△ Living Room
“The essence of life is poetic, and people should inhabit the earth in a poetic way.” — Hölderlin
Concept Explanation
The spirit of the river tells a fable of the earth. Our goal is to create a new ecological residence inspired by the “landscape prototype.” “Observation” is a fresh approach to constructing residential landscape spaces, symbolizing the endless cycle of life and the infinite nature surrounding us.
△ Concept Diagram
Site Analysis
This project is situated in a slab-structured residential building located in the Tiantongyuan area of Changping District, Beijing. The original layout featured a conventional three-bedroom, one-living-room plan on the top floor of the six-story building. The client is a family of three: both parents work in television but rarely watch TV at home, and their young son is a lively kindergartener. Despite the building’s aged and chaotic appearance, it holds the family’s aspirations for a better life.
△ Site Analysis
The original layout included three side-wrapped windows, and the living room’s four facades were adjacent to entrances, resulting in a severe shortage of usable wall space and low functional efficiency. Our design aims to break this traditional layout and reconstruct the space around the balcony as the primary design element. The balcony is connected in series to form an open, flowing public space. Functions are arranged along this flow line to meet everyday living needs. Serving as a transitional “grey space,” the balcony links indoor and outdoor environments and opens up endless horizons.
△ Plan Before Renovation
△ Analysis Diagram
Design Concept
To create a multi-perspective scene, we oriented the living room seating towards an oblique angle that connects both balconies. Considering the hostess’s love for plants, the concept of a “landscape balcony” was born. This indoor garden-like space allows residents to enjoy sunshine and greenery even on the sixth floor, embodying Hölderlin’s ideal: “People, poetic dwelling on the earth.”
△ Model Diagram
Entrance Hall
The entrance features a shoe cabinet and a shoe-changing stool integrated under a full roof. Upon entering, all light sources are immediately visible. The flowing, streamlined layout provides a spacious and engaging area that visually extends toward the horizon.
△ Entrance Hall
Dining Room & Kitchen
Flowing naturally from the entrance is the dining area, where tables with a strong streamlined design harmonize with the space. The dining room connects directly to the kitchen, allowing cooking and cleaning activities to be bathed in natural sunlight and shade, creating a uniquely pleasant atmosphere.
△ Dining Room
△ Kitchen
Living Room
The living room features two curved sofas arranged side by side, defining the boundaries of private areas such as the bathroom and bedroom. Bookshelves flank both sides of the sofa, encouraging daily reading, while the TV background cabinet doubles as a storage unit and a water bar counter.
By breaking the limitations of the original layout, we created a dynamic, river-like activity space that supports daily family activities and children’s play, all while allowing views of greenery from both balconies.
△ Living Room
Balconies
Both balconies embrace the “landscape balcony” concept, featuring a three-tiered stepped resting area. Steps and seating platforms are designed to human scale, catering to the female owner’s passion for high-rise gardening, while also providing a cozy spot for reading and relaxation amidst lush greenery.
△ Balcony
Bathroom
The bathroom offers an immersive “strolling in the rain” experience. Curved glass walls reveal a double-layered, overlapping curved surround that frames a natural forest bathing scene. A long washbasin provides practical use for daily routines, while small flower tiles and green cabinetry complement the overall landscape aesthetic.
△ Bathroom
Bedroom & Children’s Room
Natural wood materials extend into the bedroom, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. A dressing room behind the master bedroom offers ample storage. In the children’s room, wooden wall panels create a cozy and private sleeping environment, ensuring peaceful rest for the child.
△ Bedroom
Study
The semi-open study accommodates two people simultaneously, providing a well-equipped workspace for the whole family.
△ Study Room
Conclusion
“Guanjing” represents a new approach to residential landscape space design. By reinterpreting the “landscape prototype” and introducing flowing, streamlined circulation, the project connects adjacent outdoor balconies as ecological landscape features, completely breaking with traditional residential layouts. Maximizing natural light and crafting new viewing perspectives, it offers a vivid, concrete example of Hölderlin’s vision: “people, living poetically on the earth.”
△ Axis Measurement Analysis Diagram
△ Plan After Renovation
Project Information
Project Name: Landscape
Location: Tiantongyuan Area, Changping District, Beijing
Project Type: Renovation of an old residence
Building Area: 103 square meters
Design Firm: XIGO STUDIO, Theater Architecture Design Studio
Principal Designer: Liu Yang
Design Development: Zhang Yixin and Wang Dan
Assistant Team: Luo Shuang and Yang Fuda
Visual Presentation: Cai Qing
Main Materials: Tecna resin, Nippon Paint, Koto wood veneer
Custom Furniture: Daxin Cabinets, Banpu Tang Furniture
Design Period: June 2019 – August 2019
Construction Supervisor: Zhu Xingui
Completion Date: November 2020
Article Layout: Liu Yang, Li Yanan
Photographer: Liming
Academic Advisor: Zhu Li
Contact WeChat: xigo studio
Company Email: __AI_S_SC0__
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