Preface
In the chapter “Mass Produced Houses” from Towards New Buildings, Le Corbusier stated: “When you think of houses, you imagine the villas of the wealthy, but broadly speaking, there are countless poor and unsightly houses. I explore methods hoping that one day, poor people and all honest citizens can live in beautiful homes.”
◎ Aerial view of the Youchao International Apartment Community
Over the past decade, government support for the housing rental industry has expanded, encouraging both renting and purchasing, and promoting affordable rental housing. Real estate companies have become deeply involved in all stages—from development and leasing to operations and services—forming a mature and integrated rental housing system.
China Resources Youchao, the project owner and an urban living service provider, officially began investing in rental housing in 2016. The East Economic Development Zone branch of the Youchao International Apartment Community responds to governmental policies and represents Shanghai’s second rental housing project built on collective land.
◎ Community Scene
Located adjacent to the G60 Science and Technology Innovation Corridor Industrial Belt, within the eastern park of the national-level Songjiang Economic Development Zone, the area boasts a high industrial concentration and strong demand for industrial workforce housing. This urgent need has led to the emergence of standardized, large-scale, and high-quality rental communities.
The residential complex comprises five buildings: Buildings 1-4 serve as rental residences, while Building 5 hosts supporting commercial facilities. The community provides housing for over 1,300 households, achieving a 90% occupancy rate since opening in April 2021.
Enclosure & Community Design
◎ Community Overview
The residential buildings are arranged around a central environment, reminiscent of traditional Chinese architectural layouts. From an urban planning perspective, enclosed community design effectively establishes clear boundaries that create a tangible sense of place. These boundaries foster recognizable signs that encourage residents to stay and engage socially.
◎ Enclosed Community
Rental housing must meet sunlight requirements, ensuring over 50% of units receive at least one hour of direct sunlight in living spaces during the winter solstice with fully open windows. Supported by these planning policies, rental housing increasingly adopts enclosed community layouts.
Compared to traditional detached residential models, compact enclosed collective housing better aligns with the design guidelines for public rental housing and suits the market positioning aimed at younger users.
Community Planning Analysis Diagram (GIF)
Today, rental housing planning and construction must not only fulfill basic societal needs but also introduce innovative residential models. Nissin Design envisions that residents here will rent more than just a room—they will rent an atmosphere and social connections, making the “community” their home soil.
Sharing & Co-Living
The co-living concept is a new lifestyle emerging in major cities alongside the O2O revolution. Shared community resources encompass public physical spaces (living rooms, halls, courtyards, rooftops), public facilities (kitchens, sanitation, leisure and entertainment), shared tools (furniture, kitchenware, maintenance equipment), and cultural activities (social events, book clubs, salons, film screenings, concerts).
◎ Axial Measurement Analysis
Beyond sharing physical spaces, residents share life experiences and moments, fostering mutual recognition and emotional bonds. The heart of any community lies in the interpersonal relationships formed during residency—not merely in the physical community itself.
◎ Shared Living Room
◎ Shared Courtyard
Community services and commercial facilities, acting as dynamic hubs connecting neighbors, are strategically located at the community’s southern main entrance. These spaces blend enclosed residential areas with open green spaces, creating a comfortable living room atmosphere. The continuous open design of commercial areas at ground level helps foster broader and stronger social connections, making the community an ideal social environment.
◎ Community “Parks”
◎ Shared Stadium
The community’s ground level is fully elevated, fostering an open design that integrates with landscaping, leisure, and fitness facilities. This synergy creates a value greater than the sum of its parts. In the post-pandemic era, there is heightened emphasis on healthy living across the district. A 1 km pedestrian walkway runs throughout, connecting concentrated green spaces and vibrant community centers, allowing residents to enjoy a park-like environment without missing social activities.
◎ Elevated Ground Area
◎ Elevated Entrance at Ground Level
Creating a ‘One-Person Residence’
The community primarily caters to young white-collar and blue-collar workers in nearby industrial parks. Rental units mainly consist of one- and two-bedroom apartments, with usable areas controlled between 20 to 40 square meters. The design challenge lies in delivering prefabricated, adaptable, and multifunctional spaces within compact standardized units.
An open corridor faces the central green space, enhancing natural light and ventilation.
To control costs, the layout size is constrained by underground parking economics. After extensive comparison, a module size of 2800mm was chosen. This allows for an economical small column grid of 5600mm in the garage, while single-module rooms for one-bedroom units and dual-module rooms for two-bedroom units meet lighting and ventilation requirements.
The standardized opening modules and fully uniform doors and windows enable 100% prefabrication of structural units, increasing efficiency and environmental friendliness.
25㎡ One-bedroom Apartment
◎ 30㎡ One-bedroom, One-living Room Layout
◎ 45㎡ Two-bedroom, One-living Room Layout
While spaciousness may not be desirable in small apartments, creating an enjoyable living experience is key. The “one-person living” model includes a U-shaped kitchen, private bathroom, enclosed balcony, open living room, bedroom, and flexible storage cabinets—all designed to meet young residents’ desire for quality and a sense of ceremony.
Activities such as cooking, reading, socializing, and watching movies can all be enjoyed comfortably within these spaces.
Cost-Effective Facade Design
Since rental housing is often managed by developers, the facade design must balance high recognition and strong identity with strict cost control. Achieving distinctiveness under low-cost, modular facade constraints relies on textured coatings with contrasting color compositions.
◎ Cost-Controlled Facade
The design boldly uses a palette of dark gray and white to establish proportional relationships between floors and openings, creating a modern facade effect through color composition.
Functional facade elements like bay windows, balconies, exterior windows, downspouts, and air conditioning units serve as decorative details, while the textured coating’s rough surface adds a unique visual and tactile character.
◎ North Facade of the Building
Conclusion
On November 23, 2021, the East Economic Development Zone branch of China Resources Land’s Youchao International Apartment Community received two awards—the “Planning and Construction Award” and the “Residential Industrialization Award”—at the 12th “Shanghai Excellent Residential” selection hosted by the Shanghai Real Estate Industry Association.
◎ Night View of the Community
This rental housing project targets Generation Z, a demographic characterized by distinct personalities, a strong preference for experience, and a desire for respect. Nissin Design strives to minimize the “temporary” feel of rental housing by infusing a “sense of ceremony” within this compact 30-square-meter unit, creating a true “home” for young people in Shanghai.
Project Drawings
◎ General Layout Plan
◎ Standard Floor Plan
◎ Sectional Drawing
Project Information
Project Name: China Resources Land Youchao International Apartment Community East Economic Development Zone Branch
Location: Songjiang, Shanghai
Function: Rental Housing
Building Area: 72,930.50 m²
Owner: Youchao House Rental (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
Owner Team: Jin Xiaoyun, Lu Honghui, Pan Shanshan, Tang Xiaoxiao, Zheng Kuangyi, Ji Cheng, Wu Renyuan, Ye Yulong, Liu Tao, Wen Guanghai, Liu Xiaoqing
Design Unit: Shanghai Riqing Architectural Design Co., Ltd.
Chief Architect: Song Zhaoqing
Design Team: Wei Wenyuan, Dan You, Zhang Taofang, Dream Letter
Construction Drawing Design: Shanghai Zhongsen Architecture and Engineering Design Consulting Co., Ltd.
Interior Design: Matrix Zongheng Design Co., Ltd. & Shanghai Lijun Design Consulting Co., Ltd.
Landscape Design: Shanghai Lanjing Landscape Design Consulting Co., Ltd.
Design Period: December 2018
Completion Date: April 2021
Professional Photography: Schran Images Architecture Photography
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