochoa designed a space that is multi-storied, albeit sublimely low-rise, complete with a rooftop garden, Jacuzzi and barbecue area. The house, made almost entirely of concrete, glass and wood, is perched atop a central platform that appears to suspend the structure, as it 'hangs' from the gently sloping mountain base of the valley. Each level creates a discrete living space on varying planes of the slop. With only one central stairway, the house's additional levels are integrated by gradation into the mountainside for discrete seasonal use, as organic appendages to the mountain slope, with one level favoring a winter climate, and another built to accommodate greener and warmer seasons.
Villa No.3
Cui Kai, China
People go to the mountains for the scenery. For this reason, Villa No.3 was designed to look out onto the scenic vistas to the north and northeast of the home. From the windows of Villa No.3, one can see Villa No. 1 nearby and further away, the country club. In the distance is the most stunning scenery of all, the ascending peaks of the rolling mountains. To maximize the view, the living room and dining room were designed to face the scenery to the north, while the bedrooms were left open to the vistas in the northeast. The most difficult thing about building villas in the mountains is to avoid 'blocking' the scenery. In this case, the architect also had to keep in mind villas numbers 4, 5 and 6, which are located behind villa No.3.
The living and dining rooms are built on a sunken terrace, which gives them the appearance of 'crouching' in a thicket of trees. The sunken terrace itself has been covered with soil and greenery, transforming an otherwise unremarkable hillside into a 'hillside of glass'. The bedrooms are located in a section of the house that has been raised on stilts, in order to maintain the flow of the topography and allow an unobstructed view of the surrounding hillside.
It is impossible to predict who, besides the owners and their staff, will be occupying a home. Weekend guests come and go, and it is sometimes hard to know how many people will be coming, if they are male or female, or what their relationships to each other and the owners are. The elegant, connected living and dining rooms of villa no. 3 create the perfect setting for these sorts of gatherings. The guest bedrooms can be divided into a series of smaller or larger rooms to suit the number and type of weekend guests. The two restrooms can be divided as well - one for men and one for women, if need be.
The master bedroom is raised above the terrace to provide exclusive access to both clear vision and privacy. The bathroom in this room is opened to the outside view and the occupants can enjoy the landscape when taking a bath. The spacious kitchen is designed with an open floor plan, somewhat like a bar. There is a separate servants' entrance leading from the service kitchen to the dining area, so that meals can be brought in when hosting large parties, without disturbing the guests, In addition, there are a driver's room, a laundry, a facility room and a garage in the villa.
In the darkening evening, a string of bright lanterns illuminates the owners' path home, as warm light radiates from the glass entry hall to herald their return. Light from the two-story living and dining rooms illuminates the courtyard of the house. The scenery inside the courtyard changes with the time of day, as daylight and artificial light, trellises and trees throw picturesque shadows onto the walls of the courtyard. The scenery outside the courtyard is equally varied, offering green grass, ivy, fall leaves and snowflakes, as he seasons change. This is a living representation of the harmonious dialogue between man and nature.
Wall
Kengo Kuma, Japan
Kengo Kuma's design is rich with implications--meticulous and careful scrutiny is required to decipher the full meaning of the design. This is not something that can be fully understood at a cursory glance. As with any important thing, one must transcend first impressions and view the design without any pre-conceptions. Fortunately, this is not an arduous or even unpleasant task; rather, it is merely a process of contemplation and reflection. Put simply, one must cast aside the dictates of tradition and abandon the usual categories, and use the eyes and ears of an explorer to see and to hear.
The formal quality of the Great Wall running almost endlessly along the undulating ridgeline without being isolated from the surrounding environment was the nature he was attracted to. It appealed to him as a criticism towards the conventional form of architecture that tends to seek to be an isolated object among the environment. His intention was to apply this nature of the Great Wall to the act of dwelling, and thus naming the house the 'Wall', and dropping the 'house'.
As for the material, he used bamboo as much as possible, since it is considered as having a significant meaning among Chinese and Japanese cultures. Depending on the density and diameter of individual bamboo, it offers a variety of partitioning of space. In order to make the most of these characteristics, he decided to place bamboo wall, a layer of bamboo along the site's inclination just like the Great Wall. The Great Wall in the past portioned off two cultures, but this bamboo wall will not only partition but also unite life and culture in various manners as the Great Wall in particles.
Suitcase House
Gary Chang, Hong Kong SAR
The design for 'Suitcase House' represents a radical rethinking of the concepts of warmth, privacy, spontaneity and flexibility in architectural design. Gary Chang's innovative design challenges the notion that a house should have a set of definite shape. Its simple design demonstrates the importance of infinite adaptability in architecture.
At first glance,'Suitcase House'appears to be a series of layers, or strata. The first layer serves as a convenient storage space, which also contains service facilities and servants' quarters. This layer is located beneath the inlaid floorboards, and remains hidden from view until the floorboards are raised to reveal the space underneath. The ceiling provides storage of a different sort. It contains a set of panels that can be raised or lowered to serve as room dividers. The theme of "layering" is continued in the outer shell of the house, made up of a stratum of vertically arranged layers. This shell consists of an outer layer of double-glazed folding glass doors, and an inner layer of folding screens that encircle the house to form a sort of 'open matrix'.
The middle layer of the house is designed as a living, entertaining and activity space. It is an infinitely flexible space that can be adapted to suit the needs of residents by simply adding or taking away certain basic elements. With a minimum of effort, this level of the house can be transformed from one large empty space into a series of inter-connecting rooms.
The house is located on a slope next to the Shuiguan Great Wall. To maximize the view of the Great Wall, the architect chose a north-south orientation for the structure. This orientation assures that residents will always be able to see the panorama of the Great Wall from anywhere in the house, whether they are standing or seated.
Tucked away beneath the inlaid paneling of the floor of the house are cleverly designed storage spaces, reminiscent of 'cubby-holes' found in passenger cabins on luxury cruise ships. These cubbyholes are easy to open and use friendly and infinitely adaptable to the needs of residents and their guests. 'Suitcase House' was designed with ample storage space in mind, which minimizes the need for furniture. And the simple, sleek design of 'Suitcase House' ensures that, no matter what style of furnishings residents choose to add, they will only serve to compliment this unique and adaptable home.
House
Chien Hsueh-Yi Taiwan
Because of the unique historical and environmental significance of the site of Commune by the Great Wall, Chien Hsueh-Yi's guiding principle was to respect the history of the land by designing a structure that would blend seamlessly with the environment and with nature.
The most striking aspect of the structure is the rough-hewn stonewall that runs along the slope of the mountains here, a simple wall that contrasts nicely with the steep and intricately sloping hillside. The wall is made of stones form the building site. It is both a microcosm and an echo of the nearby Great Wall, though it also resembles a spinal column of sorts, a nerve, and an artery providing the basic structure for life and linking the structure with the surrounding environment.
The house is divided into simple rectangular spaces that both enclose and reach out. These open, rectangular spaces link the natural environment outside with the human activities inside, and serve to modify structural space to blend with natural space. The architecture of the house serves as a simple foil to the rugged intricacy of nature.
Clubhouse
Seung H-Sang, Korea
The goal of the Korean architect's design was to create 'architecture as landscape'--a landscape that can accommodate both functional and cultural diversity, and something he called the 'culturescape' in this project. The club is situated at the center of the Commune by the Great Wall project; it is the nucleus both literally and figuratively. To ensure that the club is conveniently close to all of the homes within the project, it is located at the entrance to the two main valleys, the south and the east. It faces west onto the panorama of the Great wall, commanding the most impressive view in the entire Commune by the Great Wall project. To the east of the club, one can see the east valley; mountain ranges are visible to the north and south. The gradient of the building site ranges from 0-10 percent.
Amenities at the club, which will be open to residents of Commune by the Great Wall and their guests, include two restaurants, a swimming pool, a gallery and a retail facility. The club will also house the Commune by the Great Wall management offices and employee accommodations.
The Chinese restaurant within the club offers ten private rooms with ten enclosed private gardens. When the restaurant is opened into one large hall, these small gardens are even more spectacular. One of the motifs in the restaurant is the series of small apertures or 'gaps' in the walls. When light flickers through these gaps, it creates distorted patterns and a luminous play of light that suffuses the restaurant with a sense of mystery. All of the functional areas of the club (with the exception of the employee dormitories) are interconnected, linked by a series of corridors that link section of the club at different elevations. The western restaurant above the Chinese restaurant and the swimming pool both command stunning views of the Great Wall, and are excellent spots to watch the sunset.
As one enters the lobby of the club, he or she will see lovely trees that have been preserved as part of the interior landscape. The outdoor landscaping serves to link the architecture and the roads with the surrounding environment. There are fountains, wooden decks and parking lots, but most of the original landscape has been preserved. Manmade architecture is inextricably and delicately linked with the natural physical environment.
The overall impression one gets is that the five wings of the club somehow 'grew' directly out of the mountain, rather than being constructed on top of it . The building is constructed of natural materials such as wood, stone and steel plates that will gradually rust and change their color over time, to harmonize with the environment. Rough-hewn stones from the building site are also used, continuing the theme of unity with the environment.
Furniture House
Shigeru Ban, Japan
With the dwindling number of master carpenters and the decline of traditional craftsmanship, the price of high quality woodwork has increased astronomically in recent years. In the case of the 'Furniture House', however, the process of creating the furniture and the framework of the house is one and the same. This brings the process of framing the house into the 'workshop', and allows the improvement of structural precision while reducing costs.
Shigeru Ban's 'Furniture House' represents a radically new concept in residential housing construction--something completely different from traditional building methods.
In typical residential housing construction, walls and columns are used to support the house and sub-divide areas within the house. The 'Furniture House', however, replaces traditional walls and pillars with furniture, of a uniform height, that is incorporated into the actual structure of the house and functions to support the structure, upper story and roof of the house. This 'furniture-as-building-material' not only resists heavy winds and earthquakes, but is also strong enough to form the outer walls of the house as well. The difference between this furniture and typical furniture is that the furniture that forms the outer walls includes an insulation layer, and has been treated to withstand harsh weather.
In the areas hit hardest by the recent Kobe earthquake, homes were toppled but most of the furniture within these homes emerged unscathed. On the surface, this might seem to have been fortuitous, but in fact the very solidity of the furniture exacerbated the tragedy, with negative consequences for residents and rescue workers. Still intact furniture often blocked rescue teams from entering the rubble to search for survivors, and many of the injuries from the quake occurred when residents were crushed under heavy furniture. The 'Furniture House' system, however, uses a series of furniture of uniform height. The furniture is built right into the structure, functioning to support the roof and overall framework of the house, so there is no danger of the furniture toppling in a quake. The end result is an exceptionally stable, earthquake proof home.
The 'Furniture House' concept is valuable not only for its decreased building costs and shorter building time, but also for its outstanding earthquake protection. At the same time, the 'Furniture House' has achieved an elegance and modernity that places it in a class by itself. No other so-called pre-fabricated house has ever come close. The 'Furniture House'concept is the vanguard of today's changing lifestyles.
House
Nobuaki Furuya Japan
Nobuaki Furuya believes that the main role of architecture is to encourage encounters between people and people, people and places, people and things. "The primary task of architecture, whether urban or rural, is to create a space that people have never experienced before, offer them new vistas and the chance to explore unknown landscapes. Architecture is also a ground where people come together and encounter others amidst the anonymity of the city or the natural environment. For this reason, architecture is a space that represents the accumulation of memory, perhaps a collective memory. It allows people to reminisce about other encounters they have had, and to realize the value of those human encounters."
The villa he designed, in the forested hills beneath the Great Wall, offering distinctive topography and stunning views, represents an opportunity for people to encounter one another. The interior of the home has been 'sculpted' from out of these very woods, which gives one feeling of being within the forest, even when one is inside the home. In this architectural environment,it is easy to sense what the Swiss sculptor and painter Alberto Giacommetti meant by his quote about man "becoming a ball of light" when wrapped in the bosom of the vast forest. Here in this forest, this is something one instinctively senses when enjoying the four seasons and communing with nature and cherished friends.
Though the villa employs ordinary, locally sourced materials, innovative building techniques create a truly extra-ordinary space. The vertical slats on the windows of this home offer a variety of vantage points from which to look out onto the surrounding scenery--change your position, and you will find that an entirely new landscape awaits you. The design of the villa thus encourages visitors to actively choose their own place, and enjoy their own spatial experience.
Distorted Courtyard
Rocco Yim, Hong Kong SAR
Rocco Yim's design for the 'Distorted Courtyard' is an updated version of the traditional Chinese courtyard. It is distorted both literally and figuratively. Literally, because he has made the traditional 'perfect square' courtyard into a parallelogram, in order to suit the topography of the land and to maximize the view of the surrounding landscape. It is distorted in the figurative sense as well, because Yim has maintained the security and privacy of a courtyard but distorted it slightly to reflect the more adventurous and open spirit of modern society. By opening up, or 'distorting' the courtyard, he has created a fusion of the environment and man-made structure, the public and the private, that manages to overcome the bounds of tradition. The distorted courtyard is a modern vacation villa full of possibilities, capable of adapting to the needs of modern Chinese families and their changing activities and lifestyles.
The distorted courtyard was designed without rigid functional boundaries, designed for infinite flexibility. There are no set boundaries to limit the space, but residents can use the illuminated screens to divide the home into functional areas as they wish. They can set boundaries or overlap them at will, according to their own needs and activities. 'Distorted Courtyard' represents the peaceful co-existence of modern architecture and the traditional concept of the Chinese courtyard home.
The walls of the courtyard serve to unify the structure. There are no superfluous elements here; only white walls, wood floors and stone walkways, which emphasize the simplicity of this country home. Delicate, lightweight bamboo blinds of excellent craftsmanship, shield the windows on the exposed southwest side of the house from the sun. There is a sense of the eternal and the unchanging in this courtyard.
The L-Shaped House
Tan Kay Ngee, Singapore
This villa was designed to make the most of the hilly, multi-level terrain on which it sits. The dining room is suspended above the slope of a hill, where it receives ample sunlight and creates a pleasant contrast with the terraced hill to the south, Servants quarters and a garage are tucked away under the house, while the guest bedrooms are situated along the rise of an adjacent slope.
The design strategy was two-fold: to adapt to different types of terrain and meet the needs of a variety of residents. The house is a reflection of the many possibilities open to the designer. It can be altered to suit the contours of a terraced hillside, just as it can be altered to meet the various needs of its residents. The focal point of the home is the entry hall, located between the two wings of the house. The length of these wings can be altered to suit a variety of needs.
The floor plan of the house is marvelously clear and succinct; the space itself is profound and rich with implications. The two wings, arrayed around a central hall, are clearly demarcated and have their own unique character.
This is home far from the city, set amid the forested landscape where one can relax and enjoy the scenery. The walls of the house are a combination of brick and glass. The generous windows offer 360-degree views of the surrounding scenery, which allows residents to wake each morning to a view of the forest. The outer wall of the hone thus becomes a metaphor for the forest outside.
Each of the bedrooms is designed differently, so that overnight guests can enjoy a different experience every time they visit. Every guest bedroom is simple and elegant, with two full stories and a sunroom. Some of the bedrooms face the forest, and others face the shunning scenery to the south. Some offer guests a view of the setting sun from two-story glass windows, and others look down onto the central courtyard. Each bedroom offers a completely different experience.
The house was designed with ample public and private space. There are various small private nooks, as well as large public spaces scattered about the house For example, the entry hall includes a sitting room for guests. There is a circular room for tea and snacks,and a large traditional Chinese hearth in the sunny central vestibule. A suspended staircase links the first and second floors. There is also a sunken living room that doubles as a 'salon' and offers residents excellent views of the sunset.
The central hall can be adapted to whatever use the residents wish.In the standard floor plan,the hall is open to the sky and to the outside.it is also possible to cover it with a roof,or a glass sunroof if residents prefer.it is also possible to build a small room onto the facade of the hall,or use it as a sun-filled Jacuzzi room.
The spacious,open dining room offers splendid views of the sunset and the nearby Great Wall. Residents and guests can enjoy their evening meal while watching the sun dip below the horizon.The extended dining table can accommodate both large and small dinner parties.
The simple design employs familiar,local materials,yet the result is a truly extraordinary space.One of the goals in designing these villa was to work with materials that are famiar to all,such as locally available brick made by local craftsmen,and use them to create a house that is very out of the ordinary.The main structure is constructed of brick and comcrete,reinforced with steel,and the roof is framed wood and reinforced steel.
House
Kanika R'Kul, Thailand
Thai architect Kanika R'kul sought to expose the spirit of the site in coming up for her design for this house. "I think that the weekend home in the mountain in addition to the weekday home in the city is intended to provide variation to the lives of the users. The 'inwardness' as well as 'non-physical' nature of our relationship to our surrounding in the city tends to leave us 'shielded' from the nature as well as our physical self. I see that the weekend home in the mountain serves not necessary to take us 'away' from the city life--because city life itself can also be wonderful and stimulating in one way--but to 'expose' us to the 'missing components' that would give all of us a more 'balanced' existence," she says.
Hence, the house she has designed exposes the users to the positive sides of the surrounding-the mountainous context, a view of the Great Wall, the sky glittering with stars at night, good air, various viewpoints-and at the same time shields the users from the natural elements. Featuring terraces and courts, her concept focuses on creating a strong relationship between the indoor and outdoor spaces.
