This project is situated in a village in Tengchong, Yunnan. Nestled along a mountainside and facing the sunrise, it overlooks the renowned ancient town of Heshun across a rice field, offering expansive views and a serene environment. The climate here remains pleasant year-round. The owner selected this location to create a vacation courtyard for family and friends.
At the project’s outset, we accompanied the owner on visits to nearby villages to study traditional residential layouts and commonly used local construction materials. We also sought suitable local contractors and discussed practical building techniques. Despite thorough preparation, we faced numerous challenges later on. After completing the conceptual plan, unforeseen circumstances forced us to demolish and restart the site entirely. Additionally, stricter regulations on preserving the ancient town’s architectural style required us to revise the structural system after finalizing construction drawings.
The owners and our team traveled frequently between Beijing and Tengchong, overcoming many uncertainties akin to leveling up and battling obstacles in a game. Ultimately, we persevered. Reflecting this determination, the project was named “San Qi Twenty One Courtyard,” symbolizing that the house would be built no matter if it took 37 or 21 attempts.
The site is located on a southeast-facing hillside with a 1.5-meter elevation difference. It is bordered by fir forests and neighboring houses on both sides. The plot is irregularly shaped with a narrow depth. Although it faces an open rice field and the mountain-top ancient town of Heshun, the landscape views are quite limited.
The owner aimed to accommodate as many outdoor guest rooms, communal areas, and private living spaces as possible within the constrained 400-square-meter site area and the 8.8-meter height restriction. Because the project lies within the protected zone of Heshun Ancient Town, the design adheres strictly to local traditional architectural styles. The main structure is timber-framed, topped with a classic gray tile sloping roof and painted in white or gray tones.
To maximize views of the ancient town, we transformed the sloped site into two terraces with level differences running from south to north, connected by staggered steps between landscaped platforms. The elongated depth of the site was divided into two courtyards: the front courtyard serves as a guest homestay, while the rear courtyard is reserved for the owner’s private living area.
Between the two courtyards lie the restaurant and lounge spaces, which can fully open to both sides. Transparent glass doors maintain visual continuity between the courtyards. The restaurant’s upper floor features two bedrooms tucked beneath the sloping roof ridge. Because these rooms sit on the raised terrace, guests can enjoy distant views of Heshun Ancient Town beyond the lowered gray tile roofs visible from their beds.
Traditional residential layouts often adopt a U- or L-shaped corridor design, with first-floor rooms facing an inner courtyard and second-floor rooms accessed via semi-outdoor corridors overlooking the courtyard. While this arrangement creates straightforward circulation, it compromises privacy as second-floor windows and doors open onto public corridors, offering no landscape views and resulting in monotonous spaces.
We aimed to break this pattern by designing a homestay that feels immersive and village-like within the limited site. The building volume is divided into six small, standalone units, each connected by stairs and small platforms. This arrangement creates varied paths from individual rooms to public areas, enhancing privacy and spatial interest.
By fully utilizing the site’s limited landscape and elevation changes, most rooms enjoy views of the ancient town. Additionally, the two courtyards formed by the standalone units provide inward-facing rooms with garden views.
Outdoor spaces with scenic views are highly valued due to Tengchong’s agreeable climate and the local tradition of socializing over tea rather than water. We aimed to encourage guests to explore every corner of the courtyard, rather than remain confined to their rooms. To this end, we created numerous outdoor public areas and maximized the use of all available landscape resources.
The scattered landscape platforms mitigate the 1.5-meter elevation difference within the site. The village-like spatial organization and loosely arranged volumes create subtle, intriguing spatial niches. Stairs and platforms are thoughtfully placed throughout these airy spaces, combined with semi-outdoor areas, eaves, and landscape corridors, enriching the user’s walking experience.
This layout offers comfortable spots for relaxation under various weather conditions. As visitors move through the building, their perspectives continually shift with changes in height and position, revealing hidden corners that aren’t obvious at first glance. This design approach expands spatial perception and adds playful discovery to the experience.
Indoor spaces
Because the building is composed of separately operable units, each room varies uniquely in landscape, size, and shape, providing distinct characteristics. Some rooms feature private balconies, others have direct access to landscaped terraces, some overlook the courtyards, and others enjoy panoramic views of the ancient town. A few rooms include loft spaces at the highest points.
To complement these diverse spatial qualities, we designed custom indoor furniture following consistent principles but with unique details tailored to each room. This approach enhances the living experience, offering comfortable spots to relax, enjoy tea, and admire the views through folding windows.
The outdoor flooring consists of Tengchong’s commonly used volcanic stone. We selected rough-surfaced blocks with minimal processing marks, creating a simple yet rich texture with small-sized bricks throughout the courtyard.
The building walls are coated with white straw mud paint, aligning with the ancient town’s style while contrasting with the gray courtyard stones. This finish offers subtle detail and a rustic texture. Indoors, materials continue the simple theme but focus on comfort. Artistic white cement walls produce a refined luster under light, while gray terrazzo floors complement the rough volcanic stone outside.
Considering budget, construction techniques, and material availability, our goal was to make the courtyard appear as if it naturally grew from the local environment—embracing a rustic rural aesthetic while meeting modern needs and tastes.
Project drawings
△ Site layout diagram
△ Floor plan
△ Section view
△ Analysis diagram
Project Information
Architect: Architecture
Area: 578 m²
Year: 2022
Photographer: Wang Hongyue
Lead Architect: Lu Wenluo
Design Team: Lu Wenlong, Li Jieran
Construction: Tengchong Zhengyang Decoration
Location: Tengchong, China
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