Silver Construction and Real Estate Projects Design · 2024
Quzhou Lixian Future Community Commercial Housing
by Yiwen Yu
- A' Design Award 2024 Silver Winner in Construction and Real Estate Projects Design
- Awarded April 15, 2024
- CLIENT: gad Design Group Ltd.
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 129,633
- Verification code 529405E482 · Verify this award
About Quzhou Lixian Future Community Commercial Housing
Quzhou Lixian Future Community is a residential development in the center of Quzhou, China, on the east bank of the Qujiang River. Five-story buildings enclose courtyards, with a few high-rise towers placed above them, recalling the streets and alleys of the nearby ancient city. The ground floors of the residential buildings are elevated and joined by bridges, forming a shared pedestrian network with community gardens and open spaces. Steps, ramps and elevators connect the network to the surrounding streets. Prefabricated construction and other low-carbon methods were used.
Situated within the evolving discourse of contemporary Asian residential architecture, this comprehensive development by Yiwen Yu demonstrates a sophisticated synthesis of high-density urban planning principles with humanistic spatial considerations that prioritize community formation and environmental responsiveness. The stepped volumetric strategy reveals careful attention to solar orientation and natural ventilation, each terrace and setback calibrated to maximize daylight penetration while creating sheltered outdoor spaces that extend the living environment beyond interior boundaries. The chromatic palette of warm earth tones establishes visual continuity with regional building traditions while the crisp white circulation elements introduce a contemporary clarity that speaks to present-day aspirations for modern living. One observes the thoughtful integration of landscape elements throughout the complex, where rooftop gardens and ground-level planting create green corridors that weave nature into the urban fabric, suggesting an ecological consciousness that informs the overall design philosophy. The relationship between the development and its riverfront setting appears deliberately cultivated, with building orientations and pathway alignments framing views toward the water and the elegant bridge beyond, thereby connecting residents to the broader landscape and fostering a sense of place within the regional geography. The modular yet varied massing strategy avoids the monotony often associated with large-scale residential developments, instead offering visual interest through careful articulation of individual buildings within the collective whole. Technical accomplishment manifests in the precise execution of complex geometries and the seamless integration of diverse program elements, from residential units to commercial spaces at lower levels. This work invites contemplation of how contemporary residential architecture might foster genuine community while responding sensitively to environmental context and cultural memory.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The "4+X" innovative scenario system was integrated to build three future communities. Focused on high-quality life development, it concentrates on future neighborhood, education, health, and governance as four major design scenes, coordinating entrepreneurship, transportation, low-carbon, architecture, and services. It aims to provide residents with a warm neighborhood, a resilient natural community, and an orderly community, creating the international garden community.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Site Area: 106,927 m2, Gross Floor Area: 363,058 m2
- Tags
- architecture, commercial housing, pedestrian network, sustainable design
- Production Technology
- With the support of government authorities at all levels, land resources and urban transportation facilities were integrated from the planning stage, enabling the unique cross-district 3D traffic and enclosed layout. The application of BIM technology in the survey and design phase provided more precise technical drawings. The use of prefabricated buildings and other low-carbon technologies effectively improved construction efficiency and met environmental protection requirements.
- Design Challenge
- Breaking away from the established patterns of Chinese real estate development over decades and exploring a new form of community was a significant challenge for the design. The key was to draw on tradition, reshape diverse public spaces, and revive the familiar community concept. After the project's completion, it has become a popular spot where people stop to gaze at the arches, chat while walking their children near play facilities, or simply sit under a large tree overlooking the Qujiang River.
- Project Duration
- The design phase of Lixian project started in 2019. The construction starts from 2020 and completed in 2023.
- Operation Flow
- Community gardens and open spaces for residents are located on this elevated pedestrian network, connecting with urban streets in all directions through steps, ramps and elevators. Although this pedestrian network is completely open, the one-story height gap is naturally formed which shows the boundaries of the community and enhances the sense of belonging of community residents.
- Research
- This project is located in the center of Quzhou city, on the east bank of the Qujiang River, and consists of four plots of land. By elevating the ground floor of residential building and connecting it with over-road bridges, an elevated, shared, and safe three-dimensional pedestrian system was established, linking various residential groups and public service facilities. The planning layout draws inspiration from the streets and alleys of the Chinese ancient city, with 5-story buildings enclosing courtyards and a few high-rise towers scattered above the courtyards. This transforms the capacity of high-rises into the density of multi-story buildings, bringing back a sense of scale that is intimate and comfortable.
- Inspiration
- In the past thirty years of rapid urbanization in China, the development of commercial residential buildings has focused excessively on "economic efficiency", leading to a barracks-style layout, over-scaled, and isolated appearance in residential areas. Reflecting on this, the design team drew inspiration from traditional Chinese settlements and local residential culture in Quzhou. They sought to find a path more in line with a better life imagination, reshaping an open and diverse residential mode near the ancient city, thereby creating a modern and sustainable neighborhood.
- Image Credits
- gad Design Group Ltd.
Colors of Quzhou Lixian Future Community Commercial Housing
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Sustainable Community Design and Urban Planning
We specialize in creating innovative residential communities that reimagine urban living. Our award-winning approach integrates sustainable design, pedestrian-friendly networks, and mixed-use development to transform cities into vibrant, human-scale neighborhoods that enhance quality of life.
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