Stepped Courtyards

Changle, Fuzhou, China

Photo © Jin Boan

Photo © Chen Cheng

Photo © Jin Boan

Photo © Chen Cheng

Photo © Jin Boan

Architects: OPEN Architecture

Location: Changle, Fuzhou, China
Year: 2014
Client: Fujian TQ Online Interactive Inc.
Principals in charge: Li Hu, Huang Wenjing
Project Team: Zhou Tingting, Laurence Chan, Wang Jianling, Qi Zhengdong, Li Qiang, Chen Chen, Yurou Cynthia Cui
Local Design Institute: Times Architectural Design Institute (Fujian) Co. Ltd
Floor area: 35,887
Site area: 44,728

This project is the staff dormitory for Net Dragon Company’s new campus by the sea shore. The main idea is to create a collective living commune with inward-facing and semi-autonomous forms that foster a strong sense of community. 3 square-shaped buildings with large central courtyards are arranged on the site at different angles.

By stepping down in different ways according to wind and views, 3 buildings each have a series of carefully landscaped open terraces shared by the residents. This also opens up the otherwise enclosed central courtyards to the surrounding nature.

Communal living and social interactions are of particular significance to these employees who are otherwise immersed in creating the virtual fantasy world every day. More importantly, staffs in different positions are living together equally, sharing the same resources and public spaces, which reflects and stimulates positive changes to the culture of the company.