Caizhai Village, located in Dadongba Town, Songyang County, is nestled among mountains with the Shicang River flowing through it. This village boasts a history spanning over 200 years and is renowned for its variety of tofu products. Traditionally, family-run tofu workshops faced challenges meeting food certification standards due to environmental constraints, limiting the reach of their products.
The Tofu Workshop’s architecture integrates harmoniously with the village landscape, following the natural slope as it ascends from the village entrance. At the village level, a cooperative was established to manage raw materials and processing households, enhancing the quality of traditional tofu production methods. The cooperative oversees the entire workshop operation, directly benefiting the local villagers. Today, many farmers have joined the cooperative, resulting in improved incomes.
The workshop is designed to follow the stepped terrain, aligned with the tofu production process. It comprises six spatial functional zones: raw material preparation, grinding, boiling, frying, drying, and tasting areas.
△ Sectional perspective view
All production spaces and equipment were designed to comply with food safety standards, ensuring the tofu’s quality. This compliance has allowed the workshop’s products to be distributed in supermarkets across major cities, boosting the village’s overall economic standing.
On one side of the building, a corridor welcomes tourists to observe the entire tofu-making process as they ascend the stairs. Visitors end their journey at the tasting area on the top floor, where they can sample freshly made tofu while enjoying scenic views of the historic village across the stream. The workshop’s wooden assembly structure not only meets modern production needs but also reflects the traditional mortise and tenon timber construction common in the village’s houses.
Besides serving as a production facility, the workshop also acts as a cultural exhibit showcasing Caizhai Village’s traditional tofu craftsmanship. Early on, the workshop hosted groups of elementary school students to engage hands-on with the tofu-making process, fostering cultural appreciation.
Design Drawings
△ Site axonometric map
△ Axonometric diagram
△ General layout plan
△ First floor plan
△ Elevation drawing
△ Section diagram
Project Information
Project Name: Tofu Workshop
Location: Caizhai Village, Dadongba Town, Songyang County, Lishui City, Zhejiang Province
Function: Workshop
Owner: Caizhai Village Stock Economic Cooperative, Dadongba Town, Songyang County
Design Firm: Beijing DnA_ Design and Architecture
Lead Architect: Xu Tiantian
Lighting Design: Zhang Xin Studio, School of Architecture, Tsinghua University
Structure Type: Prefabricated wooden structure
Building Area: 1211 square meters
Floor Area: 1211 m²
Design Period: August 2017 to December 2017
Construction Period: January 2018 to December 2018
Photographers: Wang Ziling, Jiang Xiaodong
Must log in before commenting!
Sign Up