Atelier Z+

These two courtyard houses belong to a 'ten courtyard houses' experiment that abolishes a conventional plan for a standard individual house area, which has reached its density limit in a suburb of Suzhou. The Floor Area Ratio (F.A.R.) of each small and narrow plot and the program of rooms are the only parameters that remain. The independent but futile presence of the original design has been questioned and rejected thoroughly because it did not allow for any person's right to privacy. We hope that the theme of 'courtyard houses' can explore the diversity of the combination between modern lifestyles and traditional dwelling modes, while also exploring the potential of an introverted, private and free lifestyle, which exists not only indoors, but also over the whole place. All the excessive expressions of form, space, material and details should be suspended. Instead, we should focus on how to make residents feel more comfortable and free in a limited site through fine arrangements of space distribution and relationship.

Project Name: Courtyard House, Third Phase
Location: Suzhou, Jiangsu Province
Client: Suzhou Tianya Real Estate Development Co., Ltd.
Architects: Zhang Bin, Zhou Wei
Project Team: Wang Jiaqi, Yuan Yi, Lu Jun, Li Xiaojian, Zhong Lijia
Structure: reinforced concrete frame; 3 Stories
Principal Use: residence
Primary Material: pain, brick, stone, aluminium, glass, timber
Building Area: 468 sqm
Gross Floor Area: 687 sqm
Cost: RMB 3,000,000
Design Period: 2005-2007
Construction Period: 2006-2007