Luxury House for Relaxing Amidst Nature | The Flowing Garden

Working for two business brothers, More Than Arch Studio has built a residential complex on the southern Chinese coast that interlinks indoor and outdoor spaces, open and private areas into a fascinating whole.

Courtyard homes are part and parcel of regional building traditions in the southern Chinese province of Fujian, as in many other subtropical areas. In principle they can be of any size, all the way up to residential complexes for large extended families, organised in a way that was and is a subtle reflection of inner social structures and hierarchie.

The decision to fall back on the age-old typology for the project in Zhangzhou suggested itself for various reasons: the neighbouring area on the inland side to the north are relatively densely-built and anything but attractive, while views to the sea in the south are blocked by an approx. 30-m-wide strip of municipal woodland planted as protection from typhoons. In addition, regulations restricted building height to 10 m, making anything higher impossible.

Two rectangular two-storey blocks delineate the residential complex to the north and south. The former contains guest rooms, reception rooms and a large underground wellness and leisure area with a swimming pool; the southern-facing block accommodates the private rooms of the two brothers and their families. In effect the main buildings are like the two halves of a semi-detached house.

A labyrinth-like system of single-storey volumes opening onto inner courtyards fills the space between the two. Skylights and sunken patios let natural light into the underground rooms, which house additional bedrooms and living rooms for occasional visits by family members. A tea room, a shared dining area and two multi-purpose rooms – one per half of the house – surround a large water basin in the biggest courtyard.

The warm-cold contrast of exposed concrete, timber and bronze characterises the facades, window frames and brises soleils. Most of the concrete shows the marks of coarse-textured board formwork; other walls have the characteristic, deep-fluted structure of bamboo shuttering. In the interiors, the architects differentiated between the more public areas in the north and the private quarters. Expanses of exposed concrete characterise the former, as in the subterranean spa area; cold grey concrete is less in evidence in the southern wing, being mostly concealed behind beige-coloured plaster. Floors mainly come in bamboo wood or rust-red terrazzo.

Credits:

Name: The Flowing Garden
Location: Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province, China
Area: 1,700 sqm
Year of Completion: 2021
Architectural Design: More Than Arch Studio
Photographs:Chao Zhang

0:00 – The Flowing Garden
1:09 – Central courtyard with a pond
2:36 – Water skylight
3:14 – To the basement
5:10 – Windbreak forest strip
5:42 – The two residential units
6:10 – Scale and atmosphere
8:59 – Drawings

Similar Posts

  • How To: Lighting Solutions for Small Kitchens

    The kitchen is a place where you need an even layer of functional and aesthetic lighting that combines the best of both aspects. This becomes even more essential in the small kitchen where lighting can make or break the overall look of the space. In the tiny kitchen every inch of space matters. Saving space […]

    You’re reading How To: Lighting Solutions for Small Kitchens, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

  • Villa Kivi

    VILLA KIVI Villa Kivi is a new generation log home on a tiny island in Finnish archipelago designed for himself by Finnish designer Vertti Kivi. Polar Life Haus, a Finnish wooden house manufacturer, was quick to pick it up for their collection. ‘The whole development process of the house was guided by our goal to bring the interior of the house together with the spectacular surroundings. We wanted to be part of sunset, snowstorm and even autumn storm on his tiny island in Finnish archipelago’, tells designer Vertti Kivi, the head of dSign Vertti Kivi & Co. ‘The starting point was a clear glass cube but we ended up creating glass walls reaching from the floor level up to the ceiling only to three sides of the structure. The north side with its separate sleeping rooms and bathroom is constructed of massive black wood beams that are in clear contrast to the glass and create feeling of cosyness and safety. Large terraces in one level create a sense of continuity between inside and outside. The floor plan is defined by Scandinavian clearness. The heart of the villa is the kitchen, located next to the entrance, and from there you can see the entire open interior and the surrounding sea. We like to think the kitchen island is like a DJ’s desk – the atmosphere of the whole interior space is created right there with the remote controlled lighting system. To guarantee the privacy of the bedrooms, they are located in the outermost corners of the villa, separate from each other. They too have one wall completely made of glass. An extra attention is paid on the details of the villa. Not a single molding can be found in the entire building. The doors have a hidden frame and they too reach from the floor to the ceiling. Drama and strong feeling are created by massive wooden surfaces and their color choices – snow white lacquer on the floor creates a contrast to the dark walls. To make the battened external walls coal black, we developed a special technique based on hundreds of years old Japanese traditions. In the evening, the atmosphere changes with different lighting schemes that can be timed to be in sync with nature. The end result is a clean-lined building in Scandinavian style which can be adapted to different needs and locations. It has a strong Finnish presence.