▲ Tea Room 1
This project is situated in Jiangning District, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, approximately 11.7 kilometers from the district center. Surrounded by farmland on all sides, with two ponds located at the front and back, it offers stunning views of the rolling mountains to the north. The owner’s intent was to renovate the abandoned house to expand the homestay, creating a secluded rural retreat on the city’s edge. The goal is to simply recreate pastoral life while ensuring a high-quality living environment, providing long-term urban residents a chance to reconnect spiritually with nature.
▲ Building Facade
The original site features a 21.6-meter-long building with an 8.2-meter depth and two courtyards positioned at the front and back. The design splits the original east-west building into three relatively independent living units by preserving the original doors, windows, and structural beams. This approach maintains privacy for each unit and allows them to be rented separately if needed.
▲ Concept Plan
▲ Living Space
▲ Tea Room 2
▲ Dining Area 1
The building’s original 5.3-meter floor height allowed for the addition of an attic, enabling a unique room layout beyond traditional suite models. This created three spatial platforms at different heights: the first-floor living area, a transitional reading space, and the attic. This vertical layering enriches spatial experience and gradually increases privacy as elevation rises. Each suite is designed to accommodate small, intimate groups, fostering interaction and communication within the indoor space.
▲ Stereoscopic Space System
▲ Leisure Platform
▲ Attic
We aimed to create continuity and cohesion within the space, breaking away from traditional enclosed “room” limitations. No fully enclosed functional spaces exist inside; instead, a “seemingly discontinuous” grid replaces doors. For example, from the dining area on the first floor, the bedroom is partially visible through a clothes rack. The bedroom and reading area are separated by raw tree trunks and wooden railings, maintaining spatial boundaries while allowing visual openness. The tatami-style tea area and living room can share views, creating a fluid connection.
▲ Dining Area 2
▲ Dining Area 3
▲ Bedroom
▲ Tea Room 3
The attic bedroom’s east-west facing facade is designed to evoke an “outdoor” camping experience. Imagine sitting inside a tent beneath a bright moon, gazing at the surroundings, or lying back to admire the starry sky through the skylight — evoking feelings of peace and leisure.
▲ Attic Skylight
▲ Night View of Backyard
▲ Bookshelf Steps
The outdoor landscape platform controls the opening and closing of partitions between the courtyards, enabling a seamless transition between two spatial modes: “private rest” and “open gathering.” This flexibility caters to different spatial needs and accommodates varying numbers of tenants.
▲ Backyard
The design incorporates rural elements and natural materials: the entrance swing, rope-hung sofa, and hammock evoke a heartfelt return to the countryside. The textured light gray painted walls combined with antique elm wood accents create a rustic yet elegant charm. A gauze canopy hangs over the dining table area from a wooden frame, adding a light, ethereal touch. The simple material palette forms a peaceful, highly distinctive space.
▲ Old Elm Wood Partition
▲ Swing
▲ Tea Room 4
The outdoor landscape platform extends the wooden door texture, featuring blue brick flooring and hollow brick walls. A pavilion with weeping grass and a tea house woven from bamboo and wood crowns the space, offering a dual function for swimming and resting. Gazing at the distant mountains, the village’s rising smoke, and the water beneath your feet, one is reminded of a poem:
▲ Built Environment
A temporary escape from the town to countryside life, where cooking smoke gently lingers over the ditch outside. Located beside a stream and connected to Cuiling, this setting enjoys and envies tranquility alike.
▲ Front Door
▲ Bedroom Hammock
The entrance features overhanging eaves inspired by the Huizhou style of the original building, creating a rhythmic up-and-down effect. These eaves break the facade’s monotony while serving as signage and guidance for visitors. Combined with a concealed external bathroom, the design forms a recessed gray space that ensures privacy and subtlety.
▲ Built Environment (Night)
▲ Front Yard
Walking along the cobblestone path and knocking on the wooden door, visitors can experience the simplicity and rustic charm of natural wood and bricks, while enjoying a lifestyle close to nature in the countryside.
▲ Plan View
▲ Elevation View
▲ Sectional View
▲ Ground Structural Nodes
Project Information
Project Name: Mooring House
Designer: Pingjie Design
Project Design & Year of Completion: 2019
Design Lead: Huang Di
Design Team: Sun Xueyi, Chen Xueqi, Yang Nan
Project Location: Nanjing, Jiangsu
Building Area: 300 m²
Photography Credit: Yao Jieqi
Client: Slow Girl Countryside Mooring House, Houpo Homestay
Partner: Suzhou Redesign
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