Project Site: Shanghai
Project Area: 100 m2
Project Type: Residential Interior
Design Date: 2022.06
Team Role: Full-Service Design
Project Architect: Minyan Li
Team: Yan W, Yugao D
Construction: NT
The residential design of Chinese culture has always placed importance on the entry of the living space, which includes foyer space and circulation space. However, this process of entering has been neglected in modern living experience provided by the commodity apartments by typical real estates in recent decades. This neglected space includes not only foyer, but also areas that connects different functions, as consequence of which functions of living has been compromised. In this project, we inserted “barriers” to created folded space, therefore providing threshold to different connecting functions, as well as functioning walls for necessary living needs. Instead of providing total open plan, we believe necessary barriers are required for the proper and comfortable living in a small scale of housing.
This apartment renovation is designed for a friend, Zoe. She described a French vintage style in the beginning of this project. With discussions and design progress, we suggested to combine modern elements with vintage ones, resulting a space design with diversity and timeless tastes.
We also use design logic to resolve the biggest issue with previous layout of this apartment, which is confusing circulation. In previous layout, after entering the apartment, the visitor would face a empty foyer space with no divisions, and many open connections to different functions of the apartment, making the foyer space wasted with providing no value. To resolve the problem, we create two millwork walls to provide storage, and create barriers between different functions, connecting the foyer to the living room, then to the dinning space, and then to the main bedroom.
This new circulation, as results of our design, appears to be complicated, but in reality, provides clear organization for various scenarios, as well as storage or privacy screening needed. In a nutshell, this folded, zigzagged circulation, in an open way, established invisible threshold of different living quarters.
The main material for the project is cherry wood, to create the vintage atmosphere for the project. In contrast, we use stainless steel locally to provide function but also to add some modern and utility touch to the space. We also use Italian travertine and black marble locally on the millwork to diversify. This project has been designed in May of 2022, and the constructions has been completed by March2023.
