In Shenzhen—a city pulsating with dynamism and innovation—the urban villages of Longgang District are a singular presence, steeped in the traces of time and the bustle of everyday life. The project we embarked on was precisely this: the renovation of an old house brimming with distinct Chinese charm.
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Renovation of Kangle Garden Building
Architecture & Design (Concept)
Firm
Shanghai Daozhong Architectural Design Co., Ltd
Architect/Designer
ZHI CHENG
Design Team
GANG WANG
Location
Kangle Garden, Longgang District
Country
China
Photographer/Copyright
©Shanghai Daozhong Architectural Design Co., Ltd
Our clients are a Chaoshan couple, raising three lively teenagers. Deeply rooted in Chaoshan culture’s reverence for Feng Shui, they invited two professional Feng Shui masters at the project’s inception to determine details such as the stove’s placement and the building’s orientation. Their insights formed the cornerstone of the home’s functional layout and the main gate’s directional alignment.
A core tenet of Chinese habitation philosophy holds that the garden precedes the house. Thus, garden-making was established as our primary design focus. We embedded two patios in the darkest corners of the dwelling, forging three-dimensional connectivity between the ground-floor courtyard and the rooftop garden above.
The building employs an introverted framing strategy: expansive walls and carefully calibrated window openings carve out a secluded interior sanctuary. This approach not only filters out the clutter of the surrounding neighborhood but also regulates indoor light and airflow, cultivating a self-sustaining microclimate within the home.
The house’s exterior evolved organically from the inside out, preserving the original structure and functions. It retains the timeless allure of an ancestral residence while seamlessly embracing the cadence of modern urban living. Five courtyards are woven throughout the project, linking all key functional zones and bringing to life the classic Chinese garden principle of changing views with every step.
From the rooftop, one is treated to an unexpected and rare vista: a distant view of Lion Rock. We added two distinct spaces here: one open to the sky yet fully enclosed from the surroundings, designed as a venue for the clients’ sacrificial rituals, honoring their cherished Chaoshan cultural traditions; the other, an open-air teahouse, where the whole family can gather at dusk to sip tea, gaze at the moon, and share leisurely conversations around a crackling fire pit. This renovation is more than a mere upgrade of an old house. It is an experiment in merging the overlooked corners of the city with a poetic garden retreat—one that seeks to craft an ideal home for the clients, where the vibrancy of urban life coexists in perfect harmony with the serenity of a poetic dwelling.