▲ Front facade of the comprehensive teaching building at Gu Wenchang Cadre College (Phase I)
Creative Background
China’s five-thousand-year-old civilization has deeply rooted and flourished across its vast territories, preserving a rich architectural heritage with distinctive regional styles and vibrant colors. However, with modern society’s increased cultural exchanges, architectural regionalism faces challenges. Many regions now show homogenized styles, and Chinese cities are rapidly losing their unique identities. This clash between organically developed regional elements and the rapid replication typical of urban renewal is increasingly apparent.
Securing the design rights for the Gu Wenchang Cadre College (Phase I)—a national party education and training base honoring Comrade Gu Wenchang, former Secretary of Dongshan County—offered us a valuable opportunity to explore the integration of traditional Minnan culture with contemporary architectural design.
Geographical Location
The project is situated in Kangmei Town, Dongshan County. To the south lies the Fujian Province Sailing and Windsurfing Dongshan Training Base, separated by County Road 545. Tongbo Village is to the northeast, beyond the planned Chengnan Road. To the east, a mountain park is planned, while the west side features vacant land designated for the project’s second phase.
▲ The site is located on low-lying terrain, with Longtan Mountain visible to the north in the distance.
▲ The site faces the sea to the south.
Planning and Layout
The overall design leverages the visual relationships between surrounding buildings, mountains, and bays to create a cohesive composition centered on the comprehensive teaching building, aligned along the mountain and sea axis. A visual corridor maximizes sea views, while the natural landscape is incorporated through BIM techniques. A thoughtfully designed vertical site with subtle elevation changes creates varied landscapes within the campus, with courtyards and rooftop gardens enriching the internal environment.
▲ General site layout plan
▲ View of the front facade of the comprehensive teaching building, with mountains and sea stretching into the distance; dormitory and expert buildings are under construction on the right.
▲ Aerial view of the comprehensive teaching building from the southwest.
Spatial Design – Inspired by “Cuo” to Balance Accessibility and Privacy
Traditional southern Fujian residential architecture features the “cuo”: clusters of two or more houses surrounding an open central courtyard, creating a semi-private external space. In this project, we reinterpret this spatial concept with a modern approach. Using “cuo” as a prototype, the elevated ground floor and building forms create layered roof and courtyard spaces. Various functional areas surround a shared courtyard, achieving a harmonious balance between accessibility and privacy.
Spatial Design – The “Cheng” Model for a Solemn and Dignified Atmosphere
In the Minnan dialect, “cheng” refers to the open space in front of the main entrance of a “Dacuo” (large courtyard house) and, over time, to a square surrounded by houses. This design recreates the front open square as a vital communal space where adults enjoy the breeze and gather, while children play—a city living room for students and visitors alike. The space also guides a progressive visual experience, moving from wide views to focused perspectives, emphasizing the building’s ceremonial and political education functions.
▲ The open front space of Minnan Dacuo—the “Cheng” area
Starting from the “Cheng” space, the design leads from broad openness to focused centrality, creating a solemn and ceremonial atmosphere.
Architectural Facades – Eaves, Corridors, Arcades, and Columns as Symbolic Expressions
The eaves and corridors are distinctive features of Minnan architecture, creating unique transitional “grey spaces.” This design integrates the arcade style with passive environmental controls, mitigating the subtropical heat while establishing an orderly, rhythmic sequence that conveys solemnity and dignity appropriate to the building’s purpose.
The south-facing main facade combines eaves and arcades, featuring three groups of columns spanning fifteen intervals. This arrangement symbolizes Comrade Gu Wenchang’s fifteen years of dedication to Dongshan’s environmental and social development. The building’s ground floor is partially elevated along natural flow lines, extending eaves and corridors into interior spaces and forming various scales of arcade-style public areas. This layered spatial system fosters rich internal and external interactions, providing an ideal environment for learning and communication.
▲ Traditional southern Fujian architecture featuring eaves and arcades
Three groups of fifteen-span columns on the south facade of the comprehensive teaching building
Colonnade on the front facade of the comprehensive teaching building
Colonnade on the front facade of the comprehensive teaching building
Architectural Facades – Column and Beam Language Creating Atmosphere
The multifunctional hall and conference studio on the east and west sides draw inspiration from elevated beam-column relationships that emphasize horizontal lines. The columns and beams are substantial and heavy, featuring three types of column styles: red beams with white columns, cylindrical square columns, and varying thicknesses of columns. Despite the building’s low height, the design conveys solemnity and a formal rhythm, increasing from the edges toward the center, reinforcing the symmetrical and ceremonial theme.
On the north side, the teaching and office areas are inspired by a through-bucket style beam-column arrangement emphasizing both horizontal and vertical lines. The columns and beams here are lighter and more agile, incorporating modern architectural techniques with varied heights and alternating real and virtual elements. This approach avoids monotony and creates a welcoming atmosphere, symbolizing the building’s focus on communication and collaboration.
Architectural Color – The Minnan “Red” Tradition Expressed Through Architecture
Minnan Dacuo walls are distinctive: foundations often use local off-white stone, providing a simple and stable base, while the upper walls are constructed with red smoked bricks. The warm, passionate red complements southern Fujian’s climate and environment. Skilled local craftsmen employ various brick techniques—solid, hollow, group masonry, inlay, and collage—to create decorative patterns that balance function and aesthetics.
In this project, traditional Minnan red is the primary wall color, paired with light beige as a base or transitional hue. Select areas feature simplified hollow decorations, perfectly matching the project’s theme—the Dongshan Island Red Anthem, symbolically led by Secretary Gu, with architecture as its carrier.
▲ Prototype of Minnan mansion: red baked brick walls, white stone foundations, and hollow decorations
▲ Simplified hollow brick decorations
▲ Minnan red background with rice-white embellishments and window inlays, blending real and virtual elements
▲ Rich combinations of masonry blocks with building corners
Architectural Construction – Symbolic Inheritance and Reconstruction, Drawing Spiritual Strength
This design uses modern materials and techniques to reinterpret the traditional Minnan swallowtail ridge roof. The building’s roof features gently rising curved ridges, creating a light and elegant posture that balances the mass of the large public building. This dynamic roof form symbolizes Comrade Gu Wenchang’s resilient spirit and determination, expressed through the charm of ancient Minnan architecture.
▲ Traditional Minnan swallowtail ridge roof
▲ Swallowtail sloping ridge on the comprehensive teaching building’s roof
Architectural Construction – Curved Roofing as a Protective Space
Chinese architecture is distinguished by its unique curved roof forms, created through techniques such as lifting, folding, and curling. While these curves have simplified over time, southern Fujian has preserved this tradition in various building types, including modern residential and school buildings.
In this project, the roof is abstracted into curved forms using modern metal materials and the region’s characteristic red tiles, producing dynamic light and shadow effects. Beneath the curved roof lies a semi-outdoor space serving multiple functions: an educational achievement display, a student activity area, or equipment housing. By merging ancient regional architectural symbols with contemporary materials, the design achieves a harmonious blend of function and form.
Innovative Approach – Integration of BIM and Green Design
This project incorporates a range of ecological technologies focused on land, energy, water, and material conservation, earning the national “Two Star Green Building Design Label.” Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology supports every phase from design to construction, optimizing the process. Additionally, mature domestic green building techniques are applied, including daylight guidance, green roofs, automatic shading, energy-efficient lighting, and intelligent operation management. These strategies aim to ensure efficient, sustainable building performance and establish the site as a showcase for BIM and green building technologies.
Selected Project Drawings:
▲ First floor plan
▲ Second floor plan
▲ Third floor plan
▲ Fourth floor plan
▲ Fifth floor plan
▲ Roof floor plan
▲ Roof floor plan
▲ Underground floor plan
▲ North and east elevations
▲ South and west elevations
Project Information:
Project Name: Gu Wenchang Cadre College (Phase I)
Location: Kangmei Town, Dongshan County, Zhangzhou
Design Year: 2016
Construction Period: 2016 to present (comprehensive teaching building completed; expert and dormitory buildings under construction)
Site Area: 148,112.33 square meters
Total Building Area: 136,068.00 square meters
Design Team: Lin Penghong, Zhuang Yan, Hu Haiyu
Project Leader: Lin Penghong
Architectural Manager: Qiang Xiaofei
Structural Manager: Long Guoliang
Equipment Manager: Wang Hongsheng
Owner: Fujian Zhanglong Construction Investment Group Co., Ltd.
Architectural Photography: Liu Tengfei
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