View of the Lattice Wall at the Entrance
Morning breaks as the city awakens from darkness, gently pulling me from my dreams. Sunlight filters through the curtains, casting warmth onto the floor and making the white walls glow even brighter. I stroll around the house, tending to the flowers and greenery on the balcony, watering them carefully. When a breeze flows in, I sit down to enjoy breakfast, then organize my belongings and prepare to start the day.
From the Living Room Looking Toward the Dining Room
The sun’s journey lights half the earth, leaving behind the gentle scent of sunlight on the floor. Opening the door, sunlight streams through the study and falls perfectly upon the sofa near the entrance — a slender, bright beam of light. The lights come on as family gathers to share delicious food and daily moments around the table. Outside, the world gradually quiets down, slipping once again into a peaceful slumber.
2017 Architect’s New Year Calendar
This routine defines daily life. Apart from the time spent outside, most moments and events unfold within this space, shaped by BIM engineering. These experiences transform into treasured memories — echoes of a youthful home that flow gently through the changing seasons.
Spatial Diagram 1
The design respects the original structure of the house, preserving walls without modification. Practicality guides every choice. By removing unnecessary complexity, the original space is analyzed, redefined, and transformed. Subtle adjustments create a sense of fluidity and openness throughout the home.
Spatial Diagram 2
White Box: The entire house is viewed as a single blank canvas enclosed by exterior walls, forming a clean, white box.
Grid Wall: The original TV background wall and adjacent walls enclose the living room, creating an independent panel wall. This panel consists of dozens of uniform grid units stacked together. The on-site crafted solid wood grids stand out with distinct material and color, adding depth beyond the flat surface. This grid wall simultaneously serves as part of the master bedroom’s wall — acting like a mirror, with the master bedroom space becoming the opposite side of the living room.
Spatial Diagram 3
Gray Box: Two walls from the second bedroom protrude into the dining room and are painted gray, effectively turning the second bedroom into a small gray box nestled within the larger white box. This visual separation in the dining area creates a clear hierarchy and a striking contrast between “inside and outside.”
The white box is divided into two zones by the grid wall, with the gray box embedded inside. This arrangement allows the main space to flow smoothly between the grid wall and the gray box.
Living Room Decoration: Before and After Comparison 1
Living Room Decoration: Before and After Comparison 2
Living Room Decoration: Before and After Comparison 3
The polygonal multifunctional room features observation windows on every side, maintaining a semi-open connection as an extension of the main space. Both the north and south balconies retain original red brick elements, helping to moderate outdoor temperatures throughout summer and winter.
The south balcony (Nanyang Terrace) is perfect for reading and sunbathing, while the north balcony is used for washing clothes and drying blankets. Flower racks with plants stand against the red brick backdrop, adding natural beauty. The kitchen and bathroom serve as secondary spaces supporting the main living areas, each fulfilling its specific role.
Custom cabinets and shelves are built on-site in every room to establish order and optimize storage. The rest of the space remains minimal and clean, dominated by white walls.
The Dining Table Under the Lamp
This is the spot where we share meals every day, bathed in the warm glow of the lamp above. The dining table serves many purposes beyond eating — it’s a place for chatting with friends, writing, drawing, and more. Expanding its use reflects the endless possibilities a home holds. During summer, squeezing fresh fruits into juice and sharing it with family here feels both joyful and comforting.
Bedside Lighting and Wardrobe
A desk lamp is placed in the living room, while the bedroom features two small black pendant lights. The ceiling light in the bedroom is rarely used; these two smaller lights provide sufficient illumination for reading and organizing belongings. Most rooms have moved away from direct overhead lighting in favor of soft, localized lighting sources, enriching the spatial hierarchy and creating a more delicate atmosphere.
Multi-Functional Room
Jasmine on the Balcony
Scene Fragments: Zigzag Ladder Shadows, Sunlit Shelves, and Wood Grain Patterns
Beyond layout, sunlight and airflow play vital roles. Inspired by Aalto’s legacy, each wall remains a clean, pure backdrop, inviting light from various seasons and times of day to filter through glass, balconies, and rooms, illuminating objects within. Time moves quietly, following the dance of shadows.
Scene Clip: Door Handle at Sunset, Fixed Desk Lamp, Chair and Table Legs
Light and shadow mingle with the flow of wind and its gentle sounds. The breeze carries away stale air, keeping the room fresh. As it blows, white curtains flutter softly by the window, accompanied by the sweet scent of jasmine drifting through the air. Time feels still and serene.
Delightful Little Flowers
Small flowers are placed throughout the home in unexpected spots, always within view. Beautiful details inspire hope and foster a desire for better things to come.
Decoration Process
Decoration Process
As the heart of the home, the grid wall embodies daily simplicity and serenity.
Dozens of compartments hold essentials like favorite books, paper, pens, rulers, old records, easily accessible glasses, beautiful glass bottles, white rabbit figurines, photo frames, shade-loving potted plants, and more. The open-grid design allows objects to be rearranged and expanded flexibly, though it inevitably gathers dust — a gentle reminder of passing time.
Our lives remain intimately connected to this space, silently intertwined and inseparable. At times, time seems to pause in quiet stillness.
We are in the prime of our youth, and each grid tells its own story, dedicated to the city beyond. They capture the traces of sunlight, wind, rain, snow, and laughter from those days.
Meanwhile, jasmine recovers from nearly withered leaves, sprouting fresh buds and blossoms in the gentle Saturday morning light.
Design Drawings:
Perspective View 1
Perspective View 2
Perspective View 3
Perspective View 4
Project Information:
Location: Changsha
Architects: Jin Chao, Yan Luhong
WeChat: HappyNewYearHNY / 13975186043
Photography by Jin Chao
Author’s Biography:
A young architect.
Raised as a typical Chinese commoner, deeply influenced by local culture and rooted in the land.
Centered on life itself, with daily living as the source of design inspiration.
Embracing the diversity of ordinary life while immersed in the world of everyday architecture.
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