© Yao Li
© Yao Li
© Yao Li
© Yao Li
© Yao Li

Dongziguan Affordable Housing

200best ES
Gad Line+ Studio
2018

Type

Collective dwelling

Tags

social housing , new housing blocks, local drive , contemporary courtyards, back to the rural realm, 200Best

Visitability

Allowed

Description

The problem of rural depopulation affects China as much as other parts of the world. For decades, the abandonment of the countryside and its lifestyle has led to the degradation of housing quality. This project is intended to set an example. Not only for having built 50 houses at an affordable cost, but also for having done so by drawing inspiration from local architecture and construction. The restoration of rural community life is one of the pillars of the project. The complex is designed as a microcosm in which the public space gradually becomes more private until it reaches small interior plazas. The dwellings are grouped in sets of 6, each of them around a shared space,  a courtyard that can be located at the front or at the back. These courtyards are located in such a way as to ensure adequate ventilation of the interior spaces. In addition, their walls are porous, forming lattices that allow them to be seen from the semi-public outdoor space.