PROJECT STATEMENT: A landscape design reinterpreting the idealistic Chinese lifestyle and responding sensitively
to the context. The simplicity and poetry is well-aided by the outstanding execution, demonstrating the innate
serenity with traditional continuity. The preferences of local materials and native plants celebrate the locality
and preserve the precious features. It gives an excellent answer to the question: how to integrate architecture,
landscape and culture into serving the utmost important purpose-catering to the need, in the contemporary context.
PROJECT NARRATIVE: This program is a community landscape design for a 40-townhouse real-estate project
located on a 2.7-hectare site in Beijing. Situated on the 5th ring of Beijing, the metropolis’ suburban
edge, the site is in the vicinity of Fragrant Hill and Yuquan Hill, which is distinguished by the landscape
architect as the extraordinary potentials.
As a residential landscape design striving for reinterpretation of Chinese idealistic lifestyle
and simultaneously catering to the need of modern people, it integrates concerns involving architecture, landscape
and nature. This landscape design is comprised of a sequence of three spaces, of which the entrance approach
flows to the upper terrace of the site and introduces the main terrace. The entrance approach is emphasized
by the tall rubble wall combined with aspens planted aside, framing the houses and providing a sense of enclosure
from the street. At the same time the rough material of the walls is well contrasted with the delicate black
entrance door. The main terrace, dominating by the reflecting pool-“the reflected sky”, acts as the heart
of the program. The pool’s triangle shape is an indication of how simple and elegant the design could
be to coordinate pavement, plants and gradual slope into the single effort to craft the space to be a delightful
one. Withstanding the limited scale of it, the reflecting pool eliminates this feeling by functioning as a mirror
of the dramatic sky. Framed by a Chinese flowering crab apple(Chaenomeles sinensis), this terrace also enables
one to encounter the panoramic view of the lavish mountain ranges of Fragrant Hill and Yuquan Hill, since it locates
on the view corridor of the two. “The spring space”, on one side of the pool, represents the tight continuity
between the different parts of the design. Utilizing the existing slope, it is designed to be an overflow
pool to interpret the unifying element-water in another form. Between “the reflected sky” and “the
spring space” is the transitional area planting bamboos, serving the purpose of separating the two distinct
parts, also as a buffer between the serenity and liveliness. Yet all the three part-bamboo forest, “the reflected
sky” and “the spring space”, are seamlessly integrated to the harmonious elegance. The lower terrace
is comprised of a recessed sitting area with fragrant flowers and a reflective pool in the shape of rectangle,
at the south end of which a mirror is placed in order to extend the horizons into infinity and create the
meditative atmosphere.
Actually,the basic idea of the landscape spots mentioned above were derived from the conception
of Li Ao, the Tang maestro of literature, who concisely generalized the keys to ideal hillside dwelling from
a special point of view. During a field trip to the Lingjiu Temple, he was inspired and wrote: All hillside
dwellings rely on strange rocks and surprising peaks, running waters, deep pools, old trees, nice herbs, fresh
flowers, and visual depth to acquire serenity’ Afterwards, people call these seven points ‘Seven
Keys to Fine Hillside Dwellings’. Among these seven points, the last one considering the sound visual
relationship between the dwelling and its surroundings is in fact the critical point of a nice hillside dwelling,
which is also the key point of this project.
Special features: Under the premise of the specific circumstances of the site, the landscape
architect’s striving for serenity, simplicity and more importantly, the contemporary interpretation of metaphysical idealistic lifestyle, profoundly roots
in the traditions of western landscape design and Chinese culture. The effort expresses itself ranging from the
culturally sensitive response to the context to the preference of native plants. By reinterpreting the highly
appreciated Chinese ideal of poetic mountain residence in a contemporary context, the project demonstrates
to what extent innate integrity and harmony strike a chord can.
How to achieve the sense of identification among community members is one of the chief concerns
of the designer. But there appears to be a contradiction between this goal and the fact that after assigning
each house its own yard, the space left is quite limited. By the pool, “the reflected sky”, dominating
the plan, the design successfully extricates itself form the undesirable possibility that it could not provide
the necessary sensation of unification. The emphasis of the center and the seamless connection between architecture
and landscape is further extended to the south edge of the site. To overcome the restricted depth of it,
a mirror is placed at the end of “the spring space”, by which the line of vision is guided toward the infinity,
effectively creating the sensation of meditation.
The pasture style of the townhouses, even derived from eastern tradition, can hardly co-exist
in harmony with literal Chinese classic landscape design. To achieve the innate continuity of Chinese culture,
it is preferable to reinterpret conventional forms in a modern way and explore the new possibilities in material
rather than the simple replication of history. By adopting the dark grey rubble walls which respond sensitively
to the slope, the design gained the distinct rustic characteristic of Beijing villages. Enhanced by the
contemporary landscape design scheme, this project demonstrates easily recognizable integrity.
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PROJECT RESOURCES |
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Landscape
Design Group Members:
Shi Ke, Yao Yujun, Wang Dan, Cao Ran,
Liu Jing, Guo Yong, Zhang Yang, Li Yingxuan, Yang
Mi
Research Center of Landscape vs Design Study, Beijing Tsinghua Urban Planning & Design Institute
Construction Document Group Members:
Ma Yue, Yang Cheng, Shi Jingyu, Xia Yongmei, Liu Hongbin
Jinghua Landscape Architecture Planning & Co., LTD
Architectual
Design Group Members:
Lan Min
Beijing Yuan Jing Architectual Design & Consulting
Co. Ltd.
Jin Longlin
Beijing Si Kong Architectual Design & Consulting
Co. Ltd.
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Lighting Design Group Members:
Zhang Xin, School of
Architecture, Tsinghua University
Kang Chenggu, Rong Haolei
Institute of Lighting Environment Research and
Study, Urban Planning & Design Institute of
Tsinghua
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