△ Two-layer steel wire bridge © Sun Haiting
△ 4.5m bookshelf and steel wire rope bridge © Sun Haiting
Our ideal residential design is fundamentally space-driven, using authentic, simple materials and techniques to craft an environment of continuous freshness and tranquility. Here, “craftsmanship” often embraces unconventional approaches that differ from traditional methods. In today’s era of mass-produced factory goods, experimental craftsmanship offers a unique way to achieve a distinctive spatial experience.
This unit is situated on the top floor of a brick and concrete building from the late 1990s. The living room on the first floor faces west, while the sunroom on the second floor faces east. The rooms are connected along an east-west axis, with a narrow staircase tucked against the wall—these are the fundamental natural conditions shaping the space.
△ Original construction site photos
Our design consistently strives to forge a connection between gardens and modern architecture. Beyond ensuring walkability and spatial connectivity, we focus on dividing large spaces into smaller, inviting areas that encourage exploration, transparency, and contrasting views. We harness natural light and materials, embrace traditional metaphors, and celebrate a sense of childlike wonder. Our aim is to establish meaningful spatial relationships with gardens in residential settings.
Space Adjustment
△ Axonometric Decomposition Diagram
The spatial layout was adjusted mainly through three key interventions, around which the remaining rooms are organized:
1. Curved Glass Brick Wall (First Floor)
We introduced a curved glass brick wall to partition part of the living room, creating a balcony that adds an unexpected element to the space. This wall, combined with bookshelves and the staircase, forms a compact furniture piece. It provides privacy for the bedroom while preserving two natural light sources for the living room.
△ Furniture collection for the living room staircase on the first floor © Sun Haiting
△ Curved glass brick wall and bedroom © Sun Haiting
Despite the balcony division, the living room retains two windows for natural light.
2. Loft with Steel Wire Bridge (Second Floor)
The second floor features a 4.5-meter-high loft with a sloping roof. Transparency was essential to avoid disrupting the spatial flow. Instead of clichéd glass layers or reflective glass, we constructed a bridge using two curved steel trusses woven with nearly transparent steel wire mesh. This design allows unobstructed views of the towering 4.5-meter red brick bookshelf below. The steel trusses retain their polished and welded finish, adding an unexpected indoor landscape. The light filtering through the wire mesh adds a hint of whimsy. Carpenter Li Bing skillfully wove this small bridge. During tensioning, over 80 kg of weight was suspended, imparting prestress to the mesh.
△ Second floor steel wire bridge and lower study room © Sun Haiting
△ Second floor living room and steel wire rope woven bridge © Building in progress
3. Small ‘House’ in Bedroom Loft (Second Floor)
A 4.5-meter-high bedroom on the second floor includes a “small house” structure with a sloping roof, creating an intimate rooftop space. The eaves extend over the adjacent living room, forming a cozy study beneath bamboo windows. We embraced a playful contrast in scale—the steel wire bridge and bamboo window beneath the bedroom eaves extend beyond the window opening, evoking the feeling of ‘a big shark in a small river.’
△ Second floor bedroom small house © Sun Haiting
△ Second floor bedroom and sloping roof © Building in progress
△ Two-layer steel wire bridge © Building in progress
Room Organization
△ Axonometric Decomposition Diagram
After demolishing walls on the first floor, the kitchen was opened up. We incorporated a black walnut cantilevered dining table to efficiently use the usually space-consuming entrance dining area and high-seating family center, freeing up more space for the living room.
△ Suspended table in the living room on the first floor © Sun Haiting
Hand-chiseled concrete beams and structural columns
△ First floor living room and mortise and tenon bracket © Sun Haiting
To block cooking fumes, we designed a split kitchen curtain using a common 8cm-wide transparent PVC folding curtain for partitioning. The curtain was cut into an L-shape to follow the continuous kitchen countertop.
△ First floor kitchen L-shaped PVC folding curtain © Building in progress
The first floor entrance suffers from a structural flaw—a large concrete beam stretches overhead, creating a sense of oppression. This beam also marks the entry to the upper floors. We chiseled the concrete to contrast with the surrounding delicate materials. The low-ceilinged area beneath the beam is designated as the dining table space.
The master bedroom on the first floor faces the glass brick bedroom. The dining room, foyer, and high-seating center are concentrated in one area © Building in progress
The first floor living room staircase and concrete beam, with the entrance facing the glass brick bedroom balcony © Building in progress
△ The bathroom wall on the first floor features a ship’s porthole © Sun Haiting
The first floor bathroom wall incorporates a ship’s porthole, bringing in light and ventilation without compromising structural integrity.
The second floor reaches a maximum height of 4.5 meters. The original sunroom faces east, conveying an outdoor ambiance. It features washed stone flooring and walls with curved corners, creating an indoor garden atmosphere.
△ Two-layered stone sofa and stone washing garden © Sun Haiting
△ Stacked stone sofa in the stone washing garden © Building in progress
Behind the beam under the second-floor sloping roof lies a small triangular space that was originally sealed off. We opened it up, extending the wooden floor inward and adding glass bricks for natural light, transforming the space to feel more open.
Triangle space below the sloping roof © Building in progress
Glass bricks from the first and second floor staircases lead up to the sloping roof on the second floor © Building in progress
Materials and Details
The curved glass brick wall with a long window features a pine wood panel infested by insects. Carpenter Li Bing proposed four folding solid wood panels that can convert into an inward-facing tabletop.
Schematic diagram of folding window
Curved glass brick wall and wooden folding window in the living room and bedroom on the first floor © Sun Haiting
△ Single-layer curved glass brick wall with wooden folding window © Building in progress
△ Pin and wind hook of wooden folding window © Building in progress
Pattern on the insect-infested board during production © Building in progress
Perforated stair treads bent to 89 degrees by the factory, welded onsite © Building in progress
Embossed glass wall in the mezzanine of the second floor bedroom © Sun Haiting
Behind the wardrobe on the second floor lies the staircase to the upper level. After the worker accidentally removed the back panel above the staircase side panel, we decided to leave the wardrobe back panel open and embedded embossed glass instead. This creates a shadowy corridor effect.
Fossil door handle © Building in progress
Fossil door handle 2 © Building in progress
Some industrial door handles were replaced with fossilized trilobites and parrots. Their natural luster and shape bring elegance to the simple rubberwood finger-jointed boards. The opposite bedroom door on the second floor features two fossilized trilobites embedded in mudstone sedimentary rock, which has a relatively loose texture. We hollowed out matching spots in the bookshelf so that when the door is fully opened, the trilobites nestle inside the books.
In ancient China, double doors facing each other often had “paving hands” installed at eye level to assist with door opening. Modern installations typically place handles at 1100mm for single-door convenience. We intentionally raised the handles to eye level to honor traditional practices, which impacts the sense of ceremony when opening doors. Even experienced carpenters are influenced by contemporary industrial habits when adapting these details.
Second floor master bedroom door handle positioned at eye level © Building in progress
We excavated the wall behind the industrial door handle so that when the door is fully open, the handle hides seamlessly within the wall.
△ Light and shadow through two-layer steel wire rope net © Building in progress
The second floor balcony features small washed stone particles, with rough textures on floors and walls reminiscent of an outdoor garden. This creates an abstract space ideal for plants and stones.
Washed stone walls and floor in the second floor bathroom, featuring a custom poured hand sink © Building in progress
△ Mold for pouring hand sink
The production and weaving of the steel wire rope bridges involve shaping curved steel plates with wooden templates and welding iron chains as tension buckles. The weaving requires continuous tension and stretching to maintain integrity.
△ Railing template, construction team leader Jiang Gong © Building in progress
Master Li Bing tightening the steel wire rope © Building in progress
Bamboo window frames expose only slender stainless steel grooves on each side, with the upper and lower frames covered in bamboo to conceal the metal.
△ Bamboo window beneath the eaves of the second floor bedroom © Sun Haiting
△ Small hole opening and long curved bamboo window © Building in progress
We created an abstract “stacked mountain” sculpture using recycled elm wood door panels, which doubles as seating furniture. This garden element adds a touch of fantasy to the enclosed interior. Master Li Bing crafted his own saw blade and executed mortise and tenon joints onsite.
△ Schematic diagram of stacked stone sofa
△ Stacked stone sofa © Building in progress
△ Stacked stone sofa 2 © Building in progress
The shelves on the red brick wall are crafted from curved storage boards joined by mortise and tenon techniques.
Master Li Bing’s homemade saw for mortise and tenon joints
Arc-shaped storage board connected by mortise and tenon joints
Our ongoing goal is to refine materials and techniques within this design, seeking a form that harmonizes with the garden ambiance without feeling artificial. We aspire to create a relaxed, continuously fresh residence that offers tranquility through simple materials and thoughtful craftsmanship.
Technical Drawings
△ First floor plan
△ Second floor plan
△ Second layer sandwich floor plan
Project Information
Project Name: Craft Experiment House
Location: Beijing
Design Team: Building in Progress
Lead Designers: Zhang Qingfan, Zhang Bo
Project Area: 110 square meters
Design Period: January 2020 – April 2020
Completion Date: November 2020
Main Materials: Rubberwood finger-joint boards, perforated steel plates, steel plates, steel wire rope, glass bricks, elm boards, insect-eaten pine boards, washed stone, dry sticky stone, terrazzo, chiseled concrete, bamboo, fossils, wind hooks, butterfly hinges
Photography: Sun Haiting, Building in Progress
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