Li Residence

Location: Zhengzhou, China
Program: Residential
2017

Courtyard Housing is the dominant typology in Chinese traditional housing. The typical layout of a courtyard is a reflection of Chinese culture and ideology. It has also been a form of emotional sustenance for Chinese scholar. The terrace is a way for modern architecture to integrate with nature, which is normally located in natural landscape surrounded by plants and a waterfall. “Falling Water,” designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, stands as one of the greatest masterpieces among modern architecture both for its architectural design and its integration with the striking natural surroundings. “Court-terrace” is a new type of Chinese traditional housing that comes from the typological evolution between courtyard and terrace. “Court-terrace” inherits both the poetic mood of the traditional courtyard and the dynamic gesture of the terrace.

The entrance garden, central garden and backyard garden, located on the ground floor, work together to create a garden system. The entrance garden and central garden designs borrow from classical Chinese garden layouts by embellishing the space with natural plants, stones and steps. On the other hand, the backyard garden uses Karesansui minimalism in a dramatic way. The white sand and grey stone provide a Zen mood and high-end atmosphere for the outdoor sitting area and swimming pool. The falling water from the second level further adds another layer to the garden, while also creating an added audiovisual effect and highlighting the “Xianju” feeling of “water and bridge.”

Public spaces like the living room, dining room and family room, as well as a guest bedroom are all located on the ground level. The second floor gives more privacy to program such as a secondary bedroom, additional guest bedrooms and the gym. There is a bridge on the second floor connecting the swimming pool to the gym in order to provide direct access to the gym’s shower room. The whole third floor is dedicated to the master bed room, which has a large terrace with the best views toward the river, back yard garden and swimming pool.

The exterior wall of the first floor is granite stone cladding, while the material for the second and the third floor is white plaster. The edge of upper level terrace is embellished with dark brown seamed aluminum panels with metal detailing in copper. The material of the interior ground flooring is wood, while the exterior ground uses wood-like stone. The style of primitive simplicity is presented by this modern design language.